Moderator (avengers__mod) wrote in avengers_logs, @ 2020-01-15 02:24:00 |
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Entry tags: | -gamewide plot |
Who: WHiH Hews: special report broadcast.
Where/When: New York City on January 15th, around lunchtime.
Note: Game-wide plot narrative.
WHiH had breaking news to report and lead anchor, Christine Everhart, looked flawless sitting behind the news desk. She stared into the camera, cool as a cucumber, and began reading the teleprompter.
"Good afternoon, New York. We have breaking news about a possible terrorist attack at the Red Hook Waterfront. We're also receiving reports of 'sea monsters' in the area...."
That was a ridiculous side note that she somehow managed to read with a straight face. She quickly skim-read past that to get to the real news.
"The FBI says the sightings might be part of a terrorist plot to divert attention from the area of the attack. Right now we have special correspondent, Tom Bonger, reporting live from Ellis Island. Tom?"
On every TV or video screen, it split into a side-by-side cut scene, Christine in the newsroom on one side and Tom on the other. Tom Bonger looked like a man on the cusp of a mid-life crisis, but he was either too unmotivated to bother buying a used sport car or too tired to keep up with a girlfriend that just started college. Maybe both, since even his facial features registered as sleepy. He was wearing a dreary brown blazer and standing with the water as a backdrop, no doubt at the urging of a camera-man trying to make the shot look artsy. Despite the wind blowing, not a single hair is being budged out of Tom's comb-over. It looks like it's shellacked onto his head with a crispy layer of Aqua Net hairspray.
"We're here, Christine," Tom began, speaking in a lazy drawl, "monitoring the terrorist situation from a so-called safe distance, approved by the FBI. You can see the fires from the shipyards in the distance." He turned slightly to point at a dark plume rising from across the water. "There's been a couple of recent reports on social media bout those sea serpents. The FBI says they aren't focusing on catching Bigfoot or Nessie, but they've contacted the military to fly over in case it's enemy subs. Meanwhile, the last sightings were only five minutes ago. One south-east of our current location, and another south of Governor's Island."
Christine's expression conveyed her thoughts perfectly: God bless those gullible idiots that don't realize it's 2024 and still believe there's sea serpents. Sure, WHiH's primary demographic were slack-jawed mouth-breathers in rural communities. But a half-crocked conspiracy about sea monsters? That was a far stretch, even at a time like this.
"Better keep an eye out, Tom," she teased, and he offered up a half-hearted smirk in response. Clearly he didn't believe in that stupidity either. It was a good sign that she could move on. "In other news, we're hearing that ferries are being diverted or stopped running due to the attack? That's going to make the commute a nightmare for many registered voters during an election year."
Tom nodded like he agreed, "That's right, Christine, the ferries are...wait. What's that noise?"
The camera veered away from Tom's face to zoom in on the now splashing and churning water behind him. A trashing tail appeared, green scales gleaming under cold January sunshine. Far off, there was a glimpse of a rounded silhouette lumbering onto the distant shore of Governor's Island. Fleeting, for it is quickly blocked from view by whatever is in the water closest to them. It raised its head near the shore, revealing a mangled alligator that is huge in scale, approaching so quickly that it obscured everything else from view. Its jaws opened wide, hungry teeth snapping at everything in its way as it barreled out of the water, directly at the news crew.
A wall of water rises, washing away everyone and everything as the massive monster moved with astonishing speed.
Tom is sideways, hair slicked against the side of his face and bald head shining. He's out of view as soon as the cameraman falls, letting out a high pitched squeal that could rival any two-year-old girl with two freshly skinned knees. The camera lands on the ground, offering only a few seconds glimpse of a beast's wide open mouth and a splash of dirty water hitting the lens.
The visual sputters out and half the screen is plunged into pitch-black darkness.
The channel quickly switches to full-screen, showing a temporarily stunned Christine Everhart. It was temporary because she hadn't received an Edward R. Murrow Award for nothing. Mostly for repeatedly slamming Tony Stark - in more ways than one - but still...
Poor Tom. That man's life was already on the verge of a coma. At least he was in a better place now. Christine recovered quickly, clearing her throat a little and saying, "Not sure what's happened there, but thoughts and prayers go out to Tom and his family. We'll get a news chopper on the scene as soon as..."
A stage manager managed to clear his head long enough to interrupt, "Can't. FAA's grounded everything due to a terrorist threat in progress. Nine-eleven and Chitauri attack. They did the same thing."
Christine stared into the camera blank-faced for nearly ten seconds, before switching tack to plead with the public for help.
"If you have any information or a live-stream of what's happening, please call into the studio or send it to WHiH's Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook page. And if you're aligned with that terrorist, WHiH wants you to call in for an exclusive interview to hear your demands. The number's on the screen. Stay tuned for more about this developing story, right after this commercial break."
Once the light turned off on top of the camera, she slammed both hands on her desk as she stood up.
"Come on, seriously? This is the first big story of the year!" She was yelling and didn't care. The news wasn't going to cover itself. Especially if everyone was standing there with their jaws hanging open over a giant alligator eating a reporter that was past his prime. "I don't care what it takes...someone get a camera crew to the top of a building by the waterfront! Move, people!"
Everyone started to scramble to appease their overpaid News Diva.