central_librarylogs | Orientation: In the dark spaces in between [Closed]

Entry tags:

Orientation: In the dark spaces in between [Closed]

Who:Tony Stark, Leonard McCoy, Alec Lightwood, Jace... Whatever he's going by at this point.[closed]
What: Keep the monsters out from the world of Pitch Black
When: Orientation Event
Where: Just through the portal into the evil planet where the bioraptors live.
Warnings: Dark, Scary, Lots of yelling and unhappy country doctors, probably mentally scarred half-angels, and a suit of armor with a user with a god-coplex. (What? I speak truth.)
Notes: There will be multiple threads more than likely.

When The Librarian and the others told them to find a book and not to go alone, he really wanted to just stay back there and offer to be a doctor. Didn't everyone need a doctor? Instead he did the wrong thing, as always, and followed along with the man that had the bravado and drive that reminded him a little too much of James T. Kirk along with the half-angel he'd met while first arriving. At least the kid had a nice head on his shoulders.

All those delusions of doing the right thing faded, however, the moment Tony touched that damn book. The fall of dark smoke and soot that fell at their feet caused him to take a step back in surprise. God damn it. Damn it all. Damn these 'books' and whatever mess they were about to get into. And where he wanted to say (more like yell) that Stark picked the wrong book, the world was already long changing. And before any of them knew it, before he could even place that soft British accent in his ears with the Head Librarian... everything went dark.

When the world finally came into focus, Leonard realized two things. This was not the Library, and these were not the clothes he'd been wearing before. Both fleeting thoughts that disappeared with the first shrill scream that echoed off walls ran straight down his spine. It reminded him vaguely of howler monkeys, but somehow shriller and more malicious. The walls rose around them, craggy rocks and dripping with moisture. Darkness. Save for the lights attached to his brand new black gear and flashlights strewn on the floor. Light.

Light is your only ally.

Reaching out, he grabbed the light off the ground and started to look around. He felt the weight of something around his shoulder. A rather large rifle of some sort. All he knew was it meant business. His phaser still hung at his hip as he spun slowly to take in the caverns around them. The sounds of movement, hisses of scratching against rock wafted through the stale cool air and he felt a dread pool in his stomach. Yeah. They picked the wrong god damn book.

A flashing in a chest pocket of the light armored vest caught his attention and he pulled it out. The silver medical emblem on his bookmark flashed with light then expanded instantly. The information scrolled on the screen instantly.

Bioraptors

Light sensitive to the point of injury. Completely blind from living in the dark, but can see accurately from ultrasonic location. Nasty little (big rather) fuckers. Breathing in slowly, he closed his eyes.

"Hey guys, guess we're not in Kansas anymore.. and these flying monkey bastards got more teeth than a great white."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Look, it wasn't like Tony really chose the book, alright? It just kind of... called out to him and the Librarian didn't really tell him that it was a problem, except for, you know, that weird ominous look on his face and-- well before Tony can make a second guess about anything, there is fucking shadow spilling into the Library and--

Wait. No, it's not spilling into the Library, they are no longer in the Library. What the actual fuck. Muttering about physics and alternate realities, Tony lets the faceplate of his armour slide down. He was so very glad that this still seemed to work in this place, even if only in a defensive capacity. By the time the darkness has solidified, Tony is running scans and cursing even more because--

"What the actual fuck. I should not be able to world hop through a book, that is just rude. I am telling Strange." His voice comes out flat, digitized because of the suit, but it is clear it is dripping with sarcasm even then. If he weren't in his suit, he would notice that, instead of the usual red and gold, it was the pitch black of his stealth suit. The remodelled one. As it is, he is too busy looking up information on the display while clapping McCoy on the shoulder.

"Brilliant observation, Grumpy Cat. What gave it away, the darkness or the sense of doom that comes with inevitable death?" His face isn't directed towards the doctor though, instead it's angled to keep the two others, kids as far as he could tell, in his sights. "Yo, Legolas and blondie, you two okay?"

"It's no different than the portals back home." Okay, using a book as a portal was unexpected but living with a warlock made Alec's scale for weird significantly different than most beings. Portals. Darkness. Normal for him. Tony's armor and the weapons that suddenly appeared... that was weird even after months of getting used to Magnus snapping whatever he wanted into the apartment.

If he had time, he'd stare at the armor and try figure out what it was since it obviously wasn't the type he was used to. His bookmark shimmered blue, lighting up the runes along the back before an image showed up on the screen. It looked like a few things that he'd seen in the Codex. "Looks almost like a Greater Demon.

"We're fine. Typical Saturday night for us." He kept his tone confident before glancing over at Jace. His wounds were supposed to be healed, but there was still something odd about his parabatai and it'd been months since they'd fought together... No, they'd be fine. No reason to think anything else. "Right, Jace?"

Jace slid his bookmark back into whatever pocket he'd pulled it from and was busy examining the cool gear they were wearing. "Portals back home don't change your clothes when you step through them. Black for hunting through the night."

He wasn't smiling despite his usual fun sarcastic sense of humor. He'll be ignoring the blondie comment for now and was slowly turning in a circle the way the good Doctor had, trying to get a feel for where they were. Wet cave like place. Annoying, but manageable.

"Looks like a greater demon. Doesn't really sound like one. No gut wrenching scent either. I'd say this is more like a Friday night out at Taki's." He pulled out a longer version of the blade he'd used when he first arrived, the light illuminating more of the cave. Not cave. A cavern. Much bigger than a cave. "Don't worry about me Tin Man. I can see in the dark."

He rolled his eyes instantly at Tony and the feeling of the clap on the shoulder. It's too reminiscent of something Jim would say and do, and that pangs a little. "Yeah, well aren't you just a damn ray of sunshine." Inevitable death didn't ring too far from the truth to be honest and well, he wasn't liking this at all. But he did turn his head to look at the two teenagers looking not even the least bit unsettled by the scenery change.

"And no offense, but it sounds like your Saturday nights need a real overhaul." The idea of teenagers gallivanting off to fight things like this like it was going to a corner diner just... got under his skin.

He threw his hands up in a well pronounced 'why me' way when the blonde said he could see in the dark. Right. He got stuck with the biggest group of thrill seeking monster killing people in the multi-verse. It felt a helluva lot like a blessing and a curse. "Let's just focus on avoiding that inevitable death crap, if you don't mind."

Flicking through the screens, he let his gaze roll over the 'mission' requirements. "Seems the nasty buggers are trying to get through the portal and it's not stable enough to close just yet. So, guess we gotta clear 'em out and push 'em back. Problem is, the cavern seems to vee off just little ways off. Means we're gonna have to sweep 'em at the same time." Or more might flood in. Damn it, but he didn't like the sounds of this one bit.

He searched through the pouches on his gear and found multiple clips, and then he found the grenades. Just two. And their noises were growing shriller and closer than he'd like right about now. "We might have to collapse both caverns once we clear 'em. Unless one of you boys has got a better idea."

"Awww, grumpy cat, you don't have to call me sunshine to get me to like you. Your astounding wit will to that for you." And maybe Tony recalls part of the faceplate to wink at McCoy, all amusement and carefree demeanour, but there was a tenseness around his eyes that, should the doctor see it, makes it obvious just how serious he knew this was. Even if he didn't act like it. There were very few things that would get Tony to act responsible, and even fewer things that would make him shut the fuck up.

However, McCoy is saved from any more teasing by another screech from the dark and Tony winces a little, rubbing the side of the helmet. Ow. Those things sounded like fucking Nazgul.

There might be a tiny, teensy, little scoff from Tony at the mention of portals because, of course magic. Magic and alternate realities and fucking monsters in the dark that wanted to eat them. Nothing new then.

"Oooh, blondie has some claws, how quaint." Tony laughs, letting the faceplate close over his face again, tries not to let the name ring in his ears with someone else's voice. Not not. "Right, so now that we are all on the same page that we have shitty lives full of danger, shitty Saturday nights and fucking magic, which I am totally gonna want to ask questions about that later okay, because you have a glow stick knife there and my suit is picking up some weird as fuck readings from the two of you, we need to get those beautiful blind babies into those cavern to keep 'em away from the portal."

Tony hums a few bars of Enter the Sandman, laughing a little as he took engaged the flight system, shooting up to the top of the cavern, getting a better reading of the layout. It was as McCoy said, but there were a few well hidden opening, smaller caverns by thelook of it, half way up the rock face. Narrow though, funnel the enemy through, pick 'em off. He dropped back to the ground pretty damned quietly for being a tone of metal armour and assessed his weapons. Well, the usual assortment, plus what the doctor had, and the two kids and their obvious ease with weapons and fighting. Good, at least no one was useless.

"Take it that you two prefer fighting together?" The moved in sync, even if they didn't notice. "If we can clean out the adjoining caverns and cave them in, we're forcing them to funnel through the narrow cracks up there, way easier to pick off." He turns his head to McCoy. "I take it you would prefer it if I played bait?"

"There's nothing wrong with magic," Alec said automatically, while trying to gauge how well his arrows would work on the things. "Wouldn't mind red to call enchantment down." He didn't really want Magnus in this type of situation. His boyfriend might be a High Warlock, but Alec wouldn't want him in danger. Scanning the area, he tried to gauge how well his arrows would work on the things. The runed ones might, but if he found a spot to be effective, that would leave Jace without someone at his back.

The weird noise the creatures made caused him to wince. Kind of like Greater Demons, but hopefully not poisonous. "Glad we didn't use any hearing runes." As Alec spoke, he caught Jace's arm, pulling up his sleeve enough to bare a small patch of skin. Without taking his eyes off their surroundings, he drew an unfinished iratze that would be easy to complete if it was needed, then handed his stele to Jace so he could do the same for Alec.

"Jace is the one that needs better Saturday night plans. He's the one that prefers hunting to the opera." Swiping his thumb over the nearly completed rune, he told himself that they'd be fine fighting together even if they hadn't practiced in months. They were parabatai, not an ordinary Shadowhunter pair. "We trained together most of our lives. If you two can deal with the tech, we can drive them back."

Jace is just going to quietly stare at Tony the entire time, raising a casual eyebrow at the 'blondie has claws' comment, before glancing at Alec and asking, "What is it with Mundanes and running their mouths under pressure?"

He smiled a little at Alec's comment about red and didn't even flinch when Alec drew the iratze. Yes. It hurt, but after years of drawing runes the pain was tolerable now.

"Tin Man can be bait. In that armor he can move and catch the attention of the little demons while we pick them off. The problem with cleaning out the other caverns is numbers. They have more than we do and separating isn't a good idea. I say destroy all the entrances to this section except the one we want them to come at us from. We protect the portal and stand our ground here."

He spoke as he took the stele and drew the same rune for Alec, an incomplete iratze.

"If we didn't need his intelligence on this mission we could draw a silencing rune on the Mundane's armor." It wouldn't work, but the Mundane didn't know that.

Children. The lot of them. Even Tony was on that level of maturity in his mind in that moment. All this talk and no one was actually usin' their brains. Typical. Go in guns blazin' and get them all killed. "Didn't anyone ever tell any of you boys not to go in half cocked?" Rolling his eyes, he kept his gaze on the lit up screen as he scanned the way the passages mapped out. From the looks of it, the planet was on a stint of darkness due to the alignment of the planets. Collapsing the caves could be well... detrimental if done wrong.

"Damn it, I'm a doctor, not a damn strategist." He mumbled it under his breath as he turned the image on the screen looking for the widths of passages and the density of the surface above. Last thing they needed was open sky to deal with. Finally noting good spots to cave in, he looked up at Tony with an arched brow. "By all means. Go let them eat you first. But we need to consider these things are like insects when it comes to numbers. If we draw too much attention, we could be overrun."

Shutting down the bookmark, he slid it into one of the pockets on the vest then started to unsnap and check clips on the rifle before sighing and pushing them back in. Least Starfleet made him learn weapons even if he found them useless as a doctor. "Damn flame thrower woulda been better." Whatever.

Looking at the boys next, he pointed at the cavern ceiling. "If we collapse the caves too close to the top, we'll be askin' for a whole nest a trouble when the sky opens up. We need to keep things closed up." God, why was he havin' to think like this? "If you travel up the two larger tunnels, not far up, they narrow off. From the looks of it, the cavern is dense enough if we collapse it, we won't be opening up a giant hole. And whatever little openings we got left we can pick 'em off as they come. Then it's down to how fast we can do this so they don't overwhelm us."

Running a hand through his hair, he felt a little like he might pass out. "But unless any of you kids got somethin' to say that's useful, cut the chatter. These things see by sound and movement so don't forget it."

Tony was childish at best, so he really wouldn't argue with McCoy about that note at all. As it stands, he is a bit busy scanning the area and snorting at the notion that someone might be able to silence him.

"You could try, Blondie, but I've had gods try to shut me up and fail, so I think you might have your work cut out for you on that front." Tony hums a little, stores the readings he gets from the glow sticks that are also sharpies, and tries to figure out what the fuck they were going to do.

Well, not really. The plan McCoy comes up with is fairly solid.

"You say you're not a strategies, but I gotta say, the plan is solid. I mean, minus me being eaten, I've gone through that and let me just say, no." There is a flash of a smile. "Also, you want a flame thrower? I am sure I can make one if you give me like... fifteen minutes that rifle, a grenade and one of my missiles in here. Or maybe Blondie's magic sharpie. That looks like it might make fire."

Times like this, perhaps, it was an almost good thing that he had so many years developing and testing weapons. Maybe.

"It works for us and no one is getting eaten." Elbowing Jace for the comment about the silencing mark, Alec took his stele back and traced another rune on his parabatai so that Jace would move silently. Then he traced the same one on his arm, followed by another mark to help augment his vision before putting the stele away. "We'll close off one of the tunnels. Herd them in the direction we want."

Fighting back a grin at the nickname for Jace, his expression turned stern ready to say no to the flamethrower in case his parabatai thought it'd be a good idea. They didn't have the time, but maybe later, if they were allowed to keep the weapons...

Looking over at Leonard, Alec gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. We've been in worse situations. Well, I have." He nodded toward Jace. "He hasn't yet but he will." It probably didn't make sense to anyone else, but Alec knew what Jace could handle, what they both would go against later.

Drawing a seraph blade, he named the weapon, then pointed toward the tunnel that was their best option without Mundane explosives. "That one's ours."

"Half-cocked sounds like a Mundie problem, not a Shadowhunter problem." Jace murmured, moving towards one of the tunnels. He was thinking about the fire rune and using it on the stone as a way to weaken it. "We're trained to hunt monsters far scarier than our little pests here."

He whispered a name and his sword grew brighter, the light of the angel, and tried not to think about what Alec had said. He couldn't imagine anything worse than what he'd recently survived, but he knew it could definitely get worse. That was their life from birth.

"I do love a challenge, Tin Man." He smirked and moved towards the tunnel Alec had claimed. "Alec." He'd go in first, Alec always had his back. "I'm thinking heat rune."

When Jace had started toward the tunnel, Alec took his usual position, guarding is parabatai's back. There was no sound of footsteps as he continued to scan the strange space they'd found themselves in. "Heat rune then one of the runed arrows?" He'd save those for collapsing the tunnels, if they worked. The simpler ones would work for the monsters he'd studied on the bookmark.

He worried about the Mundanes, but he had to trust that they knew what they were doing. Tony had weaponized armor. That didn't seem like something someone who had never been in a fight would own. He'd talked about being eaten by monsters before, something Alec didn't really want to think about. Leonard might not have the same kind of experience, but from the way he'd discussed strategy, he had some kind of training or talent.

"If you find the weak spot, I'll hit it." There was never any doubt of that. Jace might be the best Shadowhunter in their generation but Alec was the best archer. And after years of fighting together, Jace knew how to select the ideal target for Alec.

Once they were out of earshot of the others, he risked a glance at his parabatai. "Are you okay with this?"

"Exactly what I was thinking. If we weaken the stone you should be able to collapse the tunnel." Jace was going to assume the Mundanes knew enough not to get themselves killed right away. Otherwise they wouldn't be here, right? "You've never missed a target."

Alec was the best archer and they were a good team. Always had been. But he was still wondering about Alec's comment and what could possibly be worse. Somehow he didn't doubt after Sebastian and Valentine things would get worse. And he hadn't been able to stop whatever happened after he'd died.

Jace stopped and looked at Alec, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Okay with sneaking around in the dark with a bunch of monsters who probably have better night vision than we do?"

"Not since I was ten." Not when it mattered at least. His hours at the range, dealing with frustrated emotions didn't count. Even when he'd thought Magnus was dying, he'd still managed to hit every target.

Catching a rustle of movement, he sheathed the blade, drawing his bow. Instinct had the arrow flying before he even completely registered the monster. "I'm going to have to make each shot count or try out the rifle." It couldn't be too hard, right? He'd always been curious about firearms but since they rarely worked on the creatures they hunted, he'd never had a chance to see if his aim translated to other weapons.

"With that, and you're healed enough?" Jace had seemed fine and he doubted that the Librarians would send Jace out on a mission unless he was fit for duty but he still worried. If his parabatai still had some injury lingering from the fight in Idris, then Alec would adapt their plan to compensate. With a look he silently added, I need you to tell me the truth.

Jace didn't flinch or react, he knew. Just as Alec knew. Alec always had his back so he never worried. Except when his parabatai was considering Mundane weapons. "Not that I doubt your aim no matter the weapon, but I prefer you and arrows. Make them count."

And with that he swung around, crouching low, taking out the legs and then coming down through what he decided was suppose to be a head. It was swift and precise. Nothing he hadn't done before.

Only then did he return to the question and the look Alec was giving him. "I'm not perfect." Oh, how he hated saying that. "But I can manage and I won't let anything happen to you. No matter what."

Replacing bow with blade, he was ready for the next monster, driving the blade through the creature's chest before drawing a dagger to finish the thing off. So far the monsters hadn't decided to rush them at once. Probably trying to see what the 'sound' was that had invaded the caverns.

"But I wanted to try our new toys." He managed to sound like he was pouting while waiting for the next attack. At least their banter hadn't really suffered even after months of not fighting together.

"You were never perfect, despite what your ego told you." But his parabatai had been close to it. Only Sebastian had ever been better than Jace. "Nothing is going to happen to either one of us."

"You have more fun as a Shadowhunter than a Mundane with a toy any day." Jace caught himself staring at Alec for a moment before turning back to the tunnel ahead. The only light came from their swords and he realized as another attempted rushed attack that it seemed to shy away from the bright light. Determined still to try to kill them, but definitely reacting.

"If they live in the pitch black the light would hurt." he murmured, drawing another sword, whispering a name to the blade before moving in a flash and blur of light in the dark. It was almost too easy, too fun, like sparring. The thought made his stomach drop suddenly as he remember Sebastian and how easily his ego had been knocked out of him.

"No. Nothing is going to happen to either of us." He couldn't have any doubts now. No matter what had happened by the lake.

"But I could be a Shadowhunter with a toy." If the weapons stayed with them, Alec was going to try them out. He might even test the guns before they returned to the Library. Realizing that Jace was staring at him, he nodded toward the tunnel that they were supposed to be taking out. A tunnel that housed more of the creatures rushing and they all seemed to have noticed that there were intruders in their world.

Letting out a muttered curse, he followed Jace, Briefly, he thought of the witchlight in his pocket, but decided that could wait until they needed a distraction. The seraph blades would be enough for now. Dodging out of the way of one of the monsters, he slashed at another while the one he'd avoided came after him. "Witchlights later."

Moving back to his guard position, he started considering how to bring down the tunnel. "We need to stop them before there's too many to fight." Jace might enjoy the practice but Alec preferred less dangerous sparring partners.

"If we take down the entrance whatever is left will be easier to pick off." Witchlights would definitely help later. First they had to get close enough to do some real damage before they got overrun. "I'm going to get as close to as I can, use a heat rune, save your best for last and collapse the tunnel."

As he spoke he was picking his way through with mostly practiced ease. The fact that only so many could fit in the tunnel helped, but if they cluttered the space with their bodies they wouldn't be able to reach their goal.

The plan would work but that didn't mean he liked it. Getting close meant that Alec wouldn't be there to protect Jace, but they'd been in similar situations before. If they could go to hell together and fight demons, then they could deal with these things.

He couldn't focus on what could happen to his parabatai. He needed to find a place that was defensible that would keep him from having to fight the monsters while trying to line up the shot Jace was setting up.

Hacking at the bioraptors, he spotted a ledge that would work. Using one of the monsters as a 'boost' he leapt for the rock shelf, swinging himself up before any of the creatures could grab him. He'd be safe - temporarily - but if Jace spent too much time trying finding a target...

Pulling free some of his mundane arrows, he picked off some of the monsters that were rushing toward his parabatai's back. "Hurry up, Jace." And use the rune before he had to start using more powerful weapons.

Jace moved the way he had been born to move. Dodging, deflecting, fighting. A blur of movement that kept him just out of reach, a step ahead, and skirting danger. It was a rush, it always had been, but then he saw the cavern beyond. Just a glimpse and a muttered 'by the angel' before he was using Alec's stele to draw the heat rune on the stone above his head.

Then again on each side of the tunnel. Once Alec collapsed the tunnel the stone would cool, a solid wall between them and the army beyond. They were already coming. A swarm Jace was trying to cut down to keep them from overrunning the tunnel.

"Alec! Now!"

Alec had to trust he would move fast enough to get out of the way.

This was the part of every battle that Alec hated. It was one of the few things he hated about being an archer. He had to stand back and wait while Jace was in danger. He might be able to pick off some of the creatures that were rushing Jace, but he wasn't there, fighting seamlessly with his parabatai.

Taking a deep breath, he ignored the mass of creatures crawling along the cavern floor. Since he wasn't near them, they didn't seem to be paying attention to him. Maybe they couldn't 'see' him when he was above them. Whatever the reason, he wasn't the center of attention like Jace was.

As soon as Jace spoke, Alec pulled one of his runed arrows from his quiver, lining up the target and letting the arrow fly. He fired again and again, not waiting to see if he hit the spot that Jace had marked. He knew with a certainty that hummed through him like the beating of his heart that he wouldn't miss.

Before the rock started to explode, Alec switched bow for blade and leapt from his perch. Landing in the middle of the cavern, he searched for Jace while hacking at the bioraptors. "If you don't fall back, I'm going to break out the Mundie toys!"

Jace was trying, but they were coming like a wave no matter how fast he moved. And then he heard the explosion and felt the ground move enough to knock him off balance. And then it was a fight to not be killed by the swarm or buried by stone. For a long, almost breathless moment, Jace wasn't sure he was going to make it back to Alec.

He didn't see or hear Alec until the tunnel had finished collapsing in on itself and his lungs were full of dust and he had bug juice in his hair. He was sure he had a few scrapes and cuts, probably some colorful bruises, but he was on his feet and cutting down a bug at ALec's back.

"No need for Mundie toys." He smirked, tracking the remains of the swarm that hadn't been crushed or trapped on the other side.

He couldn't think of how many of the monsters there were or how this could end in blood and death. This is what they'd trained all their lives for. They were Nephilim. They were parabatai. If they could literally go to hell and back, they weren't going to die in some weird cave full of monsters that shouldn't exist.

Drawing a second blade, he called out the name that now seemed to be the most powerful for him. The weapon blazed almost blindingly bright as he scythed through the bioraptors, refusing to let any of them slow him down. A horde of demons hadn't stopped him when Magnus was in danger. Nothing would stop him from protecting Jace.

At first he couldn't see his parabatai amid the chaos but he knew that Jace was safe. There was no trace of the pain he'd felt before Valentine...

Shoving aside the thought, he focused on the bioraptors. Sensing something behind him, he spun around, crouching low. One blade swooped behind him to cover his back, slicing through another creature. Grinning at his parabatai he moved to his customary position beside Jace. "But Jace, the Mundie toys could be fun."

Jace continued to block and defend his parabatai. The tunnel was properly collapsed and now all they had to do was pick off the remnants. The fun had gone in a rush. But watching Alec play with his Mundie toy could be fun.

"Fine." He sighed, as if he were bored and resigned to the idea while still managing to take down two very angry beasties. He couldn't call them demons. Demons were actually much more difficult to kill depending on their level of bad. "Lets see what Mundie weapons can do."

If it made Alec happy and he had fun, Jace couldn't argue.

Pleased that he'd 'won' the argument, Alec continued hacking through the monsters. They were quick but didn't seem as creative as the demons they'd fought back home. A dangerous thought since it could make them lazy... which meant he probably shouldn't use untested weapons while they were still stuck in a world they didn't belong in.

Like when they were in Edom or when they'd been in Idris...

"Later. It's not a risk we should take until we're sure that we can get out." Seraph blades he understood and he knew how to protect Jace while he was armed with them. The Mundane weapons might be more effective but he wasn't going to endanger his parabatai by indulging his curiosity. "Maybe when we meet up with Stark and McCoy."

Slicing the 'throat' of one of the bioraptors, he scanned the area for the worst threats. "Do you think any of them got past us to the portal?"

He watched the boys head off down their tunnel before closing his eyes, counting to five, and looking at the tunnel for them. They needed to get moving. It would do no good to have one collapse and one still open. That would bring them all down the one still open. "Guess that's our cue to get our asses in gear."

Leonard felt a little sick as his hands curled around the gun in his hands. He would use his phaser, but he had a feeling it wouldn't fire fast enough for what they were going up against. Besides, it would make a better back up than primary for the war they were about to rage on the damn bug like creatures.

Checking the weapon more more time, he flicked on the flashlight attached to it and ran it over the walls. It was bright and threw shadows all over the caverns. Well, least it wasn't a basic light. Moving toward the cavern, he looked up at Tony and arched a brow. "So, playboy, you goin' first or are you savin' that honor for me?"

There is a tiny voice in Tony's mind that tells him that, as much as those kids seem to know what they are doing, they probably shouldn't have let the go off on their own. Some kind of weird, lingering parental instinct that Tony really would like to know the reason he possessed since him and kids? Not the greatest combination. Whatever, as long as they got the job don't and didn't die...

Tony would feel guilty as all hell if they came back hurt.

Flashing a grin to McCoy, Tony flips down the helmet of his suit with a wink. "Aww, grumpy cat, you know me so well already. I'm touched."

The sound of mechanical laughter echoes slightly in the chamber before there is the high whining sound of the repulsors gearing up. Tony doesn't take long to get in front of McCoy. "Think that, considering I'm wearing the armour, best if I play bait, mmm. I mean, unless you really want me to play doctor for you, but gotta say, I am so not that kind of doctor."

He's not feelin' any more right about it. In fact, he has to swallow down that irritation as he starts toward the cave they would be taking on. Get the task down. They had comms. Alec and Jace could contact them if they needed him. Or so, he kept telling himself that.

Instead, he rolled his eyes at Tony's comment about knowing him. "Doesn't take a genius to tell your type. At least surface wise what you want the world to see anyhow." He didn't know Tony well enough just yet to go further than that, but he knew that much. If Jim was any lesson to him, people want you to see only what they want you to see.

"I rather not think of anyone as bait. But you likely can deal with it better right now. Cause I AM the medic." Never put your medic in the front lines. Poor strategy by any standards. Not that he was incapable. "We need to clear them out as we go. We don't need them between us and gettin' back. Or close to the portal." Trailing his flashlight over the walls, he furrowed his brow in concentration. That's when he saw the shape zip by just outside of his light.

Turning quickly with it, he took a breath and let it out slowly on the trigger pull as he took one of the smaller ones out. Moving toward where it thudded to the ground, he grimaced as the skin seemed to burn under the light. "Really are sensitive to the light, aren't they?"

Blinking a few times, Tony is glad for the faceplate being down when McCoy's words sink in. While he was fairly sure that the man wasn't some kind of mind reader, you never knew in a place like this. OF course, there was the fact that he was a total flirt all the time, but-- maybe playboy was pushing it at this age. He certainly fit the bill better when he was younger, and had less of that thing many liked to call a conscience.

"Awww, grumpy cat, you sound like you care." The sarcasm, no matter how defensive, still translates fairly well through the suit as Tony moves forward. He is assessing and scanning as much as he can with the display, amused to note how easy it really would be to close off the caverns.

Of course, that was as long as everything went according to plan which, as far as Tony was concerned, was never going to happen, but it was nice to dream once in a while.

"You know, I would like to say that I have been bait to more terrifying creatures, but I don't actually know if that is true at this point." Tony hums a little, keeping his tone as light as possible, though he wasn't sure if that translated well, but he still tried. His suit picked up the reading the same time McCoy saw the movement. The creature killed was small, smaller than the ones that they had seen in the parameters, but--

"You know, I have cousins in Ireland who do that in the sun too, maybe they are related..." Tony hums, then turns quickly, firing off two repulsor blasts at a larger creature scuttling into their space. It doesn't go down right away, but it is clear that the repulsors do damage its skin. "Huh, maybe I can modulate something to be more UVish, FRIDAY can you do that for me darling?"

To McCoy it might seem like he is speaking to nothing, but in the suit, FRIDAY was happily telling Tony that he was insane but of course. Maybe. Give her a minute.

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Orientation: In the dark spaces in between [Closed]

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