TO: jjj@dailybugle.com
FROM: jewel@thepulse.com
SUBJECT: [Pulse] Iron Man's Press Conference
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Jonah,
This isn't going to be pretty. I can cover this beat for you, but you need to promise no civvies will be out on reporter duty. I'm sure you've seen the conference - Captain America is public enemy number one. The Avengers are going to war.
Also, my usual fee will be doubled for this - let's call it hazard pay.
Keep it sleazy,
Jewel
P.S. I mean it. If I see a single civvie pounding pavement for this, I'll break your face in :-)
St. David's Hospital - Cardiff: 2:00 A.M.
"I was in the neighborhood, got a tip that something odd was going on here," Fury said cryptically. He wasn't the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore, but that didn't mean he was about to volunteer information if he felt it was better to play things close to the vest. With his one good eye, he surveyed the hallway. It was freezing cold, so cold that Niah and Oliver's breath looked more like smoke or steam. The severed head had ceased screaming. He didn't detect any movement. "Do either of you two hunt?" Fury asked.
He reached into his pocket, pulling a pistol. He didn't wait for them to answer. "A good hunter stalks their prey, takes it down skillfully and peacefully... They don't draw attention to themselves, using the natural environment to help them blend in. But whatever's here, it ain't hunting us... The motherfucker is playing with its food."
Fury then purposefully walked down the hallway, going south, as the power in the hospital died and sent them into pitch darkness.
Ellis Island - New York: 7:50 P.M.
Bonnie Chase

Location: Ellis Island: Far Field
Skills: Blessing of Athena, Intuition, Hand-to-Hand Combat
She threw a kick at Kwassi, but he would be able to easily block it. Bonnie didn't slow down or take a beat though, continuing in her onslaught of attacks. Her gut was telling her to just keep throwing things at him and eventually, he would have to slip up. Eventually, she would catch him off guard and knock him to the ground, ideally unconscious. She didn't have any hard feelings towards him, there was nothing personal about this fight, but Bonnie hated losing. At one point in her line of attacks, she almost tripped on her own feet - but then, as if the universe decided it was going for an opposite things, the way she ducked down to regain her balance gave her the perfect opening. She was able to punch Kwassi with the hilt of a dagger in the upper chest, the momentum carrying her through and knocking him flat on his back on the ground.
Folly Valeska

Location: Ellis Island: Far Field
Skills: Regenerative Healing Factor (Passive), Acrobat
Folly prodded him slightly with her foot. "Are you dead?" she asked. He was firmly unconscious though, and his head was bleeding from the decent whack he had given himself when he fell through the portal. She definitely lost interest in him though when she saw how Elizabeth's plan backfired so spectacularly. Another combatant was shooting at Elizabeth too and she didn't seem aware. "Might I suggest enrolling in a physics course? They're rather educational," she called out to Elizabeth.
She decided not to take care of the shooter though, since how would Elizabeth learn to handle her enemies otherwise? She had to lead by example. Folly did an impressive backflip, soaring over Cass and landing behind her. She then kicked Cass as hard as she could in the back of the neck, knocking the taller, older woman down to the ground. Unbreakable skin wouldn't stop Cass from feeling the strain of whiplash and the difficulty breathing associated with it. Folly then jumped onto Cass' back, wrapping her legs around Cass' neck to keep herself from falling down.
Asgard - Breidablik: 11:40 P.M.
Amelia Baptiste

Location: The Meadows of Nanna -> the Hall of Baldur
Skills: N/A
"Crikey, I don't think we even have a word for your generation," Amelia whistled. She was dressed in her clothes again and she felt incredibly refreshed. She had to wonder if any of the younger Asgardians had started saying okay, boomer to the older ones. And was the longevity of their race an issue - would people just have so many kids that they'd run out of space for them all? Were there several other Asgards for the new generations that just didn't make the cut? Did they have to ask Odin for permission to procreate?
"Our tribe is the Aesir - although we've intermarried with the Vanir so much now, I imagine it's the closest we would have to a generational marker... Although my daughter would call us the Old Ones," Nanna said. Her voice hitched with sadness as she mentioned her daughter. The light in the meadow dimmed and silver tears appeared to stain her face. The goddess sniffled and dried her eyes. "We must be off. My husband should be home shortly and we can see about finding your husband, dear one."
It occurred to Amelia that Nanna must have been really going through something. Had Amelia not been incredibly impulsive, she might have held her tongue - instead, she blurted out exactly what she was thinking as Nanna led them away from the river and towards the gleaming golden palace. "Are you going through something right now? Like, do you want to talk or something?" Amelia asked. "I know we just met and all, but maybe there's something we could do to help you?"
"That's very sweet of you," Nanna said. She didn't say anything else though and eventually, they reached the gleaming golden palace. Darkness had fallen upon the meadow, but the palace was warm and bright - intensely warm, almost unbearably so. The doors were swung open by a jubilant man with sun-kissed hair and an easy smile. It was hard to look at him directly and Amelia found herself squinting her eyes, holding up her hand to try to block out a bit of his image, as if she were looking directly at the sun.
"Husband, I've brought these travelers to our halls," Nanna explained, giving Baldur a kiss on the cheek. "Dear ones, this is my husband - Baldur, God of Light, Love, and the Summer Sun."
"Ah, adventurers! Welcome to Breidablik," Baldur greeted. His voice was thick and warm, comforting and reassuring at the same time.













