4083/No kidding, there I was...

No kidding, there I was...
Date of Scene:	09 November 2020
Location:	A Park in Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Peggy brings May in on some intel she's gathered.
Cast of Characters:	Melinda May, Peggy Carter

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Melinda May has posed:
Central Park, Melinda May knows, is hugely overrated. A beautiful park, yes. But a busy one. And one of the first places in the city likely to end up under attack. Thus, when the fairly solitary senior agent chooses to run outdoors, rather than on the equipment in Athletics at the Triskelion, May often looks for smaller, less crowded trails to enjoy.

Today, she's selected a small park in Brooklyn. A little out-of-the-way place with plenty of running paths, but few joggers and even fewer tourists and walking obstacles. Because, sometimes, a woman just wants to run *without* playing Dodge the Civ along the way.

She's set an easy, even pace to start. This isn't a sprint, or even a marathon. But it will be enough of a workout by the time the full length's run to make it worthwhile.

The key to the pace? Being able to talk while she runs. "Yeah," she grunts softly, glancing to her running companion. "So, I've given Barton a copy of the banishing spell." The banishing spell for Levian. Whom someone above her pay grade decided made a decent recruit instead of asset, anyway. That still boggles her. "And I'm going to corner the kid and tell him to stay the hell away from the archer, otherwise, he'll end up on the wrong end of an explosive arrow... But, if that doesn't work? Sorry, but Barton's worth ten of the kid."

All because Loki put a geas on the demon Levian, forcing him to fulfill a bargain by kissing Clint Barton on the lips. It's trouble in the offing, and May's the one who needs to sort it out, apparently.

She really hates Loki.

Peggy Carter has posed:
When the other woman mentioned maybe taking advantage of the unseasonally lovely weather to get in today's work out outside, Peggy certainly didn't complain. They look like two perfectly normal, somewhat boring, 30-something women on a regular jog across a vaguely empty trail in Brooklyn. "...This is a good spot. I'll have to remember. Feel like I'm playing that old frogger game half the time I run down in Battery Park." Peg admits, though there's still some of that basic, old fondness for Brooklyn over all in her voice. She's watching the place around them like someone who forgot what an old friend looks like.

She's also keeping up with May quite smoothly, not even really winded, but they weren't pressing the pace yet. The woman is sharply fit for her age, but then, she doesn't look her years either. She frowns deeper at the Loki and Levian commentary, shaking her head..."Maybe I can talk to Constanstine. See if we can get something to break that, because... that's shite, honestly. I don't like the kid. I don't think he's good for SHIELD, but he deserves his autonomy also." She's picking up the pace just a bit in her own anger.

Melinda May has posed:
"Mm." There's reluctance in May's tone at the mention of Constantine. "I'd sooner go deal with Lucifer, than Constantine." Yeah, she knows a guy named Lucifer. Doesn't that just figure? "Constantine rubs me the wrong way."

To be fair, who does Constantine rub the *right* way. *Any* right way?

She shrugs faintly, feet pounding rhythmically on the path. "The kid's just that. A kid." Clueless. "I don't think he's good for SHIELD, either. And I sure as hell don't think SHIELD's good for him. We're teaching a *demon* to lie and steal, for God's sake." Does no one else see the irony in that?

She inhales deeply as she runs, letting her gaze sweep the path -- perhaps following Peggy's gaze when she notes that sense of nostalgia. "This is place is good," she agrees. A snirk. "Frogger's easy compared to Battery Park."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Battery Park was close to the old offices, and Angie would come out to each lunch on the water sometime, so... When I managed to escape being director for even twenty minutes, that was the best option. I... don't miss it." Peggy admits with smirk that says she might actually miss it a little bit. Or the 'Angie' woman she just spoke about, which is definitely not a name from any historical SHIELD files.

"Constantine isn't *that* bad... He's a bit of an arse, but... He is genuinely helpful. Or maybe that's just to me, maybe it's a Brit thing..." Peggy actually seems a little fond of the man, but she doesn't press it further. She picks up the speed just a touch more, so they can still talk, but things are getting to be a little bit of a challenge.

Melinda May has posed:
May's stride lengthens to keep pace with Peggy. She doesn't know who Angie is, but files the name in her memory. Not that it much matters. If it was back when Peggy was still director, it was decades ago, now. "Sure you don't," she says dryly. "Not entirely, anyway."

Remember, May was retired once. She's not any more. And not pounding down HR's door to change that fact.

She says nothing more about Constantine, aside from. "And, yeah. It must be a Brit thing. 'Cause I'm not seeing it." She thinks he's an ass.

Peggy Carter has posed:
A slight roll of her dark eyes comes as Melinda dares call her on missing things. "Miss frogger in Battery Park about as much as I miss being Director." Peggy states flatly, which probably means she misses it a whole damn lot. But the run keeps happening, a slight look give to her to be certain the woman's keeping up easily, but there's no real concern there. She's confident May is as fit as she is, if not more so.

"Now that we are out of the office... There's been a few things myself, Steve, Logan, Daisy...some others have been looking into. People I... trust." There's a weight behind her eyes that wasn't there before as she says the word trust, the implication being that she doesn't really trust some others, including those at the office. "Have you heard anything about certain files not being digitized...?"

Melinda May has posed:
May's eyes slant sidelong at Peggy as the topic... shifts. She knows better than to comment on what Peggy may or may not feel like she's missing in *life*. But missing files? That's a whole 'nother thing.

"No," she says simply. Yeah. Trust goes both ways, apparently. The pace is still reasonably comfortable, her posture erect and stride a quick lope. "How many? From when?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Actual, physical files? I've found over twenty missing now, that never got put into SHIELD's digital record or, if they did, were deleted since then. All of them related back to Operation Paperclip and the HYDRA scientists which got a pass for agreeing to work with SHIELD and US science agencies after the war. I stumbled on the first one about three months ago and have been...digging since." Peggy's expression is dead quiet now, eyes straight forward, keeping mostly focused on their run as it helps her stay out of the messy anger that come up every time she thinks about it. The speed of the run picks up. Again.

"At least one of them, after I traced it the whole way through, lead to a HYDRA cell still in operation in the Bronx. I and a few others cleaned house." None of this has hit modern SHIELD records. No reports filed, no discussion at the Triskelion.

Melinda May has posed:
May adjusts her stride. She is a woman who wakes up angry every day and spends an hour in tai chi centering herself for the rest of the day. And she still goes to bed angry every night. She can keep pace.

"Hydra." There's no question in May's voice. No disblief. Just a tight pop at the base of her jaw. She understands what's not said. She knows she's not seen any reports. And not heard watercooler talk. There should at least have been watercooler talk. Even if they don't necessarily talk to *her*. "How big?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
The anger in her run is real. Peggy's not generally been an angry person in her life, calm and cool headed as most Brits, but this angers her. The way things festered and grew over 30 years incredibly angers her. She pushes on, silent for a good bit as she focuses on running through the emotions and keeping the worst of it off her face, but May probably can tell. May's sharp like that.

"Whose to say, really? Maybe just a few people trying to hide our old sins from the modern record. More likely... a handful of HYDRA operatives within SHIELD, erasing things to help their allies on the outside and monitoring any missions we talk about on the record. I don't think... it goes all the way to Level 7 or 8. I hope not. But there's..." Peggy breathes out hard for a moment, "It's not just concidence."

Melinda May has posed:
Not just sharp. Experienced. May's used the technique more tha few times herself. "It never is," she says. Never coincidence. "Communications operatives would have the easiest access. But anyone level 8 or above could do it. Sevens, if they're clever." And so many are.

"Well. I'm in." Like that was a question? "I can dig above your paygrade. Let me see what I can find."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Daisy's offered to help as well. I...think I can trust her." But there's still a sliver of uncertainty, which is probably why Peggy hasn't dove in quite yet. She pushes their run just a bit faster, on the edge of what would talkable but still not completely in the sprinting zone of being unable to focus on anything but breath. It simply helps to put focus and pressure into something that isn't this mystery that's been slowly boiling in the back of her head.

"I've got most of the missing files stored off site. Steve's seen them, Bucky. Logan. The old crew that I know... I was there. With them. I KNOW they wouldn't... you know. I don't trust them back in SHIELD storage, not yet. If you want to come over a night, safe house is in Brooklyn." Peg gives a breathless little laugh, realizing where they are, "Not too far from here."

Melinda May has posed:
"Against Hydra?" May says, her stride lengthening, arms swinging a little wider. "You can trust Daisy against Hydra," she agrees. She knows Quake is young, still wrestling with her powers, with news of her mother's existance."She's dealing with a lot personally, though. So, we'll need to keep an eye on that."

She glaces to the woman as they continue at pace along the path. "You tell me where to meet, I'll be there. If we need more help, I can vet some. Barton's probably clean. Maybe Morse. She's harder to pin, though. Spent a lot of time undercover with them. I trust her in the field, on mission. I don't know what else is in her head."

Peggy Carter has posed:
Hearing that May trusts Daisy gets a brief, sideways look from Peggy. A moment of evaluation, but it's the final nail in the trust coffin she needed. She gives a single, sharp nod, and just like that, Daisy is settled into the trust at all costs category. It lets her relax a little bit, even if she's not slowing down from the jog in the least. "We'll keep her on the back burner, but make certain she knows she has support here... She's not just an asset."

"The first cell we cleaned out managed fine with only a few people on the job. But, they had no clue we were onto them then. It might be harder next time. And keeping these missions off the books... that's the challenge. Bobbi offered me a way to work within SHIELD. She knows *something* is going on. I still..." Peggy grimaces, lips setting for a moment. "I'd like to think it doesn't go that deep."

Melinda May has posed:
"It would be good, if it doesn't," May agrees, holding the pace well enough. "Bobbi's on track for her own command. Could be a good resource. But Gonzales is your unit head, yeah? Feed me what you need. Let me work around that for you. I'll vet Bobbi. Gonzales is a hardass. He won't like you poking around in things under his nose, even if you turn out to be right." And he turns out to be clean. May isn't suggesting he's dirty. Only that she doesn't like working with him.

Peggy Carter has posed:
A slight grunt of breath comes in return, Peggy continuing her hard pace, but that sound was nothing about the run they're doing. She gives another nod, "Then... we'll work this way. Apartment's at..." and she rattles off an address in the part of Brooklyn that was rather ravaged by the attacks against mutants and the black out earlier in the year. "I got a key, Howlett has one too. It's small but...serviceable. Let me know when you get a night of breathing room to come over and do a survey of everything."

Melinda May has posed:
May nods. "How's Wednesday?" Sounds like she's agreeing to meet for dinner. But, that's their way, isn't it? Sniffing out moles, hunting down Hydra, making an end run hail mary? All in a day's work.

She continues the pace, rounding a corner near a small pool. "You know, one of these days, I should introduce you to the best dim sum place in the city."

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy takes the corner rounding easily. If she was flagging at all from her recovery of the genetic repairs when she first woke up, it's long past her. The seemingly young looking woman is at top shape nowadays, and content to push herself with her now ally. And friend. "Wednesday sounds great. As does Dim Sim. It'll be nice to get out of the office a... Bit more often." Once more, it's layers of commentary. That they couldn't talk back home, or at the SHIELD bar they often frequented. But it sounds like casual friendship.

And with that, Peggy cracks a bit of a smile, a challenge coming across her features as she arches a brow at May. "...Race you to the safehouse, so you can see the outside. I think we've both had our fill of this walk in the park." And with that challenge levied, trusting May to have the address memorized already, Peggy takes off at double the speed of before. The marathon is over. Now it's a sprint.

Melinda May has posed:
May doesn't waste breath on words as she responds, arms and legs pumping. She's always been fast. But, phyiscially, Peggy is younger. May isn't in her thirties. She's already pushing 50. So, when she works out, she's not just working out to stay fit, she's working out to keep from losing her edge.

So, she keeps up. Maybe she doesn't pass the othe woman, but she at least keeps up.

Mostly.