4554/Protocol 61: Field Promotions

Protocol 61: Field Promotions
Date of Scene:	31 December 2020
Location:	A secret somewhere in the Mojave
Synopsis:	Peggy is promoted and May is sent coordinates to set up the other end of the time hole base.
Cast of Characters:	Bobbi Morse, Peggy Carter, Melinda May

---

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    Peggy's shift had turned in to no one really taking a break at all. Bobbi certainly didn't feel like sleeping even though she should and Peggy's shift is now going to be a very painful one. It's now 9pm checkin time. Bobbi looks like nothing happened to her. She does still hurt inside. She aches. She crashed at high speed in to pylons to stop a box from going through the time hole.

    Later analysis had determined the payload, something to be discussed during their meeting. "Peggy, how are you feeling?," says Bobbi sipping at a new cup of coffee but she has dark rings under her eyes. The time phone is sitting in the middle of the desk. "I think prior-you will have left the room by now probably... so we can call," she says.

    "What do you think that psycho meant by May being dead?," she asks Peggy and then presses the connect button. "This is Agent Morse, come in Agent May," she says and doesn't expect anything will be wrong - Peggy did call her earlier after the incident.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"I should be asking *you* that. I just cracked a few bones. You looked near dead." Peggy states flatly in Bobbi's direction, keeping her voice down enough that she means for the conversation to only be their ears, but she's clearly worried. SHe's also sporting racoon eyes from the broken nose Dottie gave her and is moving a bit ginger, but she's still barely sat down the entire day. It's just been one of those days, especially as she spent much of it making certain Dottie was under strict imprisonment terms.

Then the phone is being picked up, so she nods in agreement to her prior self hopefully not being there. It is the time they are supposed to call, and while she heard May's voice before, she's still a bit worried. Besides, it's New Years Eve. The woman should have SOME friendly voices.

Little to the future knowledge, past Peggy is actually still there. Howard heard some news that Peggy had a cousin staying over and two very... Lovely... if slightly skimpy for the time. Which means the skirt only comes to May's knees with a slit up the back, and is made of a beautiful dark navy velvet. It's actually a gorgeous gown and who knows HOW Howard got her measurements. "May...I know we shouldn't really go out, but I promise you *some* party is going to come here whether you like it or not... we should just..." She pauses as the phone rings. "Relax."

Melinda May has posed:
And, indeed, that is exactly the challenge with this particular check-in, as opposed to the very brief one she got at 9am (which was basically, 'there was an attack on the new site; we'll tell you more about it later'). The phone rings and May has to actually work to keep some semblance of a polite, neutrality in place. "I could confine myself to my room," she suggests to Peggy, as she crosses the room to pick up the phone. She's been forced to keep a pretty much nil profile most of the rest of the month. Why change now?

She missed Christmas at home... which, okay, usually consisted of Chinese takout and a bottle of Haig beside a small tree with her Kindle, but... not the point! She doesn't feel like putting in an appearance at Howard's New Year's Eve Party. She doesn't feel like meeting him or his buttler or even the butler's wife, of whom she's heard nothing but lovely things. At home, she celebrates New Year's Eve with a bottle of Haig and an order of dim sum, kindle in hand, stretched out on her bed. So, yes. It's basically Christmas part two. Again... Not the point! She's simply frustrated enough, having so little progress, that she's perfectly happy to do that again tonight.

She eyes the dress Peggy presents. By 2020 standards, it's actually fairly tasteful. Her lips purse faintly, but she answers the phone rather than comments on the lovely dress.

"May here. Good to hear your voice, Morse." She eyes Peggy closely, her exprsesion suggesting the other woman keep her voice down.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    Bobbi chuckles softly, "I'd love to explain, but there are things that need to happen first." She gives a small shrug of sorry to Peggy, not _daring_ to say 'you don't have clearance' to one of the founders of SHIELD. She values the ability to breath without a tube.

    "I have Carter with me, just to be clear," she says and hopes that it's obvious what she means by that. She waits a moment and says, "Okay so we have a few items on the agenda today. The first being the coordinates of the anomaly for the SSR to set up a base of operations too. Mojave. Sending the lat/long through to you by taps," she says and then taps down the coordinates with the talk trigger.. which is all its good for these days really.

    "Next up, we were attacked first by Leviathan when Peggy was securing this site, and again by Dottie Underwood solo." She lifts up the device that was in the box, "A sophisticated transmission device. If it had gone through, it would have burst broadcast a lot of future technology and event knowledge to whoever was listening on an old Leviathan communications channel. Thankfully the device didn't make it through and Peggy has captured Underwood on this side. So.. we both have a Dottie in our custody now."

Peggy Carter has posed:
In the past, Peggy continues, "We don't have to go *there*, he's going to come *here*, apparently. Closest thing he has to family in the city. We'll see how many women he drags. He might get distracted, but... if you end up in you're room, he'll just come knocking. And... the dress really is lovely..." She then goes totally silent, since May is picking up the phone. She arches a brow curiously, but she doesn't intrude. She, instead, starts opening the bag to the dress SHE was sent with a mix of curiosity and wariness.

In the future, Peggy is giving a similiarly frustrated look to Bobbi, especially as she's warded off the question of the woman's health. But the phone is off the hook now and they have other business. "It's good to hear your voice as well, May." She echoes over the line towards the other woman, but is letting Bobbi do most of the talking.

In the past, as Peggy hears that information about Dottie, her eyes go wide. She looks ready to murder for a moment. May has never seen her that furious or over protective before. It's an abrupt change.

Melinda May has posed:
May's brow arches a little as Bobbi tells her Peggy is in the room for the conversation they're having now. Frankly, aside from the awkward possibiliity of having two Carters on the line and the cross-contamination that can bring, she's generally assumed that, although Peggy may have been kept off the line during their past updates, she's been kept up to date on anything Morse has told her. And, in lieu of that, she's hoped that the woman who stands beside her now has been able to store the memory for her future partner to recall at some opportune moment.

When the coordinates start tapping in, she searches quickly for paper and pencil. They're near enough to hand that she is still able to capture the tap code and put down the numbers. Hell, even as she draws that dress from its bag, Carter can probably recite them, too... given Bobbi's tap code is doubtlessly *Morse* code. (No relation.)

She scrawls the numbers down and cants her head as she looks at them. She's a pilot. She knows the coordinates for bases all over the world. And she recoginzes that these are somewhere in California. Wordlessly, while Bobbi continues to talk, she passes them over to Carter to see, the word 'Mojave?' written underneath them.

Then, of course, Morse tells them about Dottie, and she watches Carter's expression flip for just that half-second. Her hand covers the mouthpiece of the phone. "Easy, tiger. Our cells are a helluva lot more secure than yours. She won't escape." A beat. "*You* won't let her, I'm sure."

Then, she removes her hand and speaks again to her future colleagues. "Thanks for the timeline save," she says evenly. "I'm sure Agent Carter, in this time, thanks you, too." A beat. "And would likely appreciate it if you could put Underwood in a carbon freezer for a while." Just like Han Solo. "I know I would."

She lays the pencil down and looks at the dress again, holding it up to inspect it for a moment, "You're sounding a helluva lot better, though, Peg. I'm glad. But since I'm getting the impression I'm going to have to wait until I get home to see the AAR about just how all that went down... to what do I owe the pleasure of having two of you on the line, this time?"

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    Bobbi chuckles a touch and says, "Oh Dottie's on her way to the Triskelion. We're not losing her. Not a chance." She smiles and nods to Peggy across from her, "Well the main reason we're both on the line is because after the Director stopped yelling at me for allowing a Black Widow to access my body and almost destroy the timeline as we know it... he cited Protocol 61 and said you count even though you're stuck in the past."

    She grins a touch, "Only Fury and Hill can promote an Agent to level 8 or higher," she says to Peggy, "But two level 7s can promote an agent to level 6, two level 8s can promote an agent to level 7, with their blessing and certain circumstances. Fury says he can't be here, so.. Protocol 61."

    She smiles a touch whimsically, "I quote Fury when I say, clearly you've gotten the hang of 2020, he needs you to have more autonomy. And so, with Agent May's blessing if she gives it, and my blessing." She offers her hand to Peggy, "Congratulations and welcome to level 6."

Peggy Carter has posed:
In the past, Peggy's set down Howard's gift and is now coming over to near the phone. If she's listening, she's listening. Especially as those coordinates come over. She's doing the numbers in ehr head and silently looks up to the pad May is using, double confirming them with a terse nod. Then her eyes go wide, realization kicking in as to exactly where that site is. She doesn't want to made over the phone, so she takes the pad and pen from May, writing quickly 'Zero Matter anomaly, site of explosion.' So, yes, she certainly recognizes the place.

In the modern day, Peggy is just as surprised but for completely different reasons. She figured she was here for a briefing, not a promotion. A mix of shock and confusion trickles across her features as she tries to process what this means. "That is... I mean... well. Considering I got May stuck in 1948, let's see what she has to say first." Peggy is reserving any sort of happiness for that. She would fully understand if the other agent didn't agree.

Melinda May has posed:
Again, May arches a brow. "The Triskelion. Great." She clears her throat. "How about the Fridge? Or the Raft?" Oh, she knows the Triskelion means Dottie's in for a long interrogation session. But, she's no fool. "I mean, if she's survived as long as..." She eyes Carter briefly, then says with emphasis to her future counterparts, "the *Avenger*. Just a thought."

Then, however, she hears those two little words: Protocol 61. It's not often May smiles freely -- albeit, even now, she's partially trying to suppress it. But certainly in 1948, Carter can see her eyes dance. So, perhaps in 2020 Peggy will remember that.

"About damned time," she says, perhaps a trifle gruffly in response. She glances to the woman beside her. "I figured the paperwork got lost or something."

Like she'd withhold her blessing. Puh-leeze.

She looks back at the dress and then to Carter, and gives her a simple nod to acquiesce. Okay. NOW she feels like maybe a drink and a bit of a celebration are in order. Go figure.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    Bobbi picks up her tablet and presses a button, upgrading Peggy's security clearance. "Done. Which means I can now explain to you why I look fine and you look like you had a fight with a super assassin and won." She grins a moment and says, "There's bits I can't tell you, but I'm sure given your knowledge you can fill in the blanks."

    She says, "I guess I'll just cut to the chase. Whitehall's super powered HYDRA agents? I used parts of his formula and things of my own to give me an advantage which helped us escape his island. This has resulted in me healing faster than regular people, but also if I push myself and don't maintain my emotional state, I get heart attacks."

    She holds up her wrist monitor, the heart rate is nice and steady right now, "Which is why I wear this. The attack by Dottie took me completely by surprise and I lost control. When she hit me with the taser, well, any hope I had of keeping my heart in check went out the window."

    She sighs, "It's a condition I'm still working to contain. I hate the idea of letting it win though, I don't want to be stuck behind a desk for the rest of my career. I don't heal fast enough that I don't get knocked out of a fight, but the heart? it breaks and heals over and over and over again rapidly and messes me up."

    "Oh hey and at level 6, they won't ask you to," she motions at the tent they're in, "run a small base, unlike level 7 or level 8. You get to stay agile, on your feet.. and soon in the air. You need to learn how to fly a quinjet. Would you like me to teach you?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
"You know May, I appreciate the blessing, but... I did get you stuck there. I'd have understood holding off. That being said... the best gift is actually being in the god-damned know about a few things and the autonomy will help as well." There's a heaviness to Peggy's eyes as she says that to Bobbi which says it's not just about the time situation, but other things. Peggy hasn't forgotten those files she's squirreled away out of SHIELD territory, or other worries about who might have fingers infiltrating their organization.

Everyone seems a bit more celebratory than the old agent, but then she was director for decades. She might just truly be ready to get back to work. "The vote of confidence is nice. But shit, Morse. A heart attack... even if you are healing, that's nothing to muck around with. If it stops for good it...stops, you know? Shit." She seems genuinely worried about this, mind now running multiple scenarios about how she can keep Bobbi relaxing and out of such fights. The question of flying distracts her, however, "...that'd be nice. I suspect it's a bit more than one of the 1980s jets, which is the last thing I took up. So, consider me a proper student as soon as we get May back here."

In the past, Peggy's listening to all of this, though she mouths to May 'Avenger??' because that comment suggests that someone else from this time is alive and she's horribly curious.

Melinda May has posed:
"Jesus Christ, Morse..." May's expression has darkened. "What's the first thing we learn at the Academy? Don't screw with Hydra tech!" Especially super-soldier formula shit.

And here she's got the future Director standing by, eavesdropping. She lets out a deep sigh, sinking down onto a nearby chair. She catches Carter's curious look and shakes her head firmly. Oh, no. That's one identity she's definitely not giving up. That'd just be cruel.

Then, they're talking quinjets and she looks at the time phone in her hand, a brow arching. "Seriously? It's been how long since we talked about that and you're only now getting around to it?" She pinches the bridge of her nose, puts her hand over the mouthpiece again and says softly to Carter. "Okay, one thing to change in the future: cut down the damned red tape, would you?" There's actually a bit of a smile at that.

Of course, when Peggy tries to take all that blame, May rises to her feet again. "Peggy," she says firmly into that phone, laser focussed calm. (That's not a good sign, btw.) She then looks at the future Director beside. "Carter." It almost sounds like she's put the name together as one, but she's definitely scolding them both -- her speech measured and precise. May doesn't tend to lose her temper, after all. She *channels* it. "You listen to me and you listen good. I am a god damned SHIELD agent. Weird shit is what we do. You think this is bad? Get Morse to show you the footage from 2012." Loki's fun with the Chitauri. "*That* was bad. Bahrain? *That* was bad. *This* is a just an inconvenience. So use your promotion and get me a ride home that takes less than seventy-five years." A beat. "If anyone can do it, it's you guys. Both of you. With Fitz and Simmons and everyone else. You got this. And I'll just... make sure they don't screw up building the cryopod between now and then."

Because that's the only thing she can do. And she's not really well suited to it.

"It'll be fine." She ends up sitting in that chair again, sighing softly enough it can't be heard through the time phone. "It always is."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    Bobbi frowns a touch. May of all people should understand 'you had to be there' is a professional risk. "Uh huh," is her reply to that and says, "Oh Happy New Year back then too." But then the tone changes between Peggy and May and she sits back a moment, "Well Peggy, you heard her. You're a Senior Agent again. Deja vous much?"

    "But I think that's all the items we had on the agenda for today. Remember, don't let past-Peggy hear any of this stuff. She has the SSR and her own timeline to worry about without thinking about how the future is going to play out. You know, unless you convince her to put more money in to the flying cars program," she jokes.

    Her tone becomes more serious again and she says, "May... stay safe. You're coming home one way or another, long way or short." A brief nod to Peggy, "Anything else you two want to talk about? let's wrap this meeting up."

Peggy Carter has posed:
The past Peggy looks like she might very well WANT to say something, but she's smart enough to keep her lips shut. Especially as she hears the commentary about past-Peggy not hearing these things. She mouths to May 'Sorry' and gives a little shrug, but the smile on her ever-red lips is not apologetic at all. Mainly, she's just amused. But she's not interfering. She even looks back to the dress that Howard gave her. It's very red. And VERY low cut.

In the future, Peggy gives a quiet sigh as May actually gives her that pep talk. "You're the one stuck there giving *me* a pep talk about SHIELD. Yes. I do know that we all signed up for this. And we are going to get you out. Just...hold tight. Try to have a nice night. Maybe get to meet Howard. He was always a gentleman on New Years... well, for the evening, at least. You can ask him about the car." Part of her vaguely remembers a night of the three of them, but no details.

She also vaguely remembers a phone call now. An amused smile cuts across her lips quietly. "Uh...tell past Carter she'll need to get you out to Howard's old movie set site, probably where the next anomaly is. That's where we are. She'll remember the place. It's very...dry."

Melinda May has posed:

Sure, May understands 'you had to be there' professional risk. That doesn't mean it wasn't still a stupid risk -- and proven to be so, given the whole *heart attack(!)* thing. If she were there in person, she'd totally Gibbsmack Morse for that. "Yeah, don't worry about Agent Carter," she says, glancing to the woman in the room with her. "She understands fully how important it is we don't spoil the time line. She's probably fiercer about it than I am, honestly."

Regardless, that was less a pep talk for Peggy and more a way for May to safely, partially vent her frustration by reminding herself that... this too shall pass. Somehow. Like Bobbi says... they'll find her a way home. Sure they will.

She's just increasingly realizing she's probably going to end up taking a long, cold nap. But she's not Steve Rogers. And she's met some of the SSR scientists. She is not... remotely as hopeful as her determiniation makes her sound.

And likely as not, the only one who has any inkling of that is the woman who shouldn't be standing in that room with her.

But to her colleagues in the future, her tone is all business, all confidence, all... May. Zen. Ice Queen. The Cavalry. "Yeah, I'll do that," she tells Peggy across time, regarding asking Howard about the car. Enough of a smile bleeds through, she doesn't sound hopeless. "You guys, have a glass for me, too, yeah? And tell Coulson I got to see Lola long before he ever did." Even if that's not true.

Then, she nods, as Peggy clarifies what her younger self already suggested to her. "Old movie set, huh? The site of the Zero Matter incident, maybe? Yeah, okay. I'll make sure she knows." She glances at Carter as she says so and a hint of a smile returns. "A road trip would be nice." Because she's going stircrazy here.

She shrugs finally. "There's not much more I can tell you from this side. Just. Work fast, okay? I'd rather not spend Easter in a tin can."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
    "We're working on it. This is one of those rare times when I've been given a stupid big budget May. Stupid big. Apparently when it comes to time travel, Fury gets really squirmy. You should have seen it.." She smiles a touch slyly and then says, "Any way, we're taking this very seriously and it sure would be nice if people would stop attacking us on both sides of the time hole."

    Just out of pure curiosity and to see if she can trip her up, "Any thing else you'd like to say to your younger self before we hang up Peggy?" She takes a quick casual glance at her heart rate. Nice and smooth again. She's still armed though, the paranoia that something like this morning might happen again hasn't gone down, even with the reinforcements and new lanyards arriving. It's amazing how fast new lanyards can arrive when base security is compromised. No doubt Hill will get a talking to about that.

Peggy Carter has posed:
If Peg is being tripped up, she certainly doesn't show it. Besides, she was pretty firm before that she knows not to muck with the past. "Mm. Nothing my younger self won't figure out when the time is right. May, hold tight. Bobbi's got the right of it. We're coming. I promise." And with that, Peggy goes earnestly quiet. She even runs two fingers across her lips towards Bobbi, as if she were zipping them up. See? No messing with the time stream further. She swears.

On the other side, Peggy is looking quite curious as Bobbi dares to tempt them like that, but she accepts her counterpart's responce gracefully, even with a little nod of approval. She's still not speaking, not until she's quite certain the phone is hung up, but her smile for May is bittersweet and quietly concerned. She does know how hard it's getting for the older woman. She just wishes she could help more.

Melinda May has posed:
May studies the carpet for a few moments as they give her reassurance. "Stupid big is good," she says. "Good to know Fury cares." It's not like she hasn't done her fair share of black ops and side missions for him, after all.

Nevertheless, she can read between the lines and knows both Peggy and Carter -- which is kinda how she differentiates them -- are walking a fine line, as far as Morse is concerned. So, it's time to call this update done.

"Right. Well, I'd better go before Howard Stark decides to arrive early and complicate this even further. I'll talk to you in the morning. May out." With that, she shuts down the call, wraps the time phone in a cloth, and puts the whole thing in a drawer. It's the best she can do for the evening.

She looks at the dress Howard sent, and then to Carter. "Okay. Let's go celebrate your promotion." And hope Morse doesn't put Peggy's ass in a sling before this is all over.