1407/Swords and Shields

Swords and Shields
Date of Scene:	11 July 2017
Location:	Triskelion, New York City
Synopsis:	Steve Trevor, Melinda May and Natasha Romanova talk on the training level.
Cast of Characters:	Steve Trevor, Melinda May, Black Widow (Romanoff)

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Steve Trevor has posed:
Steve Trevor was in the S.H.I.E.L.D. gymnasium, working a circuit of weights. Nothing too impressive; he was built for balance, being relatively strong and agile without focusing on either end of the spectrum. Though he had overdone it again, and was really favouring his left arm as he did the chest press. An expert in body language would think that he had tweaked his right bicep, and probably had a small wrist issue going on, especially as he moved to the next machine and any concerns would be easily confirmed.

Still, for a 142 year old, he was in remarkable condition. Even he didn't know why he was still young, having the body of a 36 year old. Perhaps it was his long association with Wonder Woman. Maybe it was a gift from the gods. It could have been something he was exposed to during one of his visits to Themyscira. Or maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. was secretly injecting him with the infinity formula during his regular physicals, but the man was a modern medical marvel...

Of course, every so often, S.H.I.E.l.D. would make him a new identity, each time with the same name, so he at least looked the part, could drive, vote, and all the other things everyone expected to be able to do. He was wearing a navy blue t-shirt, he was old fashioned. Most of the other agents trained in muscle shirts. Below that, he had on regulation S.H.I.E.L.D. sweatpants. Again, most of his comrades wore shorts. His white socks did stand out, especially considering he wore navy blue sneakers with grey accents and laces.

Melinda May has posed:
May has been off in an open corner going through a deceptively slow and sedate-looking series of Tai Chi forms, and while it looks like she's just over there in her own little world (that most younger agents give a WIIIDE berth), she is still very much aware of everything going on in the gym.

The group of still wet-behind-the-ears recruits grumbling through their daily PT, more seasoned agents sparring and possibly with some spectators offering friendly wagers, the guy over by himself at the free weights injuring himself due to either bad form or stupidity...

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
The door opens, allowing another agent to add to the already bustling gym. Natasha is dreseed in a pair of SHIELD emblazoned sweat pants and a black tank top. Black athletic shoes cover her feet. Her hands are taped. She heads in the direction of the heavy bag, planning on taking out some frustrations there. Things are always getting so complicated and this has been a boomer of a week for it. Nothing work related. Okay, maybe a little work related. But she isn't bringing work into it so it isn't work related. She's making her own brain hurt.

She glances around as she walks, taking note of everyone in the room and what they are doing. When she notices Steve favoring his arm, she changes direction to intercept him. "Stop. Are you trying to end up in the medlab?" she asks simply, looking pointedly at that arm.

Steve Trevor has posed:
Steve's form was fine, but despite his advanced age, he was still every bit the energetic young man of his youth. He had seen a hulking specimen of an agent pounding the weights as if they were filled with helium, and he was trying to overdo it, resulting in a slight injury, though not one enough to stop him from working out. He needed to focus on himself, not those around him.

Caught out, Steve stops when Natasha announces his stupidity... or poor form. He stops the machine he had been on, taking a breather, "that really depends on who's the doctor on call." Ever the charmer, he can say such things with a straight face and not have it come across as a line. Plus, he was married. But he had learned long ago that you can look, but not touch.

Melinda May has posed:
May doesn't even hesitate in her practice forms when Natasha arrives and calls Steve out on his bad form. She's not going to interfere unless someone asks her to. Ganging up on the man isn't going to encourage him to NOT overdo it next time. And it's not like Natasha needs help with anything. Ever. And, really, with the comment he tossed back at her, he's going to deserve every last thing he gets.

Finishing her last set of forms, she switches over to a cooldown yoga routine. Because stretching.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Well, I believe Dr. Blaine is currently on duty so, unless you have a thing for Einstein look-a-likes, I would suggest easing up on the weight for that arm," Natasha points out flatly, not taking the bait. She shifts the towel she has on her shoulder, catching it and drawing it down to her side as she shakes her head. Then she turns, heading back in her original direction for that heavy bag. She tosses the towel on a nearby chair then lines up with the bag, bringing her hands up to a ready position.

Steve Trevor has posed:
As someone who has spent a great deal of time in the company of disapproving Amazons, ganging up on Steve is actually highly effective. But May doesn't know that. She should really read his file one of these days. Not missing a beat, Steve adds, "Dr. Elaine Jane Blaine happens to be a magnificent medical practitioner, and I happen to think it was out of line to describe her as an Einstein look-a-like." Dropping his voice so others can't hear him, he adds, "she's more of a Doc Brown anyway."

With his workout kind of ruined by the Russian woman, he decides to spray down his equipment, then wipe it with a towel, before heading over to the yoga mats. Melinda May seemed to be giving everyone a wide berth, and he liked to involve himself with those who didn't wish to become involved. It was his little part of improving organisational morale. "Mind if I join you?" He asked as she seemed to be doing her cool down yoga routine.

Melinda May has posed:
"Yes." As verbose as ever, May answers with the blunt honesty that she's typically known for. But, she also knows that it's probably pointless to try and get the man to back the eff off, so after she finishes her tree pose she moves aside enough to give him -- and Natasha if she chooses and who gets a nod hello -- enough room to yoga as well.

Just don't expect her to offer pointers on poses or engage in idle chit chat. Though again, Nat might be the only one of the pair who knows that.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Watching him approaching May, Natasha has to duck behinc the bag to hide her smile. She makes like she's adjusting something, which is crazy because the bag hangs too high for her to reach anything other than the bag itself. SShe peeks back around, catching May's eyes and letting her amusement show before she begins working the bag. Slow punches. Methodical. Then getting faster, harder, as she starts punching in earnest.

Steve Trevor has posed:
May was being verbose. When she was being curt, she might have said 'ok' or simply nodded her head in the affirmative. When she was feeling particularly welcoming, she might actually say 'sure', and once, Steve is pretty sure he heard her say 'all right', but that might have been a dream. He could use those pointers, so it's a shame she decides not to impart her wisdom and experience on her fellow agent. If he was stupid on the weights, he just had bad form in yoga.

"So, Agent May, do you come here often?" He smirked at his own effort to draw her into conversation. She probably hadn't heard that one, so he figured it was worth a shot. And he followed it up with, "but a serious question. Now, this is thought provoking. I want to get to the core of who is Melinda May. So, don't answer it too quickly. I want you think things through. If you could be any animal, what would it be?" Yeah, he was trying to make Melinda May crack a smile. Many had tried, few had survived.

Melinda May has posed:
May replies to Natasha's brief expression of amusement with a flat look, implying that the redhead's likely going to have to rescue the man or May will tie him into a pretzel and leave him that way. She resumes her yoga routine, switching from the cooldown to the warmup, because after this guy gives up on annoying her, she's likely going to need to beat the crap out of something.

While she's VERY tempted to just ignore Trevor until he goes away, he seems the sort that'd just keep pestering until she punched him.

"Every day I'm in HQ." She then reaches up into a sun salutation as she answers his second question. "Praying mantis." She really didn't seem to need to give it much thought.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
That gets the Widow's attention. She pauses in punching the bag, catching it with her hands to hold it steady. Her eyes go to May and she quicks a brow. "Aren't those the ones that eat their mate?"

Praying Mantis. Black Widow. Men should just run the other direction but this agent, who happens to be even older than she is and that's saying something, doesn't seem to have a self-preservation instinct. She moves away from the bag over to the mats and sits. She doesn't join in, instead just putting herself nearby in case May decides to break the guy.

Steve Trevor has posed:
Even Steve could tell the difference between a cool down and a warm up routine of yoga, but unfortunately, he reads it differently than she had intended. To her, it's a sign that she's probably going to beat the crap out of him if he persists on trying to socialise with her. But him, it's a signal that she's enjoying the attention, finding him funny, and wishes to prolong her exercises so she can enjoy his playfulness even more. That was a mistake on her part, and a big one at that.

"Every day, huh? So, are you the one who decided that dark blue and grey would be just what S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to maintain a healthy, cheerful, group of young, and some not so young, men and women to defend the world? Good choice. Personally, I might have gone with a nice crimson, or a mustard yellow, but blue, that's fitting, logical even." Yeah, he was so going to get his ass handed to him.

If he hadn't already been thinking about it, Natasha gives voice to his own thoughts. "Praying Mantis... Black Widow... fortunately, this one's taken ladies," and he shows his finger, "oh yeah, it's in my locker, but you see this ring tan line, well there you go." He was so going to get his ass kicked.

Melinda May has posed:
Natasha. Get this guy away from her before she breaks him. May flatly ignores Steve's prattling this time as she finishes the warmup routine and just stops. She stands there and stares at him with about as unimpressed a look as she's capable of without resorting to violence in the same breath.

Go. Away.

... unless Nat would rather help her give him a lesson in gym manners.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Okay, maybe we should get you to the medlab to get that arm looked at," Natasha says quickly, rising to her feet nad putting herself bodily between May and Steve. She's facing Steve, reaching out a hand to offer him help getting up if he would like to take it. She never even looked at his finger. Neither of them did. There is something quirky about him, amusing in an annoying sort of way. That he has a woman who hasn't killed him yet? Miraculous really.

Steve Trevor has posed:
There's a funny thing about Steve Trevor. He's managed to maintain his boyish charm into his 14th decade. He's also managed to retain a semblance of anonymity. He had been a member of the Strategic Scientific Reserve. He helped found S.H.I.E.L.D. But there were no portraits of him hanging on the walls. His name was barely recorded in the database, most of his activities being classified, even by S.H.I.E.L.D. standards. He didn't need the help getting up, waving off Natasha's kind offer of assistance, "no need, but thank you Agent Romanov."

The injury wasn't nearly as bad as both of them seemed to be taking it. And even if it was, he was too stubborn to let it show. When he got up, he used his weaker arm on principal, and managed it without incident. Reaching for his towel, he ran it through his hair, soaking up the sweat from his workout and the yoga afterwards. He might not have been very good at it, but that's not why he was a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Anyway, I should be going. Besides, I've kept P.O.T.U.S. waiting long enough." What was that about? P.O.T.U.S.? Was he keeping the President of the United States waiting while he was goofing off with them? Oh, to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, level 8.

Melinda May has posed:
Is that supposed to impress them? May sure doesn't seem any less unimpressed than she did before the acronym-drop. And you know? She's now very much debating making that Principal of the Undercity Sewers wait a little longer.

It's probably like a person in a robot suit waving their arms and yelling 'Danger, Will Robinson!' when May shifts her weight over onto one leg and asks with more expression than any of her previous words, "Leaving so soon? What a shame."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha actually winces as she hears those words from May. She looks over her shoulder at her fellow senior agent, the expression obviously a 'have you lost your mind' moment. Then she looks back to Steve, looks back to the agent she knows practically nothing about save his name. She opts to try and correct that soon. Not that she'll learn much but she doesn't know that.

Steve Trevor has posed:
While wiping himself down, Steve gets a phone call, which he takes in the gym. His face looks sullen. He speaks a few times, and by the sound of it, it's definitely not related to a conversation with P.O.T.U.S., but rather, something far more mundane, but still, the boyish look is there, but the man seems to be in a foul mood. "No," he finally replied to May. He sends a text message, to someone, and then packs his phone back with his towel, before looking over at Natasha and then Melinda. "Sometimes, it's better not to get out of bed." Again, the joys of being a level 8 agent.

Melinda May has posed:
Watching the man take the phone call and go from Mr. Cheerful to Grumpy Gus in seconds flat has May dropping the 'catch a fly with honey then eat their cranium' act. She's been a level 7 agent for over a decade, so she knows about phone calls like that. Oh, does she know about phone calls like that. "But sometimes even that doesn't help."

Her eyes flick toward Natasha to see what she makes of this, and she mentally debates whether or not it might be time to bust out the back up plan: the concealed stash of frozen girl scout cookies in the nearest breakroom.

Steve Trevor has posed:
Steve reached up and ran his head through his blond hair. He was either a natural blonde, or he liked to dye his eyebrows too. And with the fair complexion and blue eyes, it seemed to suit him. Yet, for some reason Disney seems to think that blond hair is unmanly. He had wondered that ever since he had seen Frozen. He enjoyed the film, but hated that part of the movie. It was odd what his mind dwelt upon when he was trying to change the subject of his inner turmoil. Clapping his hands together, he asked, "so, anyone up for some doughnuts?"

Melinda May has posed:
"No." Mr. All-American Health Nut, wanting doughnuts? Yeah, that had to have been one of THOSE phone calls. May deliberates for a few seconds longer as Natasha had no immediate opinion to contribute.

And just when it seems like the 'no' was the entirety of May's reply, she adds to it. "I have something better."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Better than doughnuts?" Natasha asks as she stands down. Since the battle is no longer imminent, no need to stand between the pair. In fact, he managed to do what he wanted. May is positively chatty compared to her normal self. "If the doughnuts are hot Krispy Kremes, that is logistically not possible for there to be something better. I'll run a person over to get a hot Krispy Kreme."

Melinda May has posed:
May actually wrinkles her nose at the name Krispy Kreme. No need to ask what her opinion is.

Steve Trevor has posed:
"Krispy Kreme? Better than Krispy Kreme? So, Dunkin Doughnuts, or ooh, they're not from Kowalski Quality Baked Goods, are they? Those are fantastic." Yeah, Mr. All-American Health Nut was coming around a little bit, but he still seemed pretty sad from that phone call.

Melinda May has posed:
May just levels a flat look at BOTH Steve and Natasha, and turns to walk out of the gymnasium as if expecting them to keep up with her. If they do, she leads them to the nearest break room, which is usually the haven of the exercise-crazy, crunchy-granola, over-the-top health nut SHIELD agents. She opens the freezer and pulls out what looks like a family size frozen lasagna dinner. The kind of thing that would make health nuts hiss and recoil like a vampire subjected to sunlight.

Stepping over to a table, she looks at both younger-looking people then peels open the box and pulls out a rather distinctive silver-wrapped cylinder.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha was already recoiling in horror from the box when May pulls out something that does not look like carbohydrated hell. Not that she minds carbs. Clint's a mean cook and Italian is one of his specialities. But that plastic stuff they pass off as food is just frightening to behold. Maybe she's biased. The foil catches her attention. She moves closer to the table, arching a brow. "Is that what I think that is?" Because, if it is, May is her new best friend.

Steve Trevor has posed:
Steve was impressed at the S.H.I.E.L.D. level deception. "Somebody's using their skills in everyday life." He was curious what was in the cylinder, but he was fairly certain it wasn't going to be from Kowalski's Quality Baked Goods, so there was a little bit of sadness, but still, it was probably a sweet of some kind. A cold one though, if it was from the fridge.

Melinda May has posed:
May returns the lasagna box to the freezer, open end to the back, then reutrns to open the cylinder in front of the pair. "What do you think this is, Nat?" Because anticipation is the majority of the enjoyment.

The silvery cellophane crinkles loudly as she pulls at it then tears the end of the package open, revealing the beginning of a stack of chocolate-coated disks. She offers the cookies to Steve first, as he seems to not realize exactly what treasure she's just revealed.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Please tell me they're thin mints. Please," Natasha practically begs. She's probably put at least three girl scouts though college with the amount she spends on Thin Mints and Samoas. So when the cookies are revealed, she can't help smiling. "Girl Scout Cookies are the nectar of the gods. And you can tell Thor I said that!"

Steve Trevor has posed:
"I thought ambrosia..." but Steve doesn't finish that sentence. He leaves it hanging. "I suppose I could have one, since you did offer," and he'll reach out to have one of the cookies, whatever they might be. "Thank you Melinda. I could use a pick me up."

Melinda May has posed:
May nods to Steve, and once he's taken a cookie, she offers the package to Nat. And yes, she's fully expecting the redhead to grab a whole handful. That's okay. She's only reveals THIS freezer's worth of treasure. She finally claim two cookies for herself before settling at the table and putting the rest of the silver package in the middle.

Someone else can get the drinks. She supplied the treats.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha takes four. She's not shy about her love of the chocalate minty goodness. She does rise and walk over to the fridge, opening it and pulling out three bottled waters from within. Sure, milk would be better but they were in gym so better to stay hydrated. She returns, setting a bottle in front of the other two agents one by one then settling in to munch her first cookie with a little smile on her face. "Thank you," she mumbles around the bite to Melinida.

Steve Trevor has posed:
Steve, with his regular metabolism, does wonder how May and Natasha keep such slim figures if they're eating sweets like that. He does all he can to try and keep up to some of the heroes he knows. So he takes one, and for the record, he breaks it in half, eating half of it. The other half, he keeps in his hand as he takes the water from Natasha, "thank you."

Melinda May has posed:
May has a regular metabolism as well. But she is more than active enough to stave off two measley cookies. It's Natasha that she's always wondered about. Opening the bottle of water that Nat just brought her, she washes down her first cookie, then stiffens as the commlink in her ear comes to life. And so much for snack time.

She's silent and still for a couple of seonds, then quickly drinks a few more swallows of the water before standing. "Romanova, I trust you'll put the leftovers back where they belong." Gone is the May that teased Steve and then offered to share her stash of cookies. Serious, Vulcanesque, all business May is back. And with only a nod to Steve, she turns and walks out of the break room with a smooth but ground-eating stride, disappearing around the corner almost silently.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Thus is the nature of being an agent. Natasha picks up the package of cookies. She offers it to Steve once more, in case he changed his mind and wants another, then she heads for the freezer. Quickly, the cookies are returned to the box they came out of, the open end to the back wall just as May had set it. "I love how she assumed there would be cookies left," she says with a chuckle. "Optimism is a beautiful thing."

Steve Trevor has posed:
Steve decides to splurge and finishes off his cookie, though waves a hand when Natasha offers him more. He wondered what brought the kindness out of the Cavalry. She was like a different person. But sadly, that May was gone. Rising to his feet, "well, I need a shower... I'll see you later, Natasha." And he followed May, though he was heading somewhere else after leaving the break room.