7120/In the Chair

In the Chair
Date of Scene:	28 July 2021
Location:	Vault A - Playground
Synopsis:	Sharon Carter and Jessica Drew interrogate Michael Erickson. Many questions go unanswered despite him revealing himself as the 'Red Sentinel' and claiming to be an ally. An ally or a potential foe?
Cast of Characters:	Jessica Drew, Michael Erickson, Sharon Carter, Rachel Summers

---

Jessica Drew has posed:
The room has the blankness of its namesake. Metallic walls, reinforced doors, industrial high-use black mats on the floor and the obligatory two-way mirror, shatter proof and unsmudged, lines one wall. A long table with a chair bolted to the floor faces a more comfortable office chair across the table.

Agent Drew, on the orders of her superiors, has left Michael Erickson to 'cook' for a while. She was polite and offered him something to drink. They are not playing hard ball yet. Outside the door, one finger to an earbud, she listens closely to someone talking, nodding, as people do even when they can't be seen, "Copy that. I'll loosen him up a bit, ma'am." With a signal from her, the door buzzes open and she enters the room.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    And cook he has - quietly, impassively. His usual stony expression returns, and he has busied himself with staring at the wall opposite where he sits as if scrying out the secrets of the universe. And so, tended to by others, he stares ahead. As if a stone himself.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica ignores the handcuffs and the inhospitable room, nodding pleasantly when she enters to sit in the comfy chair opposite him. "How are you doing? I can still get you something to drink if you like."

Settled into place, she clasps her slender hands on the table and leans forward slightly, inviting him to talk with a warm expression. Let him walk on her web, she'd enjoy it. "I really don't mind."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "I'm fine." It takes a moment for him to reply to her, stil staring at the wall. "Hardly the reception I'd expected. The chair, I assume, is for torture?" Expecting the worst, likely. The Imperial training kicking in. Preparing himself for what these people might plan to do.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Keeping the smile that wants to surface behind a composed expression of interest, she pretends a look of shock at his suggestion. "Oh? Hardly. My Michael, what hard places have you been in your life to think that? You would be in a far different setting than this." Torture is the very last resort for SHIELD though she is not going to tell him that.

"Relax. It's a lie detector. A very good one but nothing more than that. It's standard for someone picked up in your circumstances. We are waiting for some senior agents to join us so we have time to talk."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "If you say so." He has seen much, on this world and others - he will not tell her this, of course, but he is hardly taken in by this act of doe-eyed innocence she projects to him. Instead he looks her way, expression even. "This is gratitude, then. For my help to you in the past. Shackling me in a chair, and testing me as a liar." A snort. "What a lovely soul you are."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"I never thought you would play the unjustly accused innocent, Michael." Jess shakes her head in disarmed dismay. "It is standard procedure, as I said. You are not being treated worse than anyone else caught holding a highly illegal weapon as a bodyguard during an arms sale that violates both federal and international law. I apologize for you having to wait for the other agents. We've had a busy week."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "I'm not playing anything," he says with a grunt. "You lot don't seem to have any problem with extrajudicial action when those responsible are in battle armor and flying around New York, eh?" A frown lines his lips, now. His eyes, fixed on hers. "Or perhaps I need a cape?"

Sharon Carter has posed:
"Pretty sure we can provide you with one." Agent 13 says as she steps into the room. The file she holds within her hands was thick. So much so that the folder curled around it unnecessarily, only being held onto by thick rubber bands. She wore the typical regalia of her ilk; pair of jeans, t-shirt. SHIELD patch embroidered upon her arm. Jacket hung around her hips. She wasn't armed, not today.

But her hair was in a ponytail, which meant business.

Settling into the chair next to Agent Drew, Sharon places the thick folder upon the table.

"I do think we'd rather use this method of making you comfortable and willing to speak to us than to strap you to some wild chair that one of our squints cooked up." Because they have one. And it was pretty gnarly.

Jessica Drew has posed:
"See?" Jessica says innocently. "I guess we do have wild chairs, too. Likely you won't ever get to see it either if you can explain to Agent 13 how you got arrested at the Tannhauser/Serbian arms deal that SHIELD broke up."

Again, that look of a polite hostess at tea who has made a faux pas. Gesturing to the woman next to her with a graceful flip of her wrist, "Excuse me. Michael Erickson, this is Agent 13 who you can explain to why you are in the 'nice' chair here."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Right." He shrugs. "I told Agent Drew that I'd come to you willingly. I don't appreciate this..." A finger lifts, gesturing between the two. "...when I've shown, multiple times now, to the Agent that I'm happy to assist even innocents under fire." A glance to Jessica. "But I suppose if I'm to be a law-abiding citizen, that will have to stop."

    Somewhere else, there were chairs. Neurostimulus, agonizer thrones. At seventeen he knew what it was to have a neurological system made to feel like coils of churning magma, pain to drive many sapients mad. At seventeen, he also learned to resist it. The act is skilled. He's had over fifty years to perfect it. The Imperial intelligence cadres did not create fools.

    But there are other measures to use if necessary,, too.

    Michael looks over to Sharon, his expression bland. "My name is Michael Erickson. I am, as files will indicate, a security consultant. That much is absolutely true. Until recently, I have been pleased to operate on the legal side of things - however, I became aware of the Tannhauser organization, an underground technological collective based out of Germany. They have been supplying some of my former clients with electromagnetic weaponry. Coilguns, hand and rifle models. Supposedly bigger models to propel explosive charges. I have been collecting information and thwarting their operations where I can for some time, but yesterday was the first time I allowed my firm to be hired to collect first-hand intelligence on a transaction involving a very large shipment of coil rifles.

    "We had intended to secure the individuals and deliver them to the police ourselves as a citizen's apprehsion, as several tips I had given Federal authorities have been ignored. The weapons, as Agent Drew here pointed out, were illegal, given over to us by my clients for the purposes of the meeting. We used them to secure the criminals instead." He looks back to Jessica, now. "As I have also told Agent Drew, I have a full dossier on what I know of Tannhauser and their operations in the city which I will be pleased to give over."

Sharon Carter has posed:
Bright eyed; Sharon knows how to pull on the good cop, which would seem odd. Agent Drew was the good cop in this, right?

So As Michael begins to speak, Sharon slowly curls her fingers around the thick file, soon hooking them beneath the rubberband to snap it off. She wasn't rude about it, where there were pauses there was movement from her. The sliding of that folder to her lap, one leg kicked up, eyes turned downward as her face falls flat.

She did not expect such a straight laced explanation from Mr. Erickson.

But wasting an entire ream of paper on The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice was worth it for a moment of nostalgia.

She's going to get fired.

But listening to him still, there were no inflections in his voice. His tone was even, he didn't appear to be vague, he didn't shift or move but directed his gaze where it counted.

Now the doe-eyed look turned to a deep frown, one that looked like a disappointed mom or someone who was ready to get up and yell.

"We'll take that dossier, if you don't mind." Sharon finally says. Her head tilts to the left as she presses a hand against her ear, then nods. "We have people tracking down the tips that were sent, but there's a chance that.. like most organizations that do push weapons have an inside man that tracks. Our people will l ook at other agencies.." At least to validate what he's said in other ways.

"Tell us a little bit more about the client who attempted to purchase this weaponry."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica has to suppress a smile that threatens to curl one side of her mouth. Sharon can really play the disappointed Mom. They are just two sweet women trying to wrangle the truth out of this seemingly straight forward account. "I believe you, Michael. I really do. Out of the clear blue, you decide that you can no longer play the bad guy with these men you have been working with and want to turn them in. It's exemplary."

She opens her hands, turning to Sharon, "Right? Why is it I think there is something else going on? I don't know," she clicks a perfectly manicured nail on the table. "Make sure you answer her question. Please."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    It's a good trick, the printed 'dossier' that Sharon's made; he's used it himself from time to time. Erickson shrugs his shoulders, then, and nods in acknowledgement of Sharon's request. "I'll give you the digital drop I have a copy stored," he tells her. "Once we're done here. Nothing redacted that wasn't when I got it, most of it my own intelligence distilled into a proper report. I wasn't interested in letting people chase around nonsense details if they came calling." That said, he gets on with it.

    "Marko Delalic was my client. Arms dealer operating out of Serbia, does a lot of work with criminal organizations in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Man of his named Miroslav - surname unknown - reached out to me through a former client, and once I found out what he wanted I knew that Tannhauser would likely be involved." He shrugs. "Why they chose New York to do the negotiations rather than somewhere else, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure the rifles weren't going to change hands here in the city. Probably back in Europe." After a moment he points out, "We haven't been paid. So there's no concerns about my receiving illegal funds. I told Miroslav we'd handle it for him gratis, for better relations and business in the future - oh, he's the big bastard with the milky eye you picked up, by the way. I can't speak for everyone in his group but I have names of a few that I can point out on the Interpol lists." Man's done his homework. But of course he has. It's his job to. Michael crosses his legs, then, arms folded over his chest. It's all holography, of course. Solid light. Not that anyone could tell, but...he's pleased to have it, and the armor underneath the ruse, just in case things get unfriendly.

    Not that he wants to pick a fight with SHIELD. That's not what this is about. He gives Jessica a flat look. "As I said, it was once. My record otherwise demonstrates legal clients - and Agent Croft can confirm that this is not the first time I have expressed interest in working with SHIELD on clients that have proven...questionable, if not outright illicit."

Sharon Carter has posed:
There was appreciation for Drew, though Sharon doesn't show it. Now she was flipping the page of the printed 'dossier', focusing on a word, then looking up as Sharon gives a smile, then drops it. But she listens, keeping her eye upon him, every now and then he could see her gaze shift to the left and a little to the right. It was as if she were reading in middair, but her mind was at work.

She was also listening in on the comms..

"This sounds all well and good, and of course once we retrieve the digital copies.." We retrieve. Sharon was going to send someone to get them, naturally.

"..we'll verify everything. You're going to be here for a while, Mr. Erickson."

Sharon purses her lips though as she listens to the rest of the intel, there wasn't a need to write it down. Comms work both ways, and the room itself had a hidden camera, the discussion will be recorded for accurate reporting.

"You see, until we get that information, there is no way we can verify that what you say is true. I am inclined to run a comprehensive background check.." Already in progress "..just to verify your statements. Not to mention, dig up a full client list of yours within the past five years to check for known connects of terrorists, domestic and foreign."

She sits up fully now, then leans back a little, not nonchalant, but forced relaxation.

"Agent Drew here will make sure as well as our other staff that the information you gave us is up to stuff. As well as intel of this.. Tannhauser organization.." She glances towards Jessica, then folds the folder over the title page of the book. The rubberband was snapped upon it and soon launched upon the table, it's path stopping directly in front of herself. It was too thick to fly anywhere else.

"Tell me, Mr. Erickson. What do you hope to gain out of all of this. Truly." She splays her hand. "If you're unaware, SHIELD has reason to be a little bit on the apprehensive side, with our recent incidents. And here you come. Giving us a mecca of information of an organization and arms deal that's right up our alley and you, poised.. seemingly truthful, a dream of an asset that we could possibly ever hope for."

She leans forward a little, knocking upon the table three times now. "Your endgame. What is it?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
The dossier falling heavily on the table nearly undoes Jessica. She'll have to ask Agent 13 if she keeps huge fake dossiers in her office as a rule, just in case she needs to overwhelm a suspect with SHIELD's uncanny ability to know everything about their lives. Jess manages not to laugh. Michael makes her spider sense tingle and so far, there is no reason for it. Her face does not reflect her thoughts. On top of everything, the man is well-spoken and almost handsome enough to model. Almost. He could still get lost in a crowd.

Sharon has asked the question at the heart of her doubts about the man. "Agent 13 has asked the 100000 dollar question. What do you want from SHIELD? We have every reason to doubt people coming to us bearing gifts."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    His voice is flat when he answers now, cold and heavy as lead. "Agents," he says now, looking in turn. "All I wanted to do was keep people from having weapons that would allow criminals to yet again outgun state militaries even in our modern world of science. I offered to help Agent Croft because another client was extremely wealthy and anti-mutant and I did not want to see another Genosha as long as I live. There is no endgame. I have no interest in SHIELD beyond that, nor do I know about whatever troubles your agency might be dealing with. I was, as previously mentioned, gathering information." The anger is not for show. But it is controlled, so controlled. His will is harder than iron.

    And then he looks between the two women once more. "You can be certain that if this is how you treat people? You will never need worry about me again. I have no interest in helping further." Back to Sharon. His eyes, bright blue, chips of ocean ice. "I will give you the address of the archive when you are ready. Agent."

Sharon Carter has posed:
For a time, Sharon Carter says nothing. She weighs his words carefully, even tilting her head and finally showing the first hint of emotion of her going 'bad cop' instead of good. Or cool. What have you.

"I'll take those addresses." And should he give it after what she says next, she'd be all the more impressed.

"But you have to excuse me when I ask, how have we treated you?" She gestures around. "You have been brought in to custody. I've seen no footage of your mistreatment. If I've heard correctly before I entered, she offered you sustenence." Sharon purses her lips. "If you sitting idly in a chair awaiting being questioned a form of 'bad treatment', then I got to say... you have been living the high life." She laughs at that, then slowly rises from the table, hand pressed upon the file to use as leverage.

"But it's the -sheer- entitlement that you've shown here that makes me question your motives. Anger, in some cases, is a high motivator but it won't be one here." She swipes the files from the table, tucking them underneath her arm.

"You run a company. You investigate. You watch, you listen, you learn, and you see. We as an agency should be allowed the same, yes? To investigate? To not take the word of a man who -seems- helpful but angers quick when not believed? To not follow, hard.. cold.. facts?" Sharon steps back from the table now, one arm out in a half shrug.

"Think about this. What is your endgame. You have one. It may not be with SHIELD but you definitely have one. And we're involved." She looks at her watch, then gives a nod to Jessica.

"Until we've had time to check and verify, you're remanded into SHIELD custody. And we will treat you with the respect and dignity that you deserve."

Jessica Drew has posed:
They can trade places in a trice, Jessica likes that dynamic with the senior agent. Playing the aggrieved agent just doing her job, she fixes Michael with a questioning look with the subtext: how could you do this to me? "We are just doing our due diligence. We have to make sure that you were not in on this with them and now want to cop a plea."

Talking over his head, deliberately rude as though his angry performance lost him points with her, Jessica turns to Sharon, "I think we should run the lie detector on him, Agent 13. Don't you?"

Leaning forward, she presses her hand on the tome of 'information' in that overstuffed dossier. "We have been nothing but nice to you. Do you know Shakespeare? I will paraphrase him: the man doth protest too much, methinks. So," she continues with an elaborate shrug, "if you're not lying then the lie detector should present no problems."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    And just like that, the anger melts. "No," he says after a moment, "No, Agent. You're right. You have no reason to believe me. I forget, sometimes, that just because I do a lot of good, I tend to do it in the shadows. Rarely in the public eye. I let those sacrifices get my blood up." He rises, slowly, carefully. "If Agent Drew would have been honest with me from the beginning, and told me that she was with SHIELD, this would have gone differently - though, agent, I understand why you might have felt the need to be quiet. But if you want proof that I have the public interest purely in mind..." He looks between them a moment, then sighs. "I don't suppose that if I gave you concrete proof of another identity, one that has been seen clearly doing good works - with other heroic individuals - it would put us on a better footing? A show of mutual trust?" He doesn't look at Jessica. Yet.

Rachel Summers has posed:
As Sharon remains standing, her head immediately shakes towards Jessica. She wanted to see what would happen next; what sort of impact that the words of these ladies were saying would have on the man in front of them.

It seemed to have worked, Sharon reaches out to the back of her chair to pull it to where she stood, far away from the table to settle in once again. This time to create a distance, to -show- the amount of trust that she had after the outburst, which was done deliberately. She knew that they weren't in any danger.

This was metaphorical.

"Agent Drew and the rest of us are under clear orders not to mention who we are and what we do." Sharon doesn't really elaborate, but now he would have something to research. SHIELD has been deemed, wrongfully, a terrorist organization by HYDRA. Drew operates because there is still work to do..

But she was curious, now bold arms were folded about her chest as if he had something to prove, which he did. It was offered by a show of an alter ego, a quiet identity that double-times the shadow-y good.

"Ookay.." Sharon draws out, waiting for Jessica to speak her agreement in the show and tell as well.

Jessica Drew has posed:
The two agents toss the interrogation ball between themselves like old hands. Jessica pushes back in her chair to stand behind it as though deciding to leave. "Very clear orders," she reiterates, keeping anything she might want to say concerning his knowledge of Lara Croft to herself. His knowing Croft as a SHIELD agent was a red flag for her.

Straight-faced she asks, "So, you're saying that if I had shown you mine, you would have shown me yours?" With a curious tilt to her head and a dry sideways glance at Sharon, "Well, what's it going to be?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    That gets Jessica a smirk. "Well," says Michael, "I think I've proved already that I can be a gentleman. Manners would demand a quid pro quo." He turns back to Sharon now, and opens his mouth to speak - and as he does, a curious thing happens. Bands of metal begin to emerge from his clothing, razor-edged slices of armored, crimson steel; they shred through the fabric, splitting away the leather, expanding over him as a carapace. Blocky, industrial armor encases him in seconds before their eyes, something like a machine from a toy cartoon from the 1980s, hardening over him until the slats of red metal encase his head in a faceless, bulky mask. In moments, he has become one of many armored fighters. Except of course, he got it in through SHIELD.

    << There we are. >> Twenty years of relative obscure superhero history is revealed, and the person known until now simply as the Red Sentinel stands before these women. Trust, indeed. The faceless metal head turns to look between the two. << Well. Two weeks ago I worked with The Vision to keep the Lincoln Tunnel from collapsing. Was on the news. You two, at least, have seen me like /this/. >>

Rachel Summers has posed:
Sharon looks to Jessica, fighting a smile, but covers with a tilt of her head and a shrug of her shoulders. Everything right now depends on what Michael can produce, and it was clear that it was going to be soon.

So as he begins to transform, Sharon immediately stands. Her hand reaches out towards the wall, as.. whomever is behind it? Was put on stand-by. People were still watching, even Jessica could probably hear the chatter of the agents on the other side if she were turned into the right channel.

But holy shit.

Sharon does -not- lose her cool even though she wanted to; she wasn't the type like Jemma who would have been curious enough to want to ask questions, pick apart the science and find some cool results. She was more of a hammer, Michael would be the nail if he were not of a friendly sort.

"Well I'll be goddamn.."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Gentleman remains to be proven," Jessica replies just as something begins to stir under his shirt. The mutant woman has seen and lived through many strange things in her life. But, that doesn't keep her from taking a step back when what looks like an insect's carapace starts to form through Erickson's clothes. She can hear the hubbub in the room behind the mirror without her super hearing.

"Damn," she breathes, her English accent managing to make the word prim.

"You?" She shoots the red-armored man an accusatory look. "You could have told me, you know. You saw me in that fight. Did I have to have a cape on with Spider-Woman emblazoned on the back? What a nerve you have! What do they call you?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    << So you can see... >> The suit emits the softest whine as Michael gestures to himself, shrugging. Remarkably dextrous under all that heavy plating. Which is because it's all holographic, but the Agents don't need to know all that. << ...this is me. And it's why I tend to keep my head down. I like to work in the shadows when I can get away with it. I don't have the resources of Tony Stark - or SHIELD. So I hit where I can, when I can. The armor helps, but it's not invulnerable. >>

    Then to Jessica he nods, the metallic rendition of his voice emitted from the helmet laced with apology. << I understand your feelings, >> he says, << But I didn't know /who/ you were. Not until you marched me into this facility, and even then I couldn't be entirely sure. I've seen a lot. Wouldn't be hard to fake a lot of things -- but not all of it. >> He jerks a metal thumb at Sharon, then. << I was being arrogant, she called me clean. Wasn't my intention but there it is. I figure, if I'm going to be a known quantity now, better it be as one of the good guys. >>

Rachel Summers has posed:
The outburst from Jessica causes Sharon to laugh a bit, she had seen the news report, passed it by as something miraculous but unable to focus due to the mess she was in. Personally, anyway. But there was a slight bit of kinship there between the two, which was good. 'The nerve', it made her laugh again and soon she was settling in her chair.

The chatter behind the wall had died down, but it was clear that the words that were spoken held apprehension. They were on guard, at the ready.. just in case.

But now it was time for Jessica to take the lead, as Sharon was thinking, this could prove good for SHIELD over all, especially after they do their deep dive and find nothing untoward.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica catches the laugh and narrows her eyes at Sharon but let's it go for later. Senior agent that Sharon is doesn't put her above a little payback. He looks like a character from Japanese anime and also like something with an other-worldly aesthetic sense.

"You and Vision then?" Her knuckles turn white on the back of the chair which she pulls out to sit in.

"So, you have shown us yours. How long have you been crime fighting?" This last question more a cue to the boys in the backroom to add to their list of things to research.

Her gaze moves over the expressionless helmet, "What were your reasons for not telling me who you are? I am sworn to secrecy. What are you sworn to?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Sworn to myself." The machine suit shrugs again. "And again, I didn't have any reason to believe you were on the side of the righteous until we came here. Like I said, I've seen things. You wouldn't be the first pretty face that turned out to be a superpowered nightmare." Yes, pretty face. He's not /blind/. "And I've been flitting in and out over...oh, almost twenty years? Technical crime, primarily. Tannhauser came across my notice a few years ago, just as I said, but they've not been in New York until lately - the exchange we both crashed the other week was the first I'd heard of. Then there was another, in a warehouse over in Brooklyn. The police picked them up, I think, but they had a large number of plasma-core explosives in that I had to destroy. Guys with sunburns under their armor, you might have heard?"

Rachel Summers has posed:
Hey! Allow Sharon a moment to giggle! But she still remains silent. She was listening now to the exchange, gaze darting back and forth, now reaching forward to grab the thick folder to hold into her lap as she keeps a keen ear on the dialogue.

"At least you understand our position now." Sharon finally says. "We.. Agent Drew had no reason to believe you are who you say you are, or were.." And with that, she stands. She would leave it to Jessica to complete the rest if she could, but she was still firm. "I'd like the location of that digital information, if you will. Also, you are still going to be remanded until we get all of our clarifications." A tight smile towards Jessica.

"I'll speak with the Commanders, Agent Drew. I have an idea that you may not like."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Without letting it show on her face, Jessica has a moment of alarm at Carter's words. What, she asks herself, would she not like? Her eyes slide toward the other agent, her head stiffly forward.

"Ah. Would you mind taking off your armor, Mr. Erickson?" Gone is the friendly use of his first name. "If you don't we will have to put you into a special containment cell. It's likely we will have to keep you overnight for more questioning.

Clearing her throat, eyes still riveted on the blank armor sitting across from her, "One of which is: how did you come to own armor like that? Another: what can it do? Our scientists will be very curious about it."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Your scientists don't touch my armor." His voice turns hard for a moment. "I just gave you the secret of my life, don't start trying to strip the rest from me. There's a reason I haven't come to the government until now - I've worked with far too many agencies, and I don't have much reason to show any trust to them." He looks back to Sharon. "I don't mind sitting here overnight; I've basically bared my backside to you all. But I'm not going into a cell. And I'm not giving anyone my armor. I don't mind being under guard, and I don't mind having a gun pointed at me - even a damn big one - and maybe it /is/ a little bit of entitlement, but I'd like to think that I've come to at least deserve /that/."

    He pauses a moment. "She's stronger than I am," Michael says, nodding now at Jessica. "If I tried to leave, she'd have no problem putting me on the floor. I don't mind having her as a chaperone."

Sharon Carter has posed:
"We never said they would. Agent Drew said they would have questions." Sharon says nothing else. She's not even going to go against with Agent Drew says, it's all a united front around these parts. "If you think we're domestic terrorists like the CIA and the NSA, you're wrong. We are in it for the safety of the public and knowledge. Think Star Trek, without the replicators made from shit composts." She rises then, looking to Jessica, and then to Michael.

"Okay, she can watch you. But when it's time to turn down, cell. No exceptions. And do know, that if you decide to try to slip from Agent Drew's grasp, and manage.. highly unlikely, but manage.. I am wholly prepared to blow the entirety of the Playground off of the map to ensure that you'd at least be minimally damaged, unable to return, concussed to the point of amnesia, or dead." She wrinkles her nose, finding that a little bit harsh.

"But I trust Agent Drew. She -definitely- won't let me murder us all." She draws two fingers to her temples in a half-assed salute. Then turns to walk out of the door. Thankfully, she surely hopes that Jessica knows she is bluffing, easily told by the .. 'Geez Sharon, I'm telling the Chief..'

Jessica Drew has posed:
Pushing back her chair, Jessica holds up a finger to the red-armored man. "One moment." Her mouth opens as Sharon leaves the room but she remains silent, closing her mouth, and letting her go. Oh, she was going to have a heart-to-heart with the senior agent when she has the chance. But, not in front of the detainees.

With an audible exhale, the agent turns her attention back to Erickson. "It's been a long day for us all. Unsuit, if you can. We will bring you something to eat and take you to a comfortable holding cell. We're not a hotel." She neglects to mention that the cell is nearly nuclear bomb proof but this is not the day to reveal all of SHIELD's secrets to an iffy asset. Asset. Is he or isn't he, that is the question.

"No need for anger. Just a little patience. Thank you for telling us something about who you are." There. She had been polite to the man.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "It's fine." Michael drops back into his seat, frowning faintly. The ribbons retract, uneaving as they had, and as they do the clothes he'd worn are revealed in their passing as if he had been a film capture in reverse. Just as quickly as he had been a red mechanical reaver, he is just a man again. The disguise is intricate; he's worked on it for years. Exotic, distracting. "Anyway. I get it. I just...have worked too much for governments to trust 'em. Besides, I don't know /that/ much about SHIELD." He looks at her sidelong, a frown lining his lips. "I wasn't trying to lie to you, though. Had I known you were SHIELD, I'd had told you. Like I said, I've seen a lot of things in my time. Didn't know if you were working for Tannhauser's competitions or what."

    But now, there's just time to wait. His information is real, and his intention - however sketchy his nature - was truthful. Not that he wanted to go this way, but the alternative can't be countenanced. Better for them to know one secret than the secret beneath it. And so he waits.