6124/Harried Homecoming

From Heroes Assemble MUSH
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Harried Homecoming
Date of Scene: 04 May 2021
Location: Director's Office - Playground
Synopsis: May arrives back at the Playground after the disastrous mission to interrogate Maelstrom. Peggy gets her report... and they realize their work is nowhere near done.
Cast of Characters: Melinda May, Peggy Carter




Melinda May has posed:
The small silver plane is... well, really, it's kinda ugly. It has a broad, snub nose that looks like face of a dragonfly, thanks to the giant jet engines that make up its front end -- the head of a dragonfly, stuck onto the front of a Spitfire. It settles down in the hanger oddly, rather like a drunk stumbling onto the nearest park bench for a nap. This is not its pilot's fault. It's just the way the VTOL vents are designed under the fusilage.

Within moments of its landing, the clear cockpit wind canopy is being thrown back so May can climb out. She's dressed fully in a black, unmarked, nanomesh tacsuit beneath the black Mockingbird wing harness, a pair of yellow goggles on her forehead. The goggles come off quickly, as does the Mockingbird harness. Indeed, she's walking -- striding, really -- as she strips it off and pulls the magnetic batons from her hips. "Get these to Commander Morse," she snarls at the poor hangar tech nearest her. The worst part? As angry as she seems now, she's actually had the length of the flight between DC and the Playground to calm down. And flying *does* calm her down.

All of which means, she's probably a lot more disturbed about the botched mission than she cares to admit.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The moment Peggy got the report from Jansen that May was coming in, she left her office and double timed it down to the hangar bay. She hasn't been in the field a lot lately -- partially due to the amount of paperwork and personnel responsibilities she has as the Chief, partially because she hasn't been quite feeling her best -- so she's not in any sort of tac suit or anything. A pair of t-strap heels and one of her swing dresses, this one a deep emerald green. She looks like she should maybe be someone's secretary half a century ago, but no one around here would mistake her for that.

The feelings May will get off of her is nothing but protective concern for the woman and the mission. No anger, no shock that it went wrong, no resentment. She doesn't operate that way. So, possibly her presence will be helpful, but maybe not. "They told me you were landing... Care to give me the update, or you need... some time to breathe?" She asks her friend softly.

Melinda May has posed:
May's nostrils flare briefly at Peggy's question -- though the fact the other woman doesn't share her irritation to the same degree does help her refocus a little. "It was a clusterfuck from the get-go," she says bluntly. "I should have pulled out the moment I felt something was off." Not that she's prone to bolting like that. Still, the moment her comm cut out... she should have bolted then. "The very fact it was clearly a trap made it clear enough the bastard was HYDRA."

She inhales a deep breath and lets it out, pulling her focus together. Her nerves, her emotions are jagged -- probably because she spent a lot of her time in DC drowning in the emotions of people shocked and horrified by the news Maelstrom orchestrated. Oh. And fleeing Batman. Yeah. THAT was fun. (Not.)

She breathes deeply again, standing still for a moment, and pushes all those emotions away, saving them for later when she can punch the asshole in his smug, squidy face.

Peggy Carter has posed:
While it's rare that she's ever touchy feely, and Peggy knows touching makes May's current gifts spike, she also is feeling far more calm, centered, and in control about everything. She's worried for her friend, but May is alive and breathing, that's what matters. So, she dares reach a hand over to rest on May's forearm and lets that calm, in control in crisis mode that Peggy always feels spill in from her to her friend. Maybe it will help a little.

"But, you didn't. You had a mission to complete and you tried to do it to your best capabilities, as ever. You're not hurt, right? No unseen bullet wounds and reasons I should be yelling for medical?" Peggy looks her up and down a little closer, remembering how stubborn the woman can be about these things.

Melinda May has posed:
May shakes her head. "No. Hell, they didn't even get a decent hit on me." She took out the HYDRA agents she encountered with prejudice using Bobbi's batons. "I won't even be bruised tomorrow."

The fact that Peggy's emotions are that stable is something of a relief to May, though it does make her a little concerned about what might happen if they don't solve the time displacement issue. Still, it helps her center.

"Morse managed to get the Batman off my ass. That helped." But she shakes her head. "But they didn't care who walked through the door of that house. It could have been anyone."

Peggy Carter has posed:
While things have been ragged as of late, Peggy's definitely been better over all for the presence of her husband. Calmer, more focused, able to ground and get through each crisis with a grace that she simply didn't quite have before. It might be quite worrisome if he can't stay but, for now, she's happy for the relief. She gives May's hand a bit of a reassuring squeeze before letting go, so no one is too confused about just how close the women are.

"Come on. To my office then. You can give me the whole story and I'll make you some green tea." She's not made it exactly an order but the way she's leading the way says she expects to be followed. It's a fairly long walk down the hallways into the more crowded living area, but Peggy is giving May that time to finish calming her own mind. When they get into the small, quiet office, Peg immediately goes to her kettle and starts putting on the hot water. "Alright. Take me through everything."

Melinda May has posed:
May steps into the office and closes the door. She peels off the gloves she didn't bother with earlier and tucks them into her belt before crossing toward the desk to lean against it. "I dropped out of the Quinjet over the Secretary's house. There was a secret service van out front. I secured it, but noticed there were no lifesigns inside." A beat. "No emotions."

She continues. "I proceded to the house and gained ingress through a third floor window. The master bedroom, I think. I think proceeded to clear the floors until I reached the main floor. I was aware, as I went, that there were only two emotional signatures within the property limits, but there were tense clusters in the properties to either side. It felt wrong. The house didn't look like anyone had been home in days." Which, yes, was about when she started feeling pretty sure it was a trap. Either that, or HYDRA had grabbed the Secretary and his family before she got there.

"I cleared the first floor, went into the kitchen. It was empty. The two people I could sense were in the panic room, which is accessed through a door in the pantry in the kitchen. The moment I got inside that pantry, my comms cut out."

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy, cool as a cucumber and perfectly calm, listens to her friend's report fully without interruption. She just waits for the kettle to get up to proper heat and once it does, pours out two cups of the nice jasmine green tea that she tends to save for special occasions, especially since she has no clue when they'll get back to Chinatown for more. She brings both mugs over, setting one down next to May, but she doesn't even tell the woman to sit. She knows sometimes feelings are a bit too hard to swallow down enough to resting.

"Alright. You had slight reasons to suspect a trap, but were still clearing as you went and no direct proof. How did you end up getting out of there?" Peggy prompts gently, but there's no doubt in her eyes about how May handled the mission.

Melinda May has posed:
"Maelstrom and his assistant were in the panic room," Mays says, watching Peggy prepare the tea. Her arms are crossed over her chest, though they fall away as the tea cup is delivered. She takes it in one hand, holding it for a moment, before she sets it down to let it cool just a little.

"He showed me the footage he was sending out to the media. And he told me pretty clearly that HYDRA was going to win because they have control of the media -- and social media." He's not entirely wrong, and she knwos it. She's just not nearly willing to admit defeat.

"I think he expected me to get caught by the cops, but those people I sensed on my way in had access to the house through underground tunnels. They dragged the bodies and staged them." A beat. "If I was more naive, I'd hope police forensics would realize there wasn't nearly enough fresh blood there for it to be a recent scene, but I doubt a real cop will ever see the place." She also knows it doesn't matter if they do, as long as Maelstrom controls the narrative.

"I followed them out through the tunnels, took down the resistance I encountered, and escaped to an alley behind the property."

She picks up her tea again to blow on it lightly so she can enjoy a sip. "Morse and I have been training with the wingsuit almost since we arrived here at the Playground. I used it to escape through the city, keeping low over traffic and weaving between buildings. We just didn't plan on Batman being so far outside his usual territory." She wasn't privy to the conversation between Bobbi and Nightwing. She doesn't know the Batman himself wasn't there. Not that it matters at all to her report.

"He tried to grab me. The suit pulled some of its own evasive maneuvers. Morse talked him into to breaking off. I stole the X14... And here I am."

Peggy Carter has posed:
A deeper frown creases at Peggy's lips and brow as she hears how deep the set up actually went. "Oh hell..." She breathes out about the bodies, giving her head a little shake. "This is awful to say, but I'm glad it was *you*. Less experienced or trained agents would have been absolutely snowed under and who knows if we could have gotten them out. You made the right choices. You got out of there alive." Peggy gives her a bit more of an encouraging smile, trying to be reassuring about it, but she isn't just blowing smoke up May's ass. She means everything she says.

"And we know more than we did before. We have a better idea how far up HYDRA goes and that's... miserable to know, but I'd rather have information than not. So, the mission can be considered a success. Just a... real close scrape of a success. Alright?"

Melinda May has posed:
May nods, though she's clearly still not happy. "Maelstrom isn't the top of the food chain," she says with certainty. "I don't know who's pulling his strings, but someone is." She scowls faintly, calmed enough to consider the finer nuances of what she experienced. "I suspect he thinks he's in greater control than he actually is. His aide was nervous. Afraid. Probably of him. He, on the other hand, was smug. Almost bored by the whole thing. Like he thinks there's no way we can fight back."

That, she knows, is a damned lie. There are absolutely ways they can fight back... Though the specifics of that path to victory escape her at the moment.

She reaches for her tea, moving toward a seat and perching on the edge of it before she takes a sip. "They're using deep fake technology to create the videos. If we can deconstruct them, we might see who actually pulled the trigger."

Peggy Carter has posed:
As May moves to perch on a seat, actually relaxing enough to do so, Peggy comes around the side of her desk and finally settles back into her own chair, legs crossing neatly beneath the lip of her desk. She's not exactly fully relaxing, but she is continuing to gently project reassuring, calming steadiness and professionalism. She's keeping the calm head for May to keep holding onto as she brings herself down off the brink of a very bad day.

"I wonder if... they are on one of these opposite sides. The Cabal, whomever they are. Something involved there. And... there is still the matter of the ancient leader, isn't there? Though it wouldn't surprise me if the military side of HYDRA and the religious side of HYDRA aren't... somewhat on opposite ends. Maybe a place we can start driving a wedge." Peggy contemplates quietly, taking a sip of her tea. She finally lets her shoulders relax back into her chair.

"Get the tapes to the techs as soon as you can, then. See if there is any chance of us figuring that out. I... am still incredibly out of my depth when it comes to this kind of technology."

Melinda May has posed:
May is no tech expert, by any means. But she's at least had the advantage of an uninterrupted learning curve. "Daisy or Fitz is probably our best bet," she says. "Especially without access to the original footage." She's learned enough, over the years, to know that reversing the downsampled video off of YouTube or other video sharing sites isn't easy. But SHIELD does have magic at their disposal. Both metaphorically and literally.

As for creating a HYDRA civil war? She likes the idea of it, certainly. "It's not just a military divide," she notes. "It's a philosophical divide at the highest levels. Huttz disagreed fundamentally with Vogel and List. With anyone, I think, who followed in Schmidt's footsteps. Strucker, Whitehall, List... Out of all the names we know about: Gyver and Mallick are technically unknown, but I think it's a safe bet to assume they're HYDRA and plan accordingly."

She gives Peggy a wry, faintly disgusted look. "I am done playing what-if. Innocent until proven guilty might work in a court of law, but I don't think it's something we can afford. Not the way this deck is stacked." She shakes her head. "You're not director; I know that. And I have no idea what Fury's up to, right now. But we need to assume that the World Security Council is in HYDRA's pocket -- willingly or unwillingly -- and proceed accordingly."

"The bastard Daisy, Hunter, and I chased into the Triangle is a known associate of Mallick's and he was clearly after HYDRA treasure." Did she tell Peggy about her Pirates of the Carribean experience? Probably not. They really haven't spoken much, lately. "Underwood was there. If Mallick is pulling her strings and has the WSC?" She scowls again. "We need to change our playbook."

Peggy Carter has posed:
A brow arches clearly at the comment about chasing someone into the triangle. And then her other brow joins it when she mentions Underwood being there. Just as quickly as she sad back in her chair she straightens again, legs uncrossing, her hands folding on her desk, "Underwood was... where? I haven't gotten a report about this triangle incident yet. At least, not from your lips. Please... Enlighten me." Peggy prompts, a worried press of a line to her lips.

"And yes, it's... very possible that HYDRA goes up that high. If it does... Hell, May, where do we go from there? The whole damned world...against us. Are they actually on HYDRA's side? Does anyone even care they were Nazis? How... how the hell did people get on board with such... abject evil?"

Melinda May has posed:
Welcome to the reality of the slow decline of Western civilization. Or something like that. "It's not 1950, anymore," May says ruefully. "People simply don't remember. Worse, they've become so innured to it all they don't realize what's actually happening. It's the frog in the kettle." She lets out a heavier sigh. "And HYDRA has been working very hard, over the last 70 years, to make sure that's happened. Is it really any different to how Germany succumbed to the same forces in the 30's? I'm not Phil; I can't quote you world history dates, but even I can see trends."

She takes a deep sip of her tea, her forearms on her knees. "I don't honestly believe most people are on HYDRA's side. I think they're so ignorant of the real battle that they have no clue. They are, for lack of a better analogy, the kitty in the center of the poker table. Winner take all."

But none of that says anything about her Jules Vern adventure. She shakes her head. "We got intel suggesting that HYDRA was looking for sunken treasure somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle. I took Hunter and Daisy to investigate. We ended up at a literally haunted wreck in the middle of god knows where. I'm talking walking skeletons and an Italian pirate captain with a serious hate on for Arturo Malevolo."

She snirks and looks up at her friend. "Trust me, I know how far fetched it sounds. We followed the HYDRA team down into the wreck. Underwood followed us. HYDRA didn't get what they came for. Daisy quaked the skeleton crew to pieces. Hunter and I killed the pirate captain. But Underwood helped the HYDRA team escape. I don't know where they went. Or even how. Boat, sure... but whose and out of what port? I have no idea. All our communications and satelite feeds in the area are completely useless."

She gives a mild shrug, but it feels more like a consolation prize. "We brought back the treasure chest they were guarding. I don't believe it's been opened, yet. WAND needs to be on hand for that."

Peggy Carter has posed:
The look on Peggy's features sinks into sadness as she hears the explanation of the world state. She knows May is right, but after they fought so hard against HYDRA in the second world war, it kills something in her to realize how little it matters now. She just sinks back in her chair, looking incredibly tired for a moment. These are the times that Peggy absolutely seems her 100 years of age. She buries her head behind a good sip of her tea instead of speaking on the world state. What more could they say?

But the information about the wreck and Dottie? That's interesting. The commentary on Underwood makes her frown even deeper, "So, she's likely still in HYDRA's pocket? But she didn't grab what they were trying to take, or what you all had, either... Interesting. Have we contacted WAND yet about it? I'm damb curious to open that trunk sooner rather than later, I'll admit... and we really need to take Dottie in. Again. She's like a bloody... greased pig..." She sighs, "No one was hurt and you stopped their objective? Another win, basically..."

Melinda May has posed:
"A clearer win than tonight," May notes dryly. "The weird thing?" She meets Peggy's eyes, "I honestly don't know what game Underwood is playing." Okay. That's not weird. Still, she continues.

"I don't think the HYDRA team knew her. They weren't expecting her and..." May's brows crease and her expression turns thoughtful as she parses her way through her recollections. "Frankly, she even tipped us off on how to kill Cavalieri. She might have helped Giyera escape, but I don't think she was actually working *with* him. Maybe not against him, either, but not directly with him, at least."

On some level, there's nothing new there. It's totally Underwood's M.O. -- the unpredicatable agenda. But that doesn't make it any easier to figure out just what the hell she's doing.

Peggy Carter has posed:
That sends Peggy quiet a few moments, building a new profile as they go. She lets a long, slow breath escape her nose as her dark eyes shift from May's face down into staring in her half full tea cup. "She never did... well, really working *for* anyone. Always with her own agenda. She thrived on the chaos. So... that is no real surprise. But if they didn't expect her to be there, it implies they didn't bring her. Especially if she was following your team. And any help, right now, we'll take.."

She's still frowning, skepticism about this whole matter in her features. She takes a good sip of her tea instead of dwelling on it further. "She's a trouble, but is among the least of our worries. She's a discomfort, not a direct threat. If she wanted to hurt us, we'd be hurt... Maybe we can manage to use her to our advantage. Until then, we focus on dismanteling HYDRA piece by piece..."

Melinda May has posed:
May shares Peggy's skepticism... and she has to agree that dismantling HYDRA is a greater priority. But that doesn't mean Underwood isn't a huge question mark in the middle of it all.

Still, there's nothing to be done about her. There may, however, be something more to do about HYDRA.

"It would really help," she says, sliding back into her seat and taking another deep simp of her tea, "if we could actually see the connections altogether in one single place. I can't carry all of this in my head any more." Old. She feels very old tonight. Especially now that her adrenaline is fading.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"...We need to start a proper war room the same way Talbot has his. I'll set aside a conference room down the hall for it. Boards, dry erase, cork. Tea and coffee, everything for long work sessions. I'll start getting the boys working on it in the morning. Now that we've gotten the rotten apples out of *our* bunch, at least, we can talk about these things a bit more openly in our own walls. More eyes on it would help, even..."

Peggy's expression mirror's Mays, with the exhaustion behind her eyes. but then she might be fueling that feeling that May is having anyway. She sighs out deeply, dragging one hand down her face as she sinks back into her chair and rolls her shoulders with a few pops. "You should get some rest tonight, though. A shower, wash the rest of the muck away, and at least six hours. Your written report will be clearer in the morning if you do it on a calmed head."

Melinda May has posed:
May nods, a grimace on her lips. "Yeah. I'll probably make more sense to myself, never mind you." And, perhaps, by morning, she won't be quite so ready to put her fist through the nearest brick wall. Yes, she's cooled off considerably in the past half-hour, but she's still deeply unhappy about the whole thing.

HYDRA. Batman. Pirates of the Carribean. Somehow, it's still just another day at the office. She sips her tea, the mug nearly drained, now. "Have you contacted Andrew?" She hasn't seen him around, but if he's going to turn up over the next day or two, forewarned is forearmed. She'd rather not encounter him while she's still fuming over this latest fiasco. Especially if he's seen the footage and recognizes her.

(And really, how could anyone not recognize her just because she's wearing glasses. Okay. Goggles. Then again...)

Peggy Carter has posed:
"I have. He's handling a few other crisis patients right now but promises he'll be in by next week. Jemma, while it is... strange... She doesn't see to be in great crisis or danger. We're all playing pick and choose with emergencies and... Non-emergencies. But he promises he will be here. You want me to give you a... heads up so you can be out on mission?" Peggy asks that last bit a bit softer, no judgment in her voice, just earnest concern for her over worked friend whom she doesn't need to put another stressor upon.

"But yes, shower and rest. I don't like giving orders to take time off and I'd rather you not in the same position you were the other week. I don't have enough experienced agents to go around... I don't care to break the ones I do." That last bit is a little more of a crackled smile from her, teasing behind her eyes. She wants to put some lightness in, even if it doesn't really succeed.

Melinda May has posed:
May snirks softly. Still, she gets Peggy's point. Regardless, it's not like she can go very far, now that her face is pasted all over the damned internet.

"Yes," she says to the offer of a heads-up. "I said there wouldn't be any problems between us -- and there won't be. But I'm angrier now than I've been in a long time. Not as angry as I was after Bahrain, but angry enough. I'd rather not dump that on him, if I can avoid it." A beat. "I'd rather not dump anything on him, actually."

Peggy Carter has posed:
As Peggy watches her a bit closer, there's an edge of deeper concern across her features. She leans over, reaching one hand over to momentarily rest across the back of May's palm. She studies her eyes for a few heartbeats, Peggy's own calm spilling in deeper than before, but she's searching May's face much like they did Jemma the other day.

"Are you... alright? I mean, anger is...understandable, but is this... A normal amount of anger? Or an effect of the... change in you? Or something else? Should I be worrying about you as much as we are Jemma?" Peggy asks quietly, her expression hooded with a fresh concern.

Melinda May has posed:
May meets her friend's eyes. "Peggy, I flew three-feet above an entire city full of shocked, angry, terrified people who think they saw me massacre a dozen people in cold blood." Her expression doesn't reveal the depth of that anger, but the shadow of it is there. It must be. It lends steel to her gaze.

"It's mostly to do with... what I am now. I'll deal with it. But Andrew doesn't need to see it." No one needs to see it, really. Peggy just happens to be a close enough friend, now, that May doesn't shy from it like she once did.

Peggy Carter has posed:
One last, gentle squeeze is given to May's hand and then Peggy pulls back, not wanting to be overly familiar. It's still a careful dance with them, when actual care becomes too touchy feely. She gives a single, quiet nod in understanding. "It'd... muck with anyone's head. Especialy in your condition."

A tight smile crosses her mouth, "I'll let you know when he's coming, I promise. Maybe give you a long distance assignment for a few days. But it's not this week. So, go get some rest...I look forward to both written reports by tomorrow afternoon. Maybe I'll have your war room for you by then as well."

Melinda May has posed:
In her 'condition'. May is neither preganant, nor terminal. It's hard not to bark a laugh at the phrasing. At the very least, she snirks midly. Still, she nods. "It's a plan," she concedes.

"I don't care if it's a long-distance assignment or not. Just give me a heads-up and I'll be fine." She's used to tightly managing her emotions. And since this time, when HYDRA ambushed her, they didn't beat the shit out of her, she's less likely to have another week like that one at the end of April.

She drains the last of her tea and shoves herself to her feet. "I need to get out of this tacsuit," she says. She may spend some time hitting things in the gym, too. But then a shower. "I'll get you those reports, though."

A tight smile. "Just get me that war room." There's almost a hint of a humour in her eyes as she says it.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy finishes her tea herself, mirroring May's actions. She then looks down at her desk, considering the paperwork she has left and then the time. With that, she stands up and closes the one file on her desk. She's done for tonight. "I'll get you that war room. It's a deal." Peggy offers with a bit more of a grin, heading to the door with her friend as she stifles a bit of a yawn herself.

"Now that all the birds are back home, I can actually sleep tonight without worrying too much about you all. We'll touch base again tomorrow." With that, Peggy's moving into the hall and locking up her office door behind them both.