2014.02.15 - On the job with Phil

Snowmageddon is done. Over with. The plows are only now coming through, street by street. The sun is shining and the temperatures have actually reached the upper 30's. It sends the kids out, the families out.. and the slush on the sidewalks begins. As well as the melting snow on the bags of garbage that hadn't been picked up by Public Works for whatever reason.

Loki is out in this weather. It is a glorious day, and with his collar from a dark woolen jacket that sits upon a decidedly Midgardian suit kipped up as proof against the weather, the well-dressed Prince in exile looks pleased. He's on a corner, his keen gaze searching the streets for -something-.

Suddenly, as if by arrangement, there is a 'something' that bursts through the front wall of an small, 'alternative' art gallery, stone, mortar and glass blowing out everywhere.

There is that moment of complete silence before screams crease the air, those injured by the eruption of glass too filled with adrenaline to notice the deep gashes and wounds. The dust of the building obscures what does the damage from within, but only for a moment.

Stepping through, first with very hesitant steps, there is a large, iron... golem. A creature made of auto parts that once stood as a showpiece in the gallery, but is now very much on the move- but not through the intention of the artist.

A car is driving over the iced roads. Flying, more accurately. It's Agent Coulson's hover car, Lola. SHIELD and federal SWAT teams have been called in to investigate. SWAT teams are currently just here for containment, however. They've been ordered not to shoot at the golem unless it breaks containment. Lola parks, and Agent Coulson walks out. He walks outside, carrying Coulson's Revenge, the weapon he carrried when he 'died'. He doesn't point it at the Golem, but does activate it. He tries to communicate with the golem. "Hello? Can you understand me? I want you to get on your knees, and put your hands behind your head. Can you do that for me, please?" His voice is loud, but not in anyway menacing.

As the cavalry begins to arrive, Loki takes a step back, his hands settled deep in his pockets. He looks around, and the smile that always preceeds a touch of mischief creeps onto the the Trickster's face. SWAT. SHIELD, even?

How very perfect.

The golem is silent; remarkably it doesn't howl, rage, snarl or anything as the construct wasn't built with a throat that can handle such noise. There is a most base sentience, however, as if that spark of life did indeed confer some rudimentary intelligence- that being a survival instinct.

Now that it has gained its footing, the metal creature tears at a section of wall and throws it at those pesky humans that seek to flee from it. Movement, after all, always gains attention. One of the smaller pieces in the gallery, a rock statue of some version of an imagined goddess, is thrown with no little force towards the one speaking- namely, Agent Phil Coulson.

Agent Coulson does a combat roll out of the way of the flying granite projectile. He stands up and decides that now is a good time to attack. He is about to fire at the statue, when he notices Loki standing there. He pauses for a moment. And then he looks over his shoulder just to make sure that there isn't a second Loki standing behind him. He had no intentions of falling for that again! In truth, he probably shouldn't even offer a surrender to Loki, but alas, he will. He gets Loki in the sights of his weapon and says "I'm giving you once chance to stop this and retreat!" He cranks the power up on his weapon a few notches.

"Well, well... would you look at that," is murmured by the Asgardian. His smile creeps a little higher upon his face until it settles into something just under a grin. His hands are pulled slowly from his pockets, and raised in the air just as slowly.

"You're looking... alive, Agent Coulson-- Oh, I think you should duck right about now..."

Behind him, there is that pesky metal golem, and while those in SHIELD are trying oh-so-helpfully to cover their boss (read: open fire), the bullets are ricocheting and digging into the buildings, smashing windows. The car-parts sculpture that is come to life is headed right for the SHIELD Agent, and in the next second, a muffler appears in its hand, brandished just like a club to come at the not-metal Coulson.

Loki takes that opportunity to move as well, finding a little cover in a building entry of granite and brick.

The granite statue that the golem had and threw lands in a *chunk* on a car, denting the hood. Soon after, it begins to show some 'life' of its own. Animation, anyway... and it begins to move on its own accord.

Agent Coulson actually takes Loki's advice, dodging the club. He says to Loki "Thank you!" And then proceeds to fire at the statue. He decides he'll purchase Loki a soda (ok, a /few/ sodas) when he's in jail. A sparkling orange ball of plasma spurts out of Agent Coulson's weapon, like a miniture asteroid, heading towards the golem.

It's an over swing, of course, by the metallic, walking sculpture- and it doesn't appear as if it even 'notices' the bullets *whing*ing off its head, arms.. torso. Those on the street, however, and duck, running and screaming as they try to make their way away from the bullets. And the golem. And the now 'moving on its own' granite statue.

Loki offers a re-lighting of his smile at the 'thank you' and lowers his hands before he makes a hand gesture which results in several snow-laden cars rolling towards a collection of SWAT. And the next, towards a collection of SHIELD agents that are trying to determine the next best course of action. The statue, after bouncing, is now gaining its footing, as it were, and begins to make its way towards him with the big ... gun.

Loki whistles softly as the orange burst spurts from the barrel, and his expression becomes so very -thoughtful-. Heh. This is going to hurt. --As for the golem? When it's hit with the orange plasma, there is something that could resemble shock. And surprise... before its chest is blown apart and parts begin to fuse as its thrown across the street and slams into a store-front window, smashing more glass and setting off sprinkler systems.

Almost down, but not quite!

Agent Coulson radios in "Here's the plan! SHIELD, I want you to evacuate the citizens. SWAT team, arm yourself with armor piercing rounds. Can you get an armored vehicle in here?" Damn it! He wishes Fitts and Simmons were here. They'd have some special gadget laying around that turns evil statues good. He's sure of it! But alas, they aren't here. He makes up his mind to attack Loki. It's worth the risk. He gets Loki in his sights, and then pulls the trigger. he's aiming currently for the center of mass.

''*THUNK.. thunk...*''

Time to evacuate the citizens in the area, and it's something that SHIELD does quite well, actually. People are rushing, a few falling in the slush and snow, but scrabbling away so as not to be SHOT, or even hit with the ricocheting rounds.

SWAT, then, switches out their ammunition, and some are even equipped with small RPGs. Time to take out that statue!

Loki turns about to check on Coulson, and his eyes widen ever so slightly as he catches one of those orange plasma bolts right in the chest, sending him sailing backwards- sadly only a few feet to smash into a steel door that leads to corridor that has stairs going up. The door buckles and breaks, and the Asgardian is lying in that small, entryway. The light that illuminates the tight corridor bursts, to add insult to injury, the glass shards land on the stricken Loki.

Lying on his back now, Loki stares straight up and hisses a breath. Ow.. that hurts.

He doesn't have the luxury of just lying there, however.. he can't. He's ready to roll, to try and gain his feet before Coulson has a second chance to pull that trigger--

Agent Coulson watches Loki fly backwards through a door. Loki begins to flee. Agent Coulson decides not to follow. As any Risk player knows, defense always has the advantage! Surely Loki has some trick up his sleeve. He's the god of sleeve-based trickery. So, as not to spring one of his traps, he decides to simply make sure Loki doesn't pop out of the building and cause more trouble. He radios in "How's it going with the statues?"

Ow.

Ow.

Loki gains his feet, an arm wrapped about his midsection as if he's helping his skin keep his innards, well, in. He's got a pained expression on his face, complete with a few bumps and scrapes that certainly show. His woolen coat is a touch battered, and he's more than ready to beat feet.

Of -course- he's going to cover his tracks to beat feet out. If that's 'some trick up his sleeve', so be it!

Loki isn't about to give Coulson a chance to shoot him again; probably knock him out for a couple of precious moments... and he begins to limp out, his hand flicking to cause some of the snow-laden fireplugs to burst straight into the air, the water shooting in all different directions. That should give him time enough.

As for the big bad, it's having some problems gaining its feet from where it had been pulsed. Soon enough, whateve spark of 'life' it had disappears. (And it happens to coincide with Loki's departure?)

The granite statue is over the cars now, and extends its hands in order to make a grab at Coulson, but before it can make its grab, it too--

Freezes. Stops mid-grab.

Agent Coulson turns around, when he notices there's a giant hand about to grab him. He's almost grabbed, but the statue freezes. He pauses and recieves a message on the radio. "Uh, Agent Coulson...the statues have stopped." Coulson smiles and radios back "Alright, let's wait a moment, and then do some clean up". The bad news is that many of the statues were destroyed. The good news is that the artists at the museum were able to glue pieces of them together into new 'modern art' masterpieces, and will soon find themselves making more money than ever before.