12203/Check-In With the Hawk

Check-In With the Hawk
Date of Scene:	19 September 2020
Location:	Recreation Room, The Triskelion
Synopsis:	Peggy tracks down a changed Clint in the rec room. She can't even tempt him with soup dumplings. Skye comes in to help smooth a few things over.
Cast of Characters:	Hawkeye (Barton), Peggy Carter, Quake

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Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
The recreation room at the Triskelion is rather quiet at this time of day, although the few staff around keep glancing over at one of the far corners, where an unsual scene can be observed.

Special Agent Clint Barton - aka as Hawkeye - is sitting by himself, and /reading/ a book. Yessir!

Or maybe he is just pretending to read one, in order to unsettle the onlookers and keep them at bay. The strategy seems to be working anyway, as no one seems eager to disturb is /reading/ session.

Peggy Carter has posed:
While Peggy isn't the Director any longer, there is very little that misses her notice. Somehow, the once-director is just well tuned into the SHIELD rumor mill. Therefore, Clint's return, and his slightly altered behavior, has gotten to Peggy's ears. That means it's time for some investigating.

She makes her way somewhat casually into the room, in her civilian clothing, today it's a deep mustard yellow dress with a 1940s cut and a pair of matching T-strap high heels. She still manages to look like she's stepped our of a 1940s catalogue. She's carrying a box of take out -- some of Clint's absolute favourite -- from New York City. She makes her way straight to him, sliding the offering across the table. "Welcome back."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Without any sign of surprise on his face - who really thought he was focused on a book and not glancing around? - Clint looks up at Peggy, a half smile on his face. Not quite a /oh I missed you/ kind of smile. Just... a polite smile.

He reaches for the box, nodding, "Thanks, Ma'am... second best offer of the day."

If the mustard yellow dress hurts his eyes, he's good at not letting it show as he gestures for Peggy to sit down.

"You do errands, now?" he jokes.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Not errands. I needed to eat too and was a bit tired of the food court. Still a fan of soup dumplings?" Peggy asks, studying him a bit closer as the box is opened up. It's from the best soup dumpling and dimsum place in Chinatown -- a container of beef soup dumplings, then some shu mai and a few sesame balls for dessert.

Peggy settles in herself, tucking one foot beneath her opposite leg in a position that's more comfortable than she'd take on the job, or with most junior agents. "And I'm still no one's ma'am. Been about thirty years since I was Director. Just another agent, nowadays."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Pushing aside the book he was reading - *The Art of War, from Trojan Horse to Operation Mincemeat*, Clint studies the content of the box for a moment, as if unsure if he wants to do anything with it. The way he almost stares at the box, quickly glancing at the staff around, might confirm Peggy's intuition that something is amiss.

Finally, his eyes come to rest on Peggy. "Sorry 'bout that," he simply says. "Sometimes you just remind me of someone, is all." Cryptic.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The lack of interest in a meal she knows he's loved at least once before gets a slightly more worried look from Peggy. Which, on her normally ever so calm British face, means her eyes are just slightly narrowed. She's still not a great emoter, but that's helped much in the field of spy work. Even if he doesn't dig in, she at least starts attacking her serving of dumplings. She uses chopsticks with the expertise of someone whose been handling them since the 50s.

"...Nothing to be sorry of. But... remind you of... Someone. Whom?" Peggy asks gently, her head tilted to the side and dark eyes now quite firmly on him.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"That's none of..." starts retorting Clint, but he catches himself. After all, /he/ was the one to mention it in the first place. Trying againg with a less offensive reply, he simply says. "Just, someone."

Yes, he's quite guarded, acting as if he doesn't trust Peggy, or anyone around.

He sighs lightly, relaxing a bit, a subtil tension leaving him as he says, "Sorry, I'm not in the best of mood." Yeah, duh? He grins at that, "You noticed right away. Everyone knows everythin' 'round here."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"We...uh... We don't need to talk about this here. If you want to get out of here, take a walk, fresh air, something..." Peggy offers gently, her expression softening just a little. "But yeah. I noticed. You work in a place full of trained profilers and sometimes spies. People care about you, have enjoyed working with you in the past, even if you can be quite the pain in the ass. When someone people care about changes, it...it's noticed."

Peggy then sets down her food, far more worried about him than she is a meal now. She lets silence linger in the air for several moments now, giving him a door of conversation to walk through in his own time.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
And he does take time to think, actually, visibly lost in thoughts for a noticeable amount of time. Maybe 30 seconds.

"Here, elsewhere, anywhere... all the same t'me," he starts. Now his gaze squarely focused on Peggy with intent, he asks, "Tell me. You ever caught spies spying on their own? What did you do then?"
The question is asked in what might be the most serious tone Peggy might have heard from Clint. He's not kidding.

Peggy Carter has posed:
That question makes Peggy laugh, just faintly, though there is a strange sort of bitterness behind it. Dark eyes drop into the somewhat abandoned dumplings before her, instead of studying him so hard he might feel she knows his social security number by the end of it. "A few times. In fact... hell, I've been the spy who spied on her own before. Part of keeping this place safe and... making certain I picked the right people for the job."

She sits up a bit straighter, letting her foot that was beneath her leg drop to the floor instead, but it lets her more easily turned to face him. A plethora of abandoned chinese food -- including soup dumplings -- rests on the coffee table between them in the common room. "More recently, I'm certain I'm being spied upon. They still don't really know if I am...who I say I am. But I understand, too..."

Quake has posed:
Enter Skye, whose brows arch up. She just shakes her head. "If you want to bitch about spies, really this is not the place to do it. I can go?" Of course she sits right down and grins.

Nope. She had no intentions of leaving.

"Oooh, dumplings?"

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Figures," Clint replies to Peggy, "It doesn't make it more acceptable. T'would be nice to be able to trust a few people..."

Just as he was going to add something, the ever attentive Clint notices Skye coming in. A large grin appears on his face, yes that trademarked grin of his. There's something in his eyes as he watches Skye approach and sit down.

"We"re just chattin'. Nothing serious."

Oh really, it didn't sound that way.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"...Yes, from Rising Sun. They're the best and Clint...*used* to like them. Seems we're going to have extra today." Peggy mutters, pushing a bowl in Skye's direction, as she definitely got enough to share. She now sits back a bit more, studying the two of them and the way they work together. The grin on Clint's features isn't missed. It lets her relax... Just a bit.

"It...would be nice to trust a few people. But... there was something else you were going to say?" Peggy prompts quietly, her voice pitched low enough now that it's a question only meant for he and Skye's ears.

Quake has posed:
Skye kicks Clint foot under the table, while remaining attentive to Peggy. And tries to give him a 'are we telling everyone?' without her noticing. No, she an excellent sky, but sucks when it comes to Clint.

Mmm dumplings! "Thanks, and who are they, Rising Sun?"

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Something changed that made him also visibly relax a bit. There seems to be an internal debate raging inside of him at the moment, an obvious hesitation as he considers his answer to Peggy. Talking of trust. Can anyone be trusted? Really? One cannot know if they don't try.

"It's just... look..." His own voice almost a whisper as he adds, "I have reason to believe someone is spying on me. Using internal intel." There, he said it.

He grins at Skye, "Hey Daisy-Bee, she just told ya they from the Rising Sun... sheesh, can't focus 'round me, hey?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
"..They make the best soup dumplings in Chinatown and have since the 70s, so... I'm glad they're still open." Peggy informs, though she's now just staring at both of them. No food in her lap to distract her from figuring out quite what is between the two, though she knows they have a past. Her expression softens again, just a bit, as she studies the wary Clint.

"...Alright. The question is, who do you think is doing the spying. Fury? Or is there someone outside who is...somehow, getting our information?" Peggy's voice remains lowered now. She shifts just a bit closer to the pair of them so having a sotto conversation can happen with ease and, hopefully, not drawing more attention.

Quake has posed:
"Oh. Ouch. I'm just out of it, I thought you meant an enemy. Rising Sun?" Interesting.. "Next date?" Oh he's gonna pay for that!

"No. Not Fury. I would put my life on that man." He's done so for her.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
He's quite in a pensive mode, the Hawkser, most likely thinking much about what he can share, and what he'd rather not divulge at this point. Trust must be built, it takes time, and it is easy to see it wasted in a split-second.
"I don't know, ma'am," he says. Yes, he's stuck with ma'am, for some reason, when adressing Peggy. He nods at Skye, who mentionned the /man/, then looks back at Peggy as he explains.

"Someone knows things, they should not. I'll find out who, and settle it - Fury or else, don't care. That's why I was asking you, what you did with rats spying on others."

Peggy Carter has posed:
A bittersweet smile possesses her ever-red lips, that matte lipstick managing to stay in place even through the soup dumplings, somehow. Peggy's expression is understanding, but not too surprised either. "I... guess I'm from a different time. Back in my day, you just expected your employers to know everything. Especially if you worked for any sort of government or secret service... SHIELD has been spying over my shoulder since the moment it came into existence." Of course, Peggy was the director then and quite in charge of who spied upon whom, but she seems to accept this as a sad way of life.

Skye's comment about not Fury gets a slight nod, "...Probably not. But if it is, I promise he's doing it for everyone's protection. You know how he works. He'll be an asshole about it all, but with a reasons."

Quake has posed:
"Exactly. Actually, if you were gone with SHIELD, he could have done it to protect me. Still, it never would have left his office. By the way.." She pulls a little lighter from her pocket - one Clint should be familiar with - and plays with it. All the outside noise is covering their talk.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Peggy's reply and comment on Fury elicit a snort from Clint. Obviously, he is quite doubtful about Fury's non implication. This is getting a bit hot of a topic, especially in this place. With a resolved look on his face, Clints nods at Peggy.

"No matter what, I'll find out, and they'll pay for it." Pausing a moment, he adds, "If Fury did it - and I'll know - then he'd lose a special agent.

Yes, there's a not so veiled threat in his voice. The sight of the lighter in Skye's hand reminds him that enough has been said. He winks at Skye, as if to say, /I know, right/. Changing the topic, he leans back against his seat, his voice returning to its normal, and for once, grabs a bowl of soup and proceeds to eat some.

"So, ma'am, no special assignment for you yet, then?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
Another look between them. Peggy knows she's missing something -- missing a lot of things -- but she doesn't push in this room. She just gives them a neutral, professional sort of smile, but something about the older agent is now drawing away. She realizes she's not in that inner circle of trust. Maybe doesn't deserve to be. But, it means the bit of relaxation she started the afternoon with is now carefully put away. Not her place.

"Nothing major yet, no. I think they are still trying to decide if they trust me or not. Seems... that is going around a lot, lately. I can't blame them. But... " Peggy's toned shoulders roll in a quiet sort of a shrug. It didn't make it any less lonely.

Quake has posed:
Now that their air is 'filtered', Skye explains. "It's a little doohickey from Fury. Long, long ago. Keeps the nosies out. And Clint is terrible at," As though she better, "We're giving another go."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
The older agent's reaction is not lost to Clint. How to convince someone, when you don't trust them? Come on Hawkster, you are just playing around, and you won't gain nothing that way. You can't be trusted if you don't trust, even just a little. He leans forward, as if to check the remaining food, and in that low voice, explains.

"Look... er, Peggy." No ma'am, good move, bud. "I told so much to Skye here so far, but here's the deal. Someone used an intel that /only/ Fury should know, about me, to get at me."

One more pause, a wink at Skye upon hearing her, and always in that same low voice, as a large grin appears on his face, he says, "Yeah, hrm, ye're the first to know. We're back."

So there /is/ a level of trust here.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The lighter is given a long, curious look and then a bit of a smile which is fondly amused, more than anything. Maybe Peggy remembers something like that lighter, from back in the day. Maybe she knows that's just a very Fury thing to do. Either way, she may have pulled back, but she's not totally gone yet. She's listening.

The comment about that intel makes her smile slightly crumple. The worry behind Peggy's eyes deepens, but also she's now thoughtfully focused on the matter. "Used intel...to get at you? What did they *do*? Are you implying an enemy? Were they... trying to take you out?"

Quake has posed:
"That's the thing, as far as I know, Fury would use it on something who isn't an agent. And, none of the people who would be working for Fury, would go outside the agency." Skye frowns. "I don't think he's behind it." But they'll make certain!

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
There's no turning back. Peggy knows the ropes, she's experienced and in Clint's book - although he might not have said it - he holds a lot of respect for her. Respect and trust being two things, fragile things that must be handled with care. He nods at Skye.

"But only /he/ was supposed to know about it." Another hesitation, another decision to trust as he turns to Peggy to add.

"No, they didn't try to take me out, that I could handle. A man told me things, that Fury agreed to keep from anyone, when I joined. Official records erased, somethin' like that. So how could a..." Hesitation here. "A stranger know about it all? Playin' mind games with me?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
That makes Peggy sigh a little deeper, as she starts putting a few pieces of the situation together. She scoops up the little styrofoam cup of the green tea which comes with the dumplings. Sure, it wasn't really hot any more, but tea was her thinking beverage. Her legs curl up to tuck beneath her again, but she's still close to the other pair on the couch.

"Possible someone else picked up things from your background. Possible that he's a plant of Fury's and this is...some sort of test. One I don't agree with, but... Fury's tested people before. *Possible*... but unlikely, that those level files have been somehow hacked. There's still clearances. I suspect the information is stored...SOmewhere."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Lost in thoughts for a moment, Clint closes his eyes. Testing? For what?

"Testing?" he replies. Yes, that must be it. "But for what? I mean..."

He sighs, poking at the cool soup. "If Fury wanted to test me, then he failed. Big fail. The other theory, about the hacking, needs to be checked. Whatever creep did that, I'l ki......" Pause. "I'll make them pay."

There is still a sizeable amount of unsaid here, a whole bunch of it. Whatever happened, seems to have affected the Hawkster.

"Maybe I need to talk to Fury directly?" He raises an eyebrow, to watch Peggy's reaction to that idea.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"...If you can find him, it's not a bad idea. At best, you figure out why he was poking at sensitive spots. At worst, he realizes that he's got some sort of slip somewhere in his information net. But I'm leaning towards, somehow, someone else grabbed the information when you were first coming into SHIELD. Nothing is boxed away sealed safe. You're a man of interest to a lot of people. It's no surprise someone finally decided to use some of that interest... Though the timing could be better." Peggy mutters, a protective, unhappy smirk crossing her lips. She doesn't look murderous over the person who did this to Clint, but like she could definitely teach a somewhat violent lesson.

Quake has posed:
He's mad.. No, wrong word. Something in that meeting had scared Clint alot. Skye was concerned. Clint almost thinking about killing a man??

"Oh, yeah. That make a lot of sense. Didn't you say you had a colourful past?" Much more sense.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"We'll do some research first, but you are right. Fury needs to know, either way" glancing at Skye, "Keyboard here can give me a hand." He all but chuckles at that, bad man, dirty mind. Naw, they won't get it, good.

On a more serious tone, he then states. State as in, /no/ we are not going to talk about his past. "I ain't discussin' my past... not here." And with an afterthought and a reassuring glance at Skye, adds, "We'll have to do that around a good... hrm, bottle of water." No, he's not saying who would or would not be invited at this point.

Always worried about the goings-on, he noticed what Peggy just mentionned, something about timing.

"What did you mean, timing could be better? Somethin's up?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Oh! No... no. Not really. More so that you were just returning to being in active service and now there's something being tossed into the work that makes you not trust SHIELD. Again. It's... worrisome." Peggy murmurs, though there might be some other bit of tension behind her eyes. Whatever it is, it's not bad enough to worry everyone.

She takes one last sip of her tea and sets the empty mug down, shifting forward on the edge of the couch. "I don't talk to Fury much these days. I think he still doesn't trust my return. But...if I see him, I'll let him know you are looking. Unless you'd just rather hunt him down yourself." Her body language is that of someone getting ready to go, she gathering up her own left overs but leaving the extras for the pair. But she's not quite gone, yet.

Quake has posed:
And Skye had some people she wanted to talk to.. "I'll see you at ho.. my place. 7:30?" They not going to rush things this time!

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
With a nod - and a guenine smile - at Peggy, Clint also starts to clean his share of the leftovers.

"I'd appreciate if you do that... Peggy. Really. Whoever catches him first. Oh... and thanks for the lunch! Next we'll be on me."

He then turns to Skye, a quite different smile on his face as he says, "You've got a deal, Keyboard. See you then. And no Star Wars tonight." Cryptic again. That must be some kind of code between them.