1374/Science can Daring Do!

Science can Daring Do!
Date of Scene:	26 April 2020
Location:	Eastside - Queensland Park
Synopsis:	A routine check of surveillance euipment turns into a foiled burglary attempt.
Cast of Characters:	Daniel Hastings, Valeria Richards

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Daniel Hastings has posed:
Queensland Park has been a hotbed of activity. A number of listening devices have been mounted in the area but it's hardly perfect coverage considering the size of Metropolis. Which means that there was another jaunt out to the area to fill in the gaps in the readings. With Valeria now read in on SHIELD's activity in this matter, Daniel has no qualms whatsoever about letting Valeria fly a car into the hangar and loading it up with gear. Then it was off to Metropolis by way of shortcut. Once they were landed on a warehouse roof, he hopped out of the Richards' car and took a moment to scan rooftops. One never can be too safe, after all. He was even wearing a SHIELD jumpsuit and a tactical vest. This was business after all. He even brought one for Val, if only because it had a dozen handy pockets for tools, widgets and stopping of bullets. One would have a very hard time explaining to dad how his daughter got shot on a date after all. Even if it wasn't a date. Right?

Valeria Richards has posed:
Definitely not a date. If it was a date, there'd be...Well. Actually. She //does// have some food in the car for in case they get hungry while they're setting things up, and these are some of her favorite things to do, so...

Maybe it's a date?

Either way, she's grateful enough for a vest to go over her own uniform. Unstable molecules are great for some things, but not always the best at stopping bullets. "I wish there was a way to get information or readings from something other than equipment," she admits, pulling out a bag with a set of instruments. "Canaries for the coal mines, so to speak."

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel was handing her a set of noise cancelling headphones with a mic on it. "Sorry what?" A tap of his own set the sentivity of it so he could hear her through the oversensitive device. They were being careful, after all. "Black Canary? Isn't she from Gotham?" He never could get his vigilantes straight. One day. Either way, he smiled. "Channel 2. If suddenly you can't hear me, one tick counterclockwise gets you to channel 1 in case of emergency." He taps his headset where the channel selector was. "Hey.. did you.. bring one of your sonic devices with you? Or.. a stun gun or something like that?" He had a gun slung low on his hip attached via the tac gear and a leg strap. "I totally forgot to remind you." Mostly because, well, he hates guns.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria slips the headphones on, checking the settings and the mike. "Testing, testing, ground control to Major Tom," she says lightly, flashing him a grin. "I was just saying I wish we had more of a live subject to test things on after talking to Agent Morse last night. But hopefully we can get the readings and information we need without exposing ourselves or anyone else to it."

There's a tripod to be set up first, pieces clicked together with practiced competence. "I've got an updated version of the gauntlets, yeah," she adds, straightening up to go back to the car and pull them out. Because putting them //on// is also important. They're slim, looking like fingerless compression gloves at a glance.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
"Looking good." Daniel gives an appreciative nod.. though she might get the impression he meant more than just the gloves with that second glance and smile. "I read you. Who's Major Tom anyway? Let me guess. One of those Tom Hanks movies I haven't had a chance to watch yet. Saving Private Ryan is it?" Hmm. That wouldn't be ground control though. "Apollo 13?" No, he's seen that one. It's an astronaut flick. He has a dream, after all. "Anyway.. live subject means we have to engage. Engage means a fight. A fight means.. well.. we don't know what these things are capable of yet. Let alone how many civilians might be in danger. Careful what you wish for." There's a wry expression offered as he brings over the detector for the tripod she'd just set up and starts hooking it up.

Valeria Richards has posed:
"Oh no, I don't mind running into one of //them// live," Valeria says quickly. "More like...lab rats. Though I recognize there are some ethical concerns for that sort of thing," she admits, shrugging, before she comes back to the tripod to start setting up equipment.

"The Major Tom thing's actually from a song," she says, glancing over with a wry smile. "I forget that you don't know all of the references. Tell me someone's at least made you watch some Star Trek."

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel looks over from his work with a laugh. "Oh no. I found /that/ one all on my own. Absolutely my favorite thus far. The effects on the original are a little weak but from what I hear of the civil rights movement in the day.. ground breaking stuff. I still say Picard is my favorite thus far. No spoilers! I'm trying to watch then in order.. as much as one can. So.. it was Enterprise. Original. Next generation.. though that new Discovery set throws that in the works but I'll get to them. I'm on season four now of Next Gen." His enthusiasm says he could talk that series all day if need.. but no spoilers. "I'll have to find that one. Hang on." He reaches into his back pocket for a little flip book and makes a note. "You can thank Rogers for this idea. Saw him do it once and he showed me and.. well one can't remember /everything/ all the time. Just the important things. Like.. your birthday. Which sadly I'm going to have to wait ten months for." Things he learned recently from her SHIELD file when he updated it. That's cheating.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria quirks a brow at the mention of her birthday, smile flickering, then continues adjusting the equipment as he writes things down. "It's definitely a lot to catch up on," she agrees, nodding. "But I'm glad to see someone's taken the time to introduce you to the //important// things." Because, well, exploration and science are key!

"I would imagine it's like learning a new culture anywhere, though," she muses. "And you've done that before. Plus, you seem to be a rather clever fellow," she teases, winking over her shoulder.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel cannot help but laugh. "I try. Though to be fair, I was on Kirit for a number of years. I've been cramming Americana nonstop for three months now. I almost feel like.. I've been shirking what I should be reading. Science journals and the like. If only so that I know what equipment is out there that I can adapt to that bloody ship I crashed." He sighs then.. squints a little. "Did you hear that?" He reaches up to his headset and taps a button a few times with a finger raised. One of the fun things about military grade noise cancelling headphones? You can boost the ambient sound as well. Listen to mouse farts. The raised finger taps his lips for quiet as he listens, turning to his left, then he makes a palm motion to the ground as he crouches and eventually lays down on the rooftop.. slowly crawling in true military fashion towards the edge.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria pauses when he taps his headseat, head tilting out of habit as she tries to listen for whatever he heard. There are some things that Valeria is very good at. Like science. And adapting to new situations. Knowing the appropriate reaction to a threat? Not necessarily on the list.

But she watches him crawl across the roof and listens to what it //sounds// like and promptly crouch-walks her way over instead. //Then// she lies down next to him, trying to see what's happening.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel lowly peeks his head over the edge. Looking down. Below them is a nondescript panel van in black. The rear doors are open to the loading dock. Mind you, it's after hours and the pair of men standing near the back of the van have assault rifles and very serious looks on their faces. Their vantage lets them see three more similarly black clad fellows at the door. One of whom is using an acetylene torch to burn through the lock. A WayneCorp logo is on the door. The look on Daniel's face is.. annoyed. He also slides back out of sight. Whispering into the mic, he sounds like he's speaking plain as day, "Of all the rooftops. Well. You wanted adventure." He rolls onto his side and looks at her. "You want to come with or did you want to stay up here?"

Valeria Richards has posed:
"Wait, seriously?" Valeria's brows shoot up as she looks at him. "There's like half a dozen guys down there. With assault rifles. And a torce. Shouldn't we call...someone?"

There's adventure and then there's just //looking// for trouble. Although they did find some trouble. For some reason there's something far scarier about normal men with guns than about vertically challenged geniuses with drilling machines and armies of tiny minions.

"Are you seriously going down there?" she whispers, quickly checking something on her gauntlets.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel takes a deep breath. It sounds like Darth Vader with the mic on. "I happen to be bulletproof. So.. yes. But I can't say the same for you. So.. if you wanted to stay up here? Make sure I don't get shot in the back? That would be grand." Didn't he just say he was bulletproof? Or was that subject to limitation somehow. "And yes, we're going to call it in but the bobbies on the street don't generally carry that sort of firepower." There's a nod downwards. "Tell you what. Call it in. Meanwhile.. I need a solution to that torch. Guns don't bother me. A tank full of highly explosive fuel.. that bothers me."

"Alright. Plan A. I will casually walk down the alley and bluff them. Have badge. Uniform. Tac gear. I'll tell them they're surrounded. This far away.. point your gauntlets at them. They'll probably think you're Agent Johnson.. if they know anything about us." Daniel begins formulating.. articulating. "If they start shooting.. duck. Don't come out until I say its safe. Unless.." He eyes the gauntlets. "You have a supplemental for Plan A?" Hey, she's a supergenius. He'll give anything a go when the odds are five to one.

Valeria Richards has posed:
"Since when have you been bulletproof?"

Yep, that's what Valeria took away from all of that.

Now isn't really the time for that, though. Now is the time for not getting shot but also stopping the bad guys. Taking a deep breath, she sets her jaw and starts to actually think it through. "I've got some nitrogen tanks in the car," she murmurs. Because of course she does. "Could bring that for the torch and the explosives."

Daniel Hastings has posed:
"Think you could set it up so it blows when it hits ground level?" Daniel is on board with this. "I can make sure it lands on its head right next to the torch. They'll get some freezer burn, the torch will go out, it'll buy us a minute or so before the nitrogen thaws.. right. One torch neutralized. Excellent." He's grinning ear to ear and slinking back along the roof until he feels comfortable standing then moves quietly to the car. "Alright. So." He takes a knee and drags an x into the roof with his tactical knife. Because of course his kit has one. "Aim to drop it on its head right here." He puts it palm on the x and seems to concentrate a moment. "I'll let you know when." Then he stands. "Here goes nothing." He steps forward and disappears.

"I'm in position. Give the signal when ready." His disembodied voice says. From wherever he just went.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Valeria nods slowly, backing away quietly and drawing a tank out from the back of the car. There may be extradimensional storage space in there. No promises.

As carefully as possible she brings the tank over to the edge of the roof, fiddling with the top for a few momments until she has it set the way she wants. "Did we agree on a signal?" she whispers. "I don't remember agreeing on a signal. But. Um." Taking a deep breath, she pulls the tank up to the edge of the roof, aiming carefully. "Bombs away?"

Daniel Hastings has posed:
That.. was not the plan. Thankfully, Daniel was watching the alley when he sees the tank drop off the side of the roof and improvises. One moment its plummeting down to the alley. The next, it appears over the head of the fellow with the torch and lands on the concrete next to him with an explosion of released frozen gas. There were screams and chaos and flailing limbs and.. a lot more screams.

Then there was a ripple in space. Valeria sees it as a sort of compression wave in reality spawned from Daniel's outstretched arms that strikes the front of the van, crumpling the engine block and driving the van back into the two blokes standing guard.. hitting them like a ton of bricks and knocking them onto their faces. Daniel gives Val a big thumbs up as he jogs down the alley towards the screaming trio. The nitrogen was quickly warming to ambient air, leaving a rime of frost on everything around the point of impact. He didn't bother getting out his gun. I'm sure she can imagine why that is, now.

Valeria Richards has posed:
"Well all right then." Valeria is left blinking down at the chaos and destruction of what probably was, at one point, a team of well-armed and well-trained men. Folding her arms on the edge of the roof, she leans over a bit to get a good look at the results and the next steps.

"You know, I anticipated that going...much more chaotically," she admits through the headphones.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
"The term is speed, surprise and violence of action." Daniel quotes the dogma of military tactics. He learned something in officer school. He eventually reaches the trio by the warehouse door and applies a boot to the head of the fellow near the torch. The other two, he points the gun at. "Gentlemen, Daniel Hastings, Agent of Shield. Hands behind your heads now. That's a good lad. Cross the ankles."

Daniel brings a hand to his headset as if to exhaggerate what he's doing, "Site secure. You can send in the locals." Because it's not like either of them came prepared to transport five well armed burglars. Sadly, it also means that Daniel has to stand there and wait for the cavalry to arrive while whistling god save the queen.

Valeria Richards has posed:
Right! The locals! That was part of the plan...

Rather than go through the hassle of explaining everything to a 911 officer, Valeria activates a touch-screen on her gauntlets, quickly sending the call directly to the nearest patrol car. So at least it shouldn't take //too// long for them to get there.

"You're pretty cute when you do the agent thing," she grins from her high up perch, fiddling with a setting on her wrist. After a moment, she takes aim at a trash can a little further down the alley. "Should I startle them a little bit? Keep them on their toes?"

Daniel Hastings has posed:
"Very funny." Daniel quips. "That's a negative weathermaker, you can stand down the thunder." He sounds so official.. and ominous. The two conscious goons eyeball each other nervously. Thor was known to work with SHIELD now and again. Would he really show up for this? Thankfully, there was a local unit a few blocks away who shows up with his lights and sirens. "Just in time, too. You blokes are lucky. That rocket was a dud. Weathermaker had a firecracker ready for you." As the cop gets out of his car, Daniel eyeballs the nitrogen tank and drops it on the roof with a thunk of metal on tar that's too distant for the goods to recognize.

"Officer, Agent Hastings, Shield. I was in the area on a classified operation when I observed these gentlemen attempting to force entry using this torch." He gestures from torch to door. "Scorch marks as you can see. I imagine these three will need hospital but you'll want to secure them.. and their weapons." Armed for bear they were. The officer is quick to radio in for more units and a supervisor. It's only when Daniel gives a briefing to the Sergeant and his business card that he finally steps away. "Weathermaker, one to beam up." Then.. fwip. He's on the roof. Yeah, he milked that a little.

"I imagine we'll want to hang out a little while. Wait for things to die down to just the crime scene unit." Boring. "Sorry to rain on your fun back then but one of the rules of engagement is.. don't introduce chaos that you can't predict. I have no idea what's in the trash can. Which means I have to watch it when you shoot it. Which means I'm not watching the two at gunpoint. Who were still armed. Not a good thing." He does take off the headset though and set it on the hood of her car. "Good show with the nitrogen tank. Handy to have it. Twice as handy to remember it." He beams at her.

Valeria Richards has posed:
"No, you've got nothing to apologize for," Valeria shakes her head quickly. "It's why I asked. //I// don't know rules of combat," she points out, seeming amused by the difference. Once he takes his headphones off, she takes hers off as well, hopping up onto the hood of the car to take a seat there and wait it out.

"There are all sorts of handy things in this car," she chuckles, glancing to the backseat. "My family has a tendency to find ourselves in some very strange places with very little notice, so. I've found it's better to be prepared for anything."

Daniel Hastings has posed:
"I.. really don't want to know why you keep a tank of liquid nitrogen in there.. do I." Daniel replies with a bemused gaze turned to the rear of the vehicle. "I.. don't suppose you packed a sandwich did you. As the commercial says, not going anywhere for a while? Pack a Snickers bar. I honestly can't believe they're still around. Taste about the same, too." Yes, they're /that/ old.

"Well. I will say this. It would have gone a lot more messily without it. I had a plan for the two at the van as you see.. but that left the three and a whole hail of bullets. And I wasn't keen on blasting the torch because if it detonated.. there'd be bodies and a burning building and.. none of that is what I call ideal." It was a little too close to an actual warzone for his taste. He sighed and murmured. "I owe you one."

Valeria Richards has posed:
"Well, you know. Rapid cooling is very useful." Valeria hops down then goes to dig in the back of the car once more, coming out with a small cooler. "And I //did// pack some snacks. Because, you know. Prepared."

She grins, opening the cooler to reveal a pair of turkey sandwiches, a few bags of chips, and a couple cans of soda. "Nothing fancy, but enough to keep things going. And way better than nutrition loaf. Or bars. Or whatever we're generously calling that little invention."

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Val gets a hearty nod of agreement with a face that says something like please god no anything but those. "I've had my fill of K-rations. Thank you." Turkey sandwhich is a blessing comparitively and he quickly settles in, popping his soda can. "Now see. You're thinking like an Agent already. Not.. that I much do really. Aside from what the Navy taught by way of doctrine and physics.. I really don't know much about SHIELD's current training regimine. Though they've been feeding it to me. Mostly, international and local law." He gives a shrug at that. "Oh! How did your chat with Agent Morse go.. Bobbi." To clarify. "She didn't rat me out too badly I hope?" Some of his slang is a little old for sure.

Valeria Richards has posed:
"She didn't say anything about you," Valeria laughs. "Although, to be fair, we got a little bit...excited talking about the science of it all and how this might be working, so you weren't exactly a topic of conversation," she admits, shrugging unapologetically.

"She's very cool though," she adds, taking a bite of her sandwich. "It was impressive. She knows the science of things, but she's also an accomplished field agent. I mean, she downplayed the science part in favor of the agent part, but it was very encouraging."

Daniel Hastings has posed:
"To be honest.. I've been having second thoughts about being an Agent." Daniel drops that bomb with a bite of his turkey sandwich. "I get the whole.. flying off to the rescue thing.. but heros do that all the time and don't need SHIELD's blessing. What I want to do.. well.. is raw science. Discovery. Exploration. Like.. well like that Future Foundation." He gives her a nod. He may have had a notion but she named it perfectly. "Every discovery.. development.. research.. SHIELD does. Well. Maybe not every but darn near. It's going to a military purpose. Which.. with the Kree and everyone out there.. it makes sense I suppose. But.. I'm tired of war." He takes a deep breath and sighs, tossing a chip to a curious seagull.

Valeria Richards has posed:
"Well that's certainly understandable." Valeria takes another bite of her sandwich, though she levels a more serious look on him. Considering. "Have you talked to anyone at SHIELD about it?" she asks. "I mean. I'd think they'd have you seeing all sorts of psychologists after everything you've been through. And if there was a better fit, or some other..."

She pauses, lips pursing in thought. "What I mean to say is, I understand feeling limited. Ironically, in the other direction, but. I get it. I just worry that leaving SHIELD would possibly limit some of your support."

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel shrugs. "I have veteran's benefits in Canada." Which isn't a problem for the teleporter. "And.. I do owe SHIELD a lot. Though if it weren't for SHIELD, I wouldn't be here and now, either." There's a snort. Then a glance to her. "Let's drop that last one. I met you because of it so the scale's a little skewed there." Good humor returned, he leans and nudges her shoulder. "It's not a question of being limited. I'm sure any number of universities would hire me. Maybe I wouldn't be on the bleeding edge... or.." Then he laughs. "What am I saying. I'm a bloody astronaut now." He looks to her directly. "I just.. want to do something meaningful that doesn't involve building a better bomb. That's all." Proverbially. SHIELD also makes guns, cloaking devices, fighter jets, helicarriers. "I have. Daisy and I chat. She was the first to welcome me back and.. did welcome me. For her.. SHIELD is family. Talking to her about this is.. like telling her I'm divorcing her cousin or something."

Valeria Richards has posed:
"There's a lot to catch up on." Valeria bumps her shoulder back against his, smile crooked. "I mean, sure, you could be a professor. Basic scientific principles haven't changed that much. Or you could teach history," she teases, grinning over at him. "But most places you'd need to do some serious catching up before they would hire you."

Narrowing her eyes, she gives him a look of mock-suspicion. "Are you just using me for my connections to well-funded science?"

Daniel Hastings has posed:
That.. didn't even get a rise out of him. Though Daniel does look over at her. "That's not funny. You know I've already lost sleep worrying you'd think that of me." Okay maybe /now/ she knows he's lost sleep over it. "It's why I never said anything. I'm almost sorry I mentioned it now except that you deserve the truth. I just didn't want to surprise you with oh hey by the way I quit SHIELD yesterday does your dad have any openings?" He brings a hand to the bridge of his nose and pinches. "Sorry."

There's a moment of silence before Daniel straightens, "I don't know. It's not so bad I suppose. SHIELD is working to protect mankind as a whole. Works all over the globe. We're slowly become a culture of Earth as opposed to independent warring nations." He smiles again and looks to her. "I blame you for this you know. All of that infectious hope and drive and science. It reminded me of why I got into it in the first place. Why math has meaning. Why the grand design of the cosmos is greatest mystery of them all... and I want to plumb it for all its worth. Maybe even.. get back out there." His hand raises to gesture a turkey sandwich at the heavens.

Valeria Richards has posed:
"Relax," Valeria laughs softly, reaching out to brush a hand against his arm. "I'm teasing you. Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. //I// didn't want //you// to think I was only interested in you as a curiosity," she admits, rueful. "And honestly, if all else failed I'm one hundred percent sure that Dad would be perfectly happy to poke at the mystery that's you for at least a few years before he realized he got distracted by another project."

Life in the Richards household is just like that sometimes.

"I would apologize, but I can't feel bad for helping a veteran get past the interruption to life that war is," she laughs softly, shaking her head. "As interesting and exciting as it all seems from a distance, I know it's different when you're in it. And a lot of terrible things happened. It's //why// we're here to make the world better."

Daniel Hastings has posed:
"Oh he's already offered." Daniel confesses with a bark of a laugh. "He promised he'd only do it if you approved, though. So that's something, right?" Shifting to face you, he sits down on the hood of the car next to you, taking your hand in his. "You never made me feel that. Part of me wondered.. but I never felt it." Now it was his turn to reassure her, his hazel eyes looking at her sincerely. "Part of me.. is afraid. You see.. I've known many a young woman who received that telegram. Telling them that their bloke wasn't coming home. I don't want that for you, Valeria. You have such a bright future ahead of you. Such a brilliant mind. I feel.. selfish. Does that make sense?"

Valeria Richards has posed:
"Not even a little bit." Which, of course, is a bald-faced lie. Valeria slides along the side of the car just enough for their sides to touch, comfortable. "I don't want to get that letter. Obviously. But even if we've only known each other for a little bit, I feel like I know you well enough to know that you'd want me to keep going, and be happy, and make the world better. And isn't that what people should want for each other?"

Daniel Hastings has posed:
"It is." Daniel replies with his smile softening. His free hand lifts to brush the back of his fingers across her cheek and tuck errant hairs behind her ear. Then he leans in, cheek to cheek, then kisses hers. "You're too good to me." Pulling back, he clears his throat and picks up his soda. "I think they've gone now. We can probably get enough elevation that I can safely get us to our next checkpoint unsen. Shall we?" Sliding off the hood onto his feet, he cleans up after himself then moves to sit in the passenger seat. After all, it's her car.