12442/Even Spies Need Down Time

Even Spies Need Down Time
Date of Scene:	12 November 2020
Location:	Recreation Room, The Triskelion
Synopsis:	A comparison of notes about IcedLotus and how best to find her.
Cast of Characters:	Black Widow (Romanoff), Quake

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Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha isn't one found in these areas very often. She doesn't even stay at the Triskelion. Yet from time to time, she will end up here and spend a little time. Usually it is more to get a feel for people she is teamed with on an assignment. Very rarely it is just to be social.

Today is one of the rarities.

She's at the pool table, dressed in her SHIELD uniform sans guns and holsters. Right now her opponent has control of the table, as he had managed to sink one on the break. But she'd get her chance. She'd played against Tommy a few times in the past. He was good. She was better. If he could keep control of the table, he had a chance of winning.

Quake has posed:
And Skye.. well, it would depend. Skye used to get money by grifting her way around.

Skye drifts in grinning as she saw who was there. "I've got next." And her bills were set out.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
It really wasn't generally that Natasha was that good at pool. She just happened to be better than Tommy. She had played it often enough with her best friend in the past, thus it had improved her skills. She wasn't someone who would be able to play professionally, with the trick shots and showing off. She left that to him.

Tommy did good for three shots then missed a side pocket. Natasha went to work and cleaned the table easily after that. Tommy laughed and put up his cue, letting Skye step in.

Natasha matched the amount she had put on the edge of the table the pocketed the rest of her winnings before setting up the game again. "Been a while. How've you been? Also do you want to break or shall I?"

Quake has posed:
Skye nodded with her chin. "You can. Besides, this is for fun."

She picked a pool cue, and looked at it. "It will do. How are you? Clint and I are trying again. You know, IcedLotus has reared her ugly head. We could use your help."

She slipped Clint into the conversation.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Oh?" Just a single word. Nothing really given away by it. It doesn't let it be known if she already knew or not. It didn't matter, after all.

She took up position at the end of the pool table and lined up her shot. A slow deliberate movement of the cue then a hard strike and the cue ball hit the positioned arrangement of balls, sending them scattering. One fell in a corner pocket, allowing her to retain control of the table. She took a moment to pick her next shot.

"What's going on with IcedLotus?" Maybe that's what the 'oh' was about.

Quake has posed:
Skye isn't convinced.

"It's ok. Ask. As for IcedLotus, Clint, Winter and I ran into her the other day. Well, she wasn't there *there*, but her code was." Skye nods. "Nice. You're not bad."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"You're brave opening yourself up for hurt again. That's all." No judgement. Just words of advice perhaps. About the only ones she'll get at this point. Natasha is better at tactical as opposed to being gal pals.

So she focuses on the intel instead. "Didn't figure she was gone, of course. Since we never caught her. What was the op that her code was present on? Hydra again or something new?"

Quake has posed:
"New." Skye sits on the other pool table. "I've been looking for her all this time. Zip, zero, nada. She couldn't be found. Then we were looking at this Russian job in Harlem, and I was taking the memory, when it became somebody was watching us, and then the memory was obliterated."

"Courtesy of you know who."

A pause, then, "I know. But we're taking our time this time. He still has his apartment, and the time working as an Avenger?" And other things.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Interesting. Russian, huh?" She can't help but wonder if it is related to the Molotov business that Clint had mentioned a while back. That mission hadn't worked out and Molotov was in the wind once more.

She sank two more then missed a corner shot. Stepping back, she gave Skye the table.

Quake has posed:
Skye nodded. "Go ahead. And Molotov, hrm. Maybe. What do you know about that?" They were looking at everything that they had and still were missing a few keys points.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I know he's off lost in the wind again," Natasha admits. "There was a lead but by the time Clint recovered and we made it back, he had already packed up shop and left. No clues hwere he went to. What he's doing now."

She stood leaning on her cue, waiting for Skye to clean up the table now that the other woman had control of it. "If you happen to run across anything in your search for IcedLotus, let me know."

Quake has posed:
Skye grins. "You want me to clean it up? I mean, I could flub it." She gets off of the other table, and peruses the rest of the balls. "Yellow in the corner pocket, two bounces of the side walls."

"Yeah, IceLotus.. It's really weird. It's sorta like she's playing with us. I'm not so sure she's doing it for anyone but herself. And I think she has eyes on Clint, to make me hurt."

"It's really unfortunate the amount the things have been catching him. Did you know he's been looking after his fathers death?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"If you want to clean the table, it's up to you. If you don't miss," she teases the other woman. They both know each of them is usually capable but then again, are either of them really serious about it at the moment.

"No, I didn't know he was. He told me about the Molotov situation. Things went crazy for a time. Then life was like it often is and things went different directions," Natasha admitted. "I've sort of lost touch with him again."

Quake has posed:
"He's not talking about it. Well, he's told me some of it. He's kinda afraid, I think." Clint.. afraid. "He's gone so far as to look for magic people to find out if his father is in hell."

She decides to not get to next one.

"I'm worried for him."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Of course you are. We're always worried for those we care about," Natasha says as she finds the table hers again. She lines up a shot, calls it and sinks then moves around the table to make her selection.

Then she smirks a bit. "Not that it ever stops them from doing what they will do. Especially him. Especially Clint. Stubborn is an understatement. You know this better than most of us."

Quake has posed:
"You too." Skye nods to Natasha. "I mean, I can tell you care too."

She points out the not so obvious shot. "Trust me, then the rest will fall into place."

She grins. "Ya think? Clint, stubborn? Noooo." She has to shake her head. "He thinks *I* am stubborn. Little does he know."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"He thinks everyone is stubborn. Because they don't agree with him. See how it works?" Natasha said with a wink her direction. She sees the shot Skye pointed out. A little grunt to acknowledge she was likely correct.

Then Natasha took her shot she'd already lined up. She may lose but it would be her own way. Talk about stubborn!

"Of course I care about him. He's been my best friend for a long time now. He helped save me. Got me to turn sides against the world I was part of. That's saying something." Especially considering how long she'd been doing it. More decades than most of them had been alive. Yet Clint had been her turning point.

Quake has posed:
"You have been important to him as well."

Skye rolls her eyes. "You'll be sorry. Two more and you'll be stuck."

"You know," she grows quiet. "May was my turning point. Well, sorta of. She told me I could go. That's it. After nearly a year, I was free, and I was not as happy as I thought. I'm glad Clint was yours. He doesn't think he's special. But he is."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Will I?" Natasha asks, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. She misses her shot. "There, you can take the shot you wanted instead." After all, she didn't care if she won. This was conversation this time. The table was just there.

She goes to the side, picking up a bottle of water and twisting off the top to take a quick sip. At least it looked like water. "May's good people. Has her own demons nipping at her heels, even still. I think all of us can say that too, though. Especially anyone in this line of work."

Quake has posed:
"May is good people. Without her, and Fury.." Skye shrugs. Who knows where she would be.

She banks to the table, figures that ball, these banks, and she shoots.

"What's next for you? I've just come off sabbatical."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"No idea. There are a lot of things I could be doing, just not sure. There will be a few assignments here or there. I know Fury had a few assignments where I might go undercover for a time," Natasha admits. "That might be a nice change for a while. Been some time since I did that."

She shrugs. "Who knows what the future will bring."

Quake has posed:
Skye laid to rest the entire rest of the balls. One by one.

"Fury put me on whatever he wants. I think IcedLotus is the number one. She's pretty good against us. But she's not going against here."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"You'll find her. I have no doubt of that. If anyone can track her down, it's you," Natasha says. No stroking egos. Just a simple statement of fact. "Once you figure out her motivation, that will help."

She nodded toward the now empty pool table, outside the one white ball still on the green felt surface. It was a silent question if Skye wanted to play again or not. Either way, it was still just for fun, nothing serious. At least on Natasha's part.

Quake has posed:
"Take a turn, each round? After all, it's just for fun?" Skye racks them up. "Break?"

She takes her compliment, whereas when she started, she might have denied it. "That's the problem. If she's doing it because she was bored, we're fucked. But there has to be something about now that she's interested in."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Not necessarily. If she doesn't feel there is something out there challenging, she might just be poking around to try to rattle people." Natasha nods at the suggestion about their play. Just each taking shots, just to do something.

"Although. We could likely find a way to draw her out. Make something that is too tempting. Maybe even a challenge that makes her want to beat it?"

Quake has posed:
"That's an idea. Possibly a bit of both. Boredom, and checking us out." But Skye can't get rid of the idea of 'rope' IcedLotus in. "Any ideas?"

After all, she could always use a hand.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"You. Go out and start poking at some of our enemies. When doing so, accidentally leave your signature. You beat her once. She will want to beat you personally," Natasha says simply as she gives a half shrug.

"So she will try to track you and maybe you can piggy back. Track her. Or at least start a cat and mouse game. Let her think she is gaining on you, going to get one over. Be sure to set the trap well."

Quake has posed:
"That's what I was thinking - cat and mouse." Skye looks contemplative. "I really don't like this. The first move was her's. And she was.. too cool. It was almost too.. easy. You know?"

But she's thinking.

"Clint and Winter were going to sweep the Russian borders. Maybe I, or you, should hit her in tandem. Might give us some new information."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Well, maybe she's the cat and you are the mouse?" Natasha says. She sort of frowns a little that Clint and Bucky are going while she is being suggested for computer work. Not that she can't do it. It's just not where she would rather be.

You have to turn the mouse into the cat somehow along the line. Fishing perhaps. I know she won't care about me. I'm not on level with the two of you."

Quake has posed:
Skye grins.

"You'd rather be on the ground, huh?" Oh yeah, Natasha is caught out. "Sure. Just I want you to know, if I were picking someone to watch my back, it would be you. You're not bad. So, I'll stay home." And she thinks. "How to turn to a mouse into a rat."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I can do whichever is necessary. If they are already planned on being on the ground there, I won't mess up their plan," Natasha says with a grin. "Just used to be I would be the first people think of for on the ground."

She takes her shot then steps back so Skye can take hers. "Since joining the Avengers, my face being public, things are not the same."

Quake has posed:
Skye looks for an interesting shot. "I don't mind. For me, the turning to Quake has sort of made me different. I used to be all DarkSky. And now, I can do so much more. It kind of left me wondering what my role here is. So, I get it.."

"Actually.. that might be the reason. She wants to know what I am capable of."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"It makes sense. She may have heard that you are more than you were. Plus you have more resources at your disposal. Those resources may allow you to be even more of a challenge," Natasha points out. "With or without your powers. Though, she may have learned of those too."

Quake has posed:
"Right." The more Skye thinks about this, the more it makes sense. "So, the first thing is, how might I allow her to learn? She might not be working with anybody now, but you have to believe she will at some time."

*If* she isn't. She could be working for Hydra again.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"The biggest way is to make a splash with a group she worked with in the past. I know she will be keeping tabs on them, even if she isn't working with them currently." How does Natasha know? Cause it's something she would do. As a computer hacker, not just as a spy. She figures this mysterious woman who helped Hydra so efficiently in the past likely would do the same. "She would have backdoors into their systems. As you would."

She takes a shot. It misses.

"Upset Hydra or any of them, use your powers while doing so and not just your computer skills. But in doing so, you reveal more of yourself to your enemy as well. Always a double-edged sword."

Quake has posed:
Skye nods. "Unfortunately, I may have given it away. We didn't realize until we were in a trap, until we had to fight our way out. Mind you, she may have had an inkling of what she would be up against. In which case, she's looking for the parameters, and she's not working for Hydra."

But Nat was correct, she'd certainly be keeping eyes on Hydra. if only to sell them out. Hell, wasn't it Skye made backdoor into Hydra when they had the internet completely down, and she was 'one' of them.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Then that is likely what started her back up again. Leave her some breadcrumbs to follow. A hint here, a ghost there. Not enough to be obvious, stuff she'll have to dig for but then she'll think she got you." Natasha grins.

"When of course, you will have other things built in there as well. To try to trace her back."

Quake has posed:
"Meanwhile, you three continue to look like you're on the 'right path', fighting the wrong guys." Skye begins to look forward to this.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Well, they do. I continue my other duties, keep myself seemingly far away from things. Be your secret to pull out when the time is right. I can't hide my path as well as you from her so better I'm there when needed instead of from the start," Natasha states

Quake has posed:
Skye smiles a tight little grin. "This looks like the beginning of the plan." And with that, she finishes the pool table and puts down her cue. "Nice. Maybe next time we'll do something else."