6046/STRIKE Call

STRIKE Call
Date of Scene:	26 April 2021
Location:	Director's Office - Playground
Synopsis:	May invites Sharon Carter to be her second-in-command for STRIKE.
Cast of Characters:	Melinda May, Sharon Carter

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Melinda May has posed:
With Peggy back in New York, attending to some business around the witch who rescued Daniel sometime back, May has temporarily commandeered her office. It's simply more private than anywhere else on base. And this isn't a conversation she really wants to have openly. Not yet, anyway.

She doesn't sit at the desk, however. That's Peggy's seat, now. But she does lean against it, waiting for the younger Carter to join her.

Sharon Carter has posed:
People are warranted a small mental health vacation after a .. well, a few revelations and damaging phone calls from family. Days were spent holed up in a hotel in Florida, lounging pool sides and partaking in food, it's been a long time coming. But once back at the Playground, a call to meet was ordered (issued) while Sharon settled. Which was attended to post haste, no sense in keeping people waited.

As she entered into the Director's office, she closes the door behind her with a push of her hand, never turning away. "Agent May.." Sharon greets, smiling, yet wary. And a little bit hopeful of being put undercover again. "..you wanted to see me?"

Melinda May has posed:
May, not given to demonstrative smiles in general, returns the wary smile with a wry one of her own. "Relax, Carter," she says. She gestures to one of the two chairs before the desk. "Yeah. Got something I want to run by you. Have a seat?"

Once the younger agent has sat -- or found a more convenient place to stand -- May gives her an evaluating glance. "You had a helluva time over in Russia, didn't you?" she begins. She's not usually one to slide sideways into things. Directness is her hallmark. But she's feeling the woman out, this time. "What's your take on it all?"

Sharon Carter has posed:
All of the tension.. well, a little, drained out of Sharon's shoulder. Her posture relaxes into something considered to be open as she moves to take a seat in the offered chair. Once settled, a leg crosses over the other, fingers pads press against one another to form a tent with her fingers, which drop to curl around her knee.

"Yeah." Sharon admits after a moment, her head bobbing in thought. "A part of me wants to blame Hydra. Another part wants me to blame myself. Another just wants to say that I could have had it coming. But.." There was a slight hint of disappointment that boils within her, which she passes it off as nonchalance.

"Crap happens. We got all the intel and I'm still alive in kicking. Though, I'll probably have to build up my alcohol tolerance again.." Bitterness. Naturally. "Why?"

Melinda May has posed:
Yep. She's a Carter. That's almost exactly the response May would expect from Peggy, nevermind her granddaughter. The irony isn't lost on her. She resists the urge to shake her head, crossing her arms lightly over her chest, instead. "I'd like to pull you away from deep cover field ops," she says frankly. "But I want you to understand it's not because I think you messed up in Russia. I think you did the best you could -- a lot better than most."

Her dark eyes, still very faintly ringed with fading bruises from her tussle with HYDRA a week or so back, study the blonde. "You know by now, I expect, that Fury's put me in charge of rebuilding STRIKE. I need help. You're one of the best field agents we've got. I could see you being more at home in SPOT than STRIKE, but this isn't going to be STRIKE as it was. No more silos. Very few dedicated teams. We need to be mobile, responsive, and multi-disciplined. And we've got to think outside the box, if we're going to beat HYDRA in this new world." She meets Sharon's eyes. "That more or less describes your whole career, doesn't it?"

Sharon Carter has posed:
Ouch.

Deep cover was her bread and butter. The plain jane made her money off the backs of villains whom she tricked and beguiled and.. well, she -was- getting a little bit jaded..

She takes in a deep breath, now rubbing at the back of her neck as she considers. Being a member of S.T.R.I.K.E, newly formed, could have it's benefits. SHIELD trained both of them to handle any and nearly all situations, so.. technically, May was right.

"I.. yeah." Sharon admits, nodding her head. "Not that I don't need time to readjust, but.. I would -like- time to readjust." Her lips purse tightly. "Which means, yes. I'll take the job. But if there are spot circumstances that need infiltration and extraction I'd like to be the first Agent you call on."

She raises her brows, then shows both hands. "I know that it seems that I'm asking for a lot. But the request for time is important. I feel like if I do not get the Carter house in order my head will never be in the game."

Melinda May has posed:
May nods to that. "No argument here," she says. Peggy is her best friend, after all. "Take the time you need. You're not the only one whose head won't be on straight until that's dealt with." Oh, how well she knows it. How keenly she *feels* it, whenever her friend is near. "When you're ready, let me know. But I'd like to be able to recommend to the Chief that you be assigned as my second."

She seems to relax a little now, arms falling down to her sides. She rests the heels of her hands against the desk she leans against. "Morse and I are working on plans to cross-train agents between both SPOT and STRIKE. We all know," she includes Sharon in that 'we', as much as Bobbi and Peggy, "there's a lot of overlap between what SPOT does and what STRIKE does. The biggest difference is that STRIKE favours commando tactics and immediate action over the long game SPOT plays. So, our plan is to get agents capable and qualified in both, then to deploy them according to operational need, regardless of which of us is footing the bill. Make sense?"

Sharon Carter has posed:
"About a week is all I really need." And, that was probably the truth. It's going to take a lot of daughterly manipulation on her part, and thank the gods that she was an only child who had parents that cared. But to hear that she would be a second? Oh, that sparked a bit of joy. Does Sharon show it? No. Would May feel it? PROBABLY!

Sharon Carter is a workaholic.

"It makes sense." Sharon says after a time. "Power in numbers." That.. was blunt. There was no need to explain. "Not to mention, any one person has their own abilities and quirks that could be needed for any number of ops. So it works."

Melinda May has posed:
May can give her a week. It's a lot shorter than she'd feared. But she senses that flash of interest and enthusiasm from the otherwise calm agent. Thus, a sense of satisfaction settles across her shoulders and she nods. "Exactly. It means we both still have flexibility in what we do. Not to mention, it's a whole lot harder for HYDRA to gain another foothold like the one they had if there are multiple vectors at play." Multiple checks and balances.

She pushes off the desk, letting out a satisfied breath. "Good. I'm glad you're on board. I'll speak to Peggy about getting the paperwork stamped. Then, next week, we'll bring you fully up to speed." She offers the woman a tight smile and extends her hand. "Glad to have you, Sharon."

Sharon Carter has posed:
Checks and balances, and different faces..

As May moves from the desk, Sharon stands, her hand outstretched to grasp upon May's, a smile given. "Glad to be had." She says, an odd saying nonetheless.

With a brief shake given, she releases her hands to join both behind her back, a little thought soon coming to mind. "Aaron Stack." She states. "He was with me in Russia. I think he'd be a good one for S.T.R.I.K.E as well, granted he's a little grumpy but nothing's wrong with a human looking robot running logistics."

Melinda May has posed:
May nods in response. "Stack makes sense, really," she agrees. He's strong. He's fast. He's a walking computer. "We'll need to compile a full list of potential candidates. No STRIKE team from Sitwell or Garrett's time will be maintained. The members of those teams will be vetted and reassigned. Some of them may stay with STRIKE. Others may move on. We're rebuilding from the ground up."

It's going to be a logistical headache, really. But, they'll figure it out. And those who can be cross-trained to work with SPOT and vice-versa will. May knows they're really only buying time. Eventually, HYDRA will get a foothold again. She's too cynical to ever entirely trust the system. But on her watch, she intends to make it damned diffficult for them to do so.

Sharon Carter has posed:
"He's the only one I've got." Sharon admits. Which, seemed kind of sad. Aaron.. while a robot, was a good partner. Friend? Maybe.

Sharon takes a step away from the chair, intending to leave if she were not stopped. It was odd to be dismissed, especially after years of never having the pleasure. "I'll get us sorted, and then we can start the real work," Sharon offers before she leaves. "I'll send Gra.. Peggy a text." And if she wasn't stopped? She'd be right out the door, phone soon in hand.

Melinda May has posed:
May isn't worried about giving the woman a formal dismissal. There's not much more to say for the moment. And pressing matters both of them need to handle. "Good. Let me know when you're back. Then we'll get everything *else* sorted." Does it feel like they're trying to fix the whole world?

Maybe they are.

She watches the woman leave, remaining by the desk for a few moments longer. Finally, exhaling a slow breath, she pushes away from it and heads out of the office, herself. There's still more work to be done.