View source for 19397/S.H.I.E.L.D Meet Paladin.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2024/10/28
|Location=West Bushwick (Mutant Town)
|Synopsis=Maria is in the right place at the right time to help with a mini disaster in Mutant town. Aisling, is also in the right place at the right time to get a job offer. Wonder where that will go next?
|Cast of Characters=2667,738
|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:2667|Aisling Caroll (2667)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As much time as she can spend away from Xaviers, Aisling is spending it, here, in Mutant Town. With the danger facing the entire world, it's places like this that are often left forgotten. It doesn't help that Mutants deal with a level of bigotry, hate and fear above even the standard norm of other minorities. What with Genosha, Sentinels, Friends of Humanity and the Purifiers...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All of that being what it is though, the Red Haired Irish Sass Machine with Blue and Green eyes is doing what&nbsp;&nbsp;she does best. Talking to someone here, healing someone there, hugging a stranger that's crying, playing with mutant kids, et all.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ais, Ais! Catch!" a young mutant kid shouts out as she throws a make shift baseball at Aisling who catches it, smiles brightly and tosses it back. "Good arm Sansa! You keep it up okay! We'll have to practice more later this weekend alright? Tell your mom I said hi!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Awww, no more?" the young girl whines. "Okay okay, I'll tell mom! See you!" and with that, she's bouncing off to play with her friends.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"heya, Aisling! You mind helping me with this concrete?" asks an older mutant.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Sure thing Frankie, Sure thing" and she's off helping chuck concrete bags off the back of a pick up.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:738|Maria Hill (738)}} has posed:'''<br>The entire world is facing global destruction and the best metric for the temperature is to see how the poor are handling it. This is a universal truth in every civilization in recorded history. Are they rioting? Are they rebelling? It's a barameter for how things are going to end up, the closer they all get to anhilation. <br><br>Which is what brings Maria Hill to Mutant Town. <br><br>Her hair is cut short and swept back like a late 90s all female rock group front woman and she's dressed for the chill of New York Fall. A long, thin wool coat with pockets large enough to set her fists down in them. The hood is back. She wears slim fit jeans and a black button down with the top three undone. <br><br>The nature of mutants being what they are, it's a fairly good disguise. Everyone assumes that someone IN mutant town, belongs in mutant town. <br><br>Right now she's seated on a bus stop bench sipping coffee, just watching. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2667|Aisling Caroll (2667)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Poverty, crime, gangs, drugs, you name it. It's a giant mess here in Mutant town, and the only bright spot in it seems to be the red head trying to live up to the moniker of Paladin.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For her Part, Aisling is dressed pretty casually despite the weather. No doubt so she can help out easier with things such as chucking concrete bags off the back of a truck that will be used to fix a building up.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Black leather boots that push her up above six feet. Black leather pants that are hip hugging. Red tucked in blouse. Black leather riding Jacket that screams the near by GSX-R 600 parked across the street is probably hers.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hey! Hey! Billy! Watch that scaffolding!!" Frankie the older mutant yells out at a younger man up on scaffolding whose helping fix up the side of the Mutant Town Clinic.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I got it Frankie! Don't cha..." and he's cut short as part of the scaffolding comes away from the building and he's plumitting towards the ground screaming.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yeah, this is what it's like here. The place is a mess. But people are trying.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Aisling for her part is incredibly quick to intervene jumping off the truck bed, pushing Frankie out of the way and catching BIlly in one smooth motion. Everyone around the place is caught off guard by the sudden accident, more so when the scaffolding comes slamming down and seems to catch young BIlly and Aisling both in a cloud of smoke and debris. The sound of it is horrifying and dozens are screaming, running away, or yelling out for both mutants that seem to have been all but crushed under the metal and wood.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:738|Maria Hill (738)}} has posed:'''<br>It's better than some places Maria's seen, but worse than almost any other place in America. Things are all perspective, it turns out. The Deputy Director of SHIELD may as well be a fly on the wall for the whole show, however. Nobody knows her by face and the few who might would know better than to point her out. There's almost certainly a SHIELD strike team in the area to boot. They don't just let the higher ups in SHIELD go crunching through the shit without some back up, do they? <br><br>She sips her coffee. <br><br>Attention drawn by the omenous sounds of metal rending when the scaffolding begins to come loose from the bolts holding it to the side of the wall. It's a distinct sound. Hollow, it echos. And it sounds like something dying, especially when wood splinters and the whole thing begins to fall. Maria puts her coffee down and stands up, running to grab someone who wasn't directly in the line of the falling debris, but close enough that something flying off the upper scaffolding plate might hit them. The young girl, Sansa. "Stay back." She murmurs, arm up to cover her face when the dust begins to spread. <br><br>Civil Services will take ages to come to mutant town, EMS, Fire and Rescue.. police. "SHIELD team Omega, this is Deputy Director Hill. I need a small search and rescue team on my coordinates to assist with small structure damage in mutant town." It's not a very good allocation of resources and she knows it. But if the alternative is doing nothing? <br><br>"What's your name?" She asks Sansa, "Hello Sansa, my names Maria. I need you to help me clear this spot right here..." She points at a section of the street, "Some friends of mine are going to land a helicoptor and help me find your friend and that man, okay? Can you do that for me?" With a big, reassuring, grin she sends her off to do the job. Maria turns back to the growing dust cloud. The quick response team is already inbound. Just incase there's wounded. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2667|Aisling Caroll (2667)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hi Maria..." stammers out the scared little mutant girl. Obviously so, given the cat like slits of her iris's. She nods slowly but points behind Maria, "he, might not like that" she's pointing at the giant golem that is slowly lumbering its why back around to the accident.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The older man Frankie pipes up and yells at Maria, "Hey, I've got something over here!" he says waving both his hands. There's at least a half dozen or more other mutants near by trying to help. The scffolding tearing itself away from the building also tore some of the brick face asunder with it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Why does he yell at Maria? Well, she did just call for her team and also move to help protect Sansa.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If she makes her way over, there's a hand sticking out of the debris.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:738|Maria Hill (738)}} has posed:'''<br>Maria follows Sansa's point and stares up, and up, and up at the Golem. "Belay that order." Said into her comms. "Hold for my signal." If they need to upset the applecart, she will, but no sense starting a situation with a golith of a protector if they don't have to right? <br><br>"Keep everyone back." She says with a small smile to Sansa and jogs over towards where the older man, Frankie, called out to her. Immediately she spies that hand and nods, "Okay.. We need to secure anything that looks unstable." She'd left most of her gadgets behind, things that could be compromising in a situation where she's captured. Just her ICER pistol in a shoulder holster beneath her long coat. Which she pulls off and tosses to the side. She looks around the site and starts directing to various points that are structurally insecure. Specifically any section that's held up by other sections of the scaffolding. The inclination is always to try and dig 'straight down', but that's dangerous. <br><br>"We need to lash this to the wall." She's motioning, while reaching out to grab that hand, kneeling down to speak into the gap. "We're going to get you out, just hold on." While the men get to work doing her TASK WORK! She has that 'do what I say' kind of voice. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2667|Aisling Caroll (2667)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yup, best to leave the big walking clay pot alone.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sansa for her part, nods in reply and runs off to attempt to keep everyone back.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The hand though, it starts to move slowly as does the debris right in the immediate area. Frankie, who was about to follow Maria's orders jumps back and just looks at the hand then Maria. The looks on his face just screams, /Huh what?/ Who knows what hsi powers are, but most of the mutants in mutant town aren't anywhere near X-Men level. Save, one. The one that just took a building.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I uh, yeah" pause, beat, "okay all, you heard the lady!" bleats out Frankie as he moves to do as Maria ordered.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Not that it much matters as a large piece of debris is slowly moved and tossed aside. Under it, Aisling, who looks like absolute hell, is covering Billy the mutant. She is covered in cuts, scrapes, bruises, and other wounds that have done a number on her jacket and clothing. Though, joys of being Paladin is that Maria gets to watch a lot of that just heal right infront of her eyes.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Fecking hells..." Aisling grunts out, still on her stomach with her back to Maria as she covers Billy. Though, all of this said and done, there's still plenty of crap on top of her and her ward. Which doesn't seem to be moving all that much.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:738|Maria Hill (738)}} has posed:'''<br>Maria releases the hand after offering words of encouragement, but doesn't seem any more or less impressed by the sudden movement of debris as she was by it falling. The Inhumans can do things like that, which isn't a slight, by any metric. It's just that she's Maria Hill and not easily impressionable. She is, however, easily moveable. <br><br>In that she jumps to assist even though the menfolk are completely capable of handling it without her assistance. Part of leading, at least her method, is to do it from right out front. She throws some of the bungie cord around a half bent beam supporting a large metal sheet laid across the duo now visible beneath the large sections of scaffolding and building. <br><br>She doesn't micro-manage, these are construction workers, they know how to create a pully system. She just tells them what she wants and watches it happen. Until it's erected. "Alright, we've almost got them out. We all pull at once... Ms. When we get the weight off your legs, pull yourself and the fella out?" She asks of Paladin, ready to give the ol heave ho once she's got confirmation. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2667|Aisling Caroll (2667)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Aisling" pronounced ashling and with her ever present Irish twang. "I got it, just, yeah, give me a hand..." she adds, which is what everyone is doing already Ais ya big dummy.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Frankie for his part was acting as sub-director and once the pully thing was all situated, a few of the men and even some of the womenfolk were helping get things lifted. Once it was up enough AIsling showcases her strength and stands fully upright. She inhales, exhales, and bends down to grab Billy and slowly lift him up out of the debris.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ow..." she adds as she has the young mutant in both hands. "I took the brunt" she adds to Maria, because, well, she's close. She turns to look to Frankie, "He's going to be okay, I'll get him in the clinic and get him healed up. We'll need to watch for signs of concussion okay Frankie?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Frankie just nods, "Thanks" that said to Ais and Maria both.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Aisling places both of her hands against Billy and closes her eyes, her breathing slows and the visible wounds on the young man start to heal. As she's doing, what ever she's doing, and with closed eyes, she adds to Maria, "Thank you Deputy Director Hill" she adds. So, yeah, can take a building falling on her, heal herself, heal others, /and/ read minds. What a grab bag of powers this one has.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She opens her eyes back up slowly and locks the blue and green mistmatched peepers on to Maria, "What's SHIELD doing here?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:738|Maria Hill (738)}} has posed:'''<br>Maria takes a step back once everyone's working to remove the sections off Aisling and her charge. Short hair blowing slightly when they release it and the falling debris creates a vacuum that blows her bangs across her brow, even if her attention is on the Irish mutant now standing with cuts healing right before the Deputy Directors eyes. <br><br>Where's she put her jacket. <br><br>It's when she's grabbing it off the side of the truck and pulling it on that Aisling addresses her by rank and name. It doesn't even break Maria's stride, "Getting coffee." As if that's a perfectly legitimate reason for the Deputy director of SHIELD to be in mutant town. "I don't like the stuff back at the office.' <br><br>She peers side to side to make sure nobody heard Aisling say that, tucks her fists in the big pockets of her, now dirty, coat and inclines her head with a raised brow. "Nice set of talents you've got there, Ms Aisling." Ashling. No Irish twang, though. Her hand comes out, holding a card betwixt her fingers. "You ever want to 'get coffee', let me know." 'Get Coffee' is now code for, talk about a job at SHIELD. <br><br>"Everybody good now?" She asks of Frankie, leaning down to check on Billy. She's no EMT, but she's got field medic training. "He'll be fine. Nice work back there with the pully." She claps him on the back, a few others who helped. Then she's eyeing Aisling, making her way back towards the bench where she'd left her 'coffee'. See? Real spies plan their cover stories ahead of time! <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2667|Aisling Caroll (2667)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh, she very much said it softly enough and directed at Maria enough that no one else would have heard it. She's not stupid. Don't piss off SHIELD. Not that she realy knows all that much about the orginization, considering she really shouldn't know much about it at all, all things considered. Must have read enough quickly enough? Maybe a few other bits and pieces she's picked up over the years? Who knows.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She hands young Billy off to another large mutant man that walks over and offers to take him non-verbally. She nods and smiles brightly and then puts her focus back on Maria.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Thanks" she adds rather plainly. "Not a fan of coffee, but I do like hot chocolate" she adds placing her own hands back in her own jacket pockets. "Yeah, everyone's okay and we'll get all this situated." With that she starts taking strides towards said bench with coffee sitting on it. "Thanks, by the way" she adds to Maria as she starts walking, giving the other woman a slight, /walk with me/ nod.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:738|Maria Hill (738)}} has posed:'''<br>Maria grabs her coffee from the bench, a glance to the side at Aisling. She inclines her head, "Wouldn't be very neighborly of me if I saw someone in trouble and didn't try to help." She leaves out the part where she almost called in a SHIELD quick response team. Unnecessary detail that serves nobody. Both hands wrap around the cup, but she does start walking with the mutant. A SHIELD agent who isn't curious isn't very good at their job. <br><br>"Hot chocolate, coffee. It's all code, Ms. Aisling. The coffee here sucks." She takes one final drink and tosses it in a nearby trashcan as they pass it. "The coffee everywhere sucks, though." Because spies have refined tastes or whatever? Who knows. <br><br>"What's on your mind?" <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2667|Aisling Caroll (2667)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Aisling slowly lowers herself to the bench, hands still in pockets as she looks out at the little micro disaster and other mutants cleaning it all up. Her wounds have all but mostly healed, but she does look tired.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No, no I suppose not" she adds keeping her eyes focused elsewhere as her hair blows in the breeze.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh, I figured as much and yes, it does." She lets a few moments pass and then turns to look at Maria, she pulls out one hand and taps her temple. "Sorry about that" she adds, and she realy does look like she means it. She did, at least, take the offered card earlier. "Sometimes I just, can't turn it off or help it all that much." She lets out a long sigh, "You mean it?" Mean what? Talking about working for SHIELD? Maybe that's it?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:738|Maria Hill (738)}} has posed:'''<br>Maria doesn't sit, but she does stand as casually as someone might if they were sitting. Hands pushing deep into the pockets of her coat, watching Aisling work through whatever it is she wants to say, "Happens." Acknowledging the apology, indifferent about it honestly. It does happen. "You should get a handle on that though. Dangerous business, telepathy. Get you in a lot of trouble if you sift through the wrong brains. Just means I'll wear a neural halo next time I know you're in the field." SHIELD has all the toys. <br><br>"Sure." She meant it. Maria isn't matter of fact out of some curtness, she's just ... matter of fact. Doesn't waste words. "Got a whole division that deals with Mutant affairs that could use new talent. Mutants are always as hip to helping big brother spy on little brother. Thing is, that's not what we're doing. Get a bad rap. We also have people who can help train you in using those abilities." She motions, but doesn't bring her hands out of her pockets. <br><br>Just a shift to the side, pulling both ends of her coat in Aisling's direction. <br><br>"Not an easy career path, so I'd keep that in mind. Wont make you any friends, either." <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2667|Aisling Caroll (2667)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yeah, yeah it is. Makes life, interesting, to say the least" her irish lilt a little bit more under control as she replies exhaling yet again. "Neural Halo?" blink, blink, blink. They do have all the toys. "Yeah, well, I'm /always/ in the field Deputy Director. If I'm not at Xaviers working on my nursing degree, I'm here, doing what needs doing." She turns to look at Maria, "I don't have to remind you about Genosha I imagine?" she adds matter of factly.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Bad raps are more often than not earned through some measure of truth" she's obviously working though some things. No doubt she's wondering what's the difference between SHIELD and a Cop? "I'm an orphaned immigrant that's been homeless for most of the last several years. I don't have a lot of friends as is."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:738|Maria Hill (738)}} has posed:'''<br>"That's only true in fairy tales where there's a clear line between good and evil. I don't live in a black and white world." Maria shakes her head, hands still in her pockets. "Until the world gets on board with the idea that there's something bigger than themselves out there and stops falling on their perverbial sword, there'll be a need for clandestine organizations that keep the whole game balanced." I.E. SHIELD. "We're not cops, though." <br><br>Not a conversation she wants to have anyways: Cops. <br><br>Good way to lose friends. <br><br>"I'm keenly aware of Genosha, yes. I'm also aware of a dozen other places where humanity shit the bed trying to be top dog going as far back in history as Rome... or further if you believe Humarian poets. Regardless, Genosha was a tragedy, but it's not the only tragedy. Mutant kind isn't special, they're just the new different and people will always suck when it comes to different." <br><br>She cants her head, furrows her brow, and glances up and down the street. "Nothing wrong with keeping working down here in the trenches though. People like you around here. Sleep better doing it your way than mine. Morality doesn't have time for morals on the global scale." <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2667|Aisling Caroll (2667)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Aisling turns her own gaze back down the street. "Always truth to ever bit of tale" she pipes up again, but lets it go now. Not a way to make a best first impression, arguing with the Deputy Director of SHIELD.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Also, yes, not a good conversation to have at the moment. "Gotcha" that, helps to hear.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She just listens to everything else Maria says and sighs. Sitting there in silence for a few moments as she keeps working through things.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Do you think someone like me could do more good with you?" There it is. The thing she's working through.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:738|Maria Hill (738)}} has posed:'''<br>"That's why rumor mills churn out such great propaganda: because there's truth in every story.." Maria shakes her head and brushes a pebble off the sidewalk with the side of her toe. "People believe what they want to believe. They think they're entitled to all the answers and when they don't get them, they throw a hissy fit that they're being lied to. The ''truth'' is that people are inherently self-centered and think the world revolves around them. They fabricate a laundry list of reasons why 'keeping secrets' means 'lying'. The two things are not the same. Do you like Star Trek? I've always loved Star Trek. Federation had it's flaws as an organization, but the core belief structure was that knowledge was power, powerful, and had the ability to create incredible dangerous scenarios because people... just aren't ready to have that knowledge. Imagine if I told you, right now, there's a virus capable of destroying only people with green eyes. What do you get out of knowing that? Except being afraid of anyone with blue eyes." <br><br>She shrugs, "It's not an easy line to draw in the sand, but a necessary one. Soon as the world pulls it's head out of it's own ass, groups like SHIELD wont be necessary. I hope I'm alive to see it. What I DO see is a world that's on the brink of destruction by a galactic threat capable of destroying entire planets in the blink of an eye and there's still huge parts of the United States where you can't drink from the same water fountain as a human. So tell me, do you think people are ready for all the answers?" <br><br>Clearly Maria doesn't. <br><br>With that out of the way, mostly. She nods to Aisling, "Yes." <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:2667|Aisling Caroll (2667)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All of that, is a lot, and while she could and would normally argue with all of it... now is not the time. It's just not, it's not the time for going back and forth tat for tat on morals and ethics. After all, there's a whole hell of lot of issues facing Mutant Kind, but one of those is being olbierated with the rest of the planet. So, for now, she lets Maria talk and just gives her the occasional nod of understanding.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yes?" she replies, and then forms a light smile. She's only met a handful of people that just blatantly seemed to believe in her, even at first meeting. "I'll think it over Deputy Director, and get back to you. I have a good thing working on my nursing career and Xaviers and I don't want to loose that." She looks at Maria and smiles, "Thank you, for all of this. For showing up here to see what my people are going through. For caring. For helping."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:738|Maria Hill (738)}} has posed:'''<br>"Humans aren't the only people living on Earth." Maria dismisses the thanks by pointing out that her job doesn't end or begin at genetics. Her hands remain in her pockets, pushing the coat tight around her shoulders. "If you're interested, reach out, otherwise, good luck." She offers the smallest of smiles and extends her right hand to Aisling. <br><br>Once farewells and pleasantries are extended. <br><br>"World needs more nurses too. Probably more noble a profession than anything I'd offer you." That warrents a smirk, but she turns on her boots and starts down the street towards a black vehile that's already pulling around the corner and headed in her direction. "If you need help that doesn't involve the job offer, number still works." She calls back to the Irish Mutant as she's climbing in the back seat, reaching into the center console for her incrypted cellphone. Already back at work. <br><br>Probably organizing nuclear strikes on third world countries or something. <br><br>Gotta keep the quota up. <br> <br>
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