14455/What's Fonzie Like

What's Fonzie Like
Date of Scene:	23 June 2022
Location:	Triskelion Bullpen, Office 207
Synopsis:	Natasha is informed about the status of Operation Rosewood Buckle.
Cast of Characters:	Black Widow (Romanoff), Phobos

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Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
It wasn't that late in the morning. Natasha was in her office at SHIELD. It was a good sized office. Two chairs sitting in front of a heavy wooden desk. The desk was something she had demanded instead of the glass and metal that had been in there originally. Though the computer screen did come up from the desk to display instead of sitting there at all times so she'd allowed for some modern tech. Nothing really that stood out about the woman who used it. No personal touches or knickknacks. It was a place she worked and that was all it needed to be.

She was currently working on some emails. Reading through a report, sending off information to others that were inquiring on how best to handle things. Nothing that she really wanted to be doing but it helped pass the time.

Honestly, it was supposed to be her day off. Yet, she was going to go crazy sitting at home. Thus, she had gotten dressed and headed in to work. There she kept herself busy doing things she neglected when she didn't have to deal with it.

Phobos has posed:
    Deputy Director Wilson had been on duty for twenty-three minutes even though he had arrived at the Triskelion an hour and a half ago. He needed the extra time to get into the swing of things, to make sure he's dotting all the 'I's and crossing all the 'T's. Which meant going through the off hours reports, running through the transmissions from the last day, making sure everything was in order. Especially for the more difficult parts of the job.
    There are protocols for such things.
    Steps that are taken and should be followed. First was arranging for the task. Which in this age meant a message was sent through to the cells of two operatives who were on duty. They were ordered to report to the last known location of the concerned party and to primarily be on hand in case they were needed.
    The door to Natasha's office opened as two burly men stepped in through the entryway. It was rare that Natasha was disturbed during her day doing paperwork since few knew where she would hunker down for it. Yet she found herself no longer alone as not just one, but two tall soldiers from one of the Delta Teams entered. Each nodded to her, and each said simply, "Ma'am."
    Though they shared looks at each other, quirking eyebrows.
    Then next step for Deputy Director Wilson was to tick the notifications through. One was to be sent to the DD on duty, which was him. Then another to the duty captain. And for this Miss Rushman? Agent Rushman? He doesn't know her. Poor lady though, hard to deal with the loss of a loved one. But the datawork in front of him told him to get the counselor in order and to break the news to her gently.
    Though as he clicked through the notifications he didn't notice that two others went out as well.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Hearing her door open, Natasha paused in her typing to glance toward the door. One hand automatically dropped below the edge of the desk to her lap. Or more precisely to the weapon attached to the underside of the desk. It already had a round in the chamber. If she were to pull a weapon out of a holster on her thigh, there would be noise giving it away. A single arched brow at the first man. Then the second one entered as well. She recognized the designation on their uniforms but didn't know the men. She didn't even remember having helped train them so she must've been on a mission when they went through training. Or they had been trained before she came to SHIELD. They didn't seem old enough for the latter.

"I'm certain there is a reason for you being in my office," she stated in a reasonable tone of voice as she leaned back a bit in her comfy chair. It gave her more clearance to move if needed. Not that it should be needed, right? Paranoia was her state of being after so long.

"How might I assist you today?"

Phobos has posed:
    "Agent... Rushman?" One of them spoke up, the one on the left. The blond. He had a face with some measure of trepidation as he looked at his partner, then back. Then he checked his cellphone and frowned a little, tilting his head to the side before he looked back at her...
    Then he showed his cellphone to his partner who shook his head and said, "Agent Romanoff." He says, since apparently he recognized her. Perhaps she helped train him. But this one was a talk dark skinned man with a deep voice, "We were ordered to come here. I think..." He looks at his partner and the man gives him one of those wide-eyed looks that's a touch close to shaking his head. But not quite.
    Which is when the door opened again behind them.
    Only this time it was Counselor Murray, known as the Reverend to others since outside the Agency it was known he had been in the Church for a time. He backs his way into the room and then looks at the other two men. For a moment he touches one of them on the shoulder, then the other, before he turns to look toward Natasha.
    Meanwhile up in the control center, Deputy Director Wilson gets a sudden ping on his screen and his cell simultaneously.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Romanoff," she confirmed when the second agent said it. "Natasha Romanoff. Official name Natalia Alianovna Romanova. Rushman is an alias assigned to me."Then the Reverend walked in.

That is a face Natasha knew. She had been taught all about the Russian Christian Orthodox faith. Not that she had ever really been taught to follow that faith in her training. It was just an important detail, just as some other major religions had been. Then her time spent around Matt Murdock had increased her knowledge as the man was utterly drowning in his Catholicism.

But seeing the Reverend had every alarm bell going off in her head. If it had just been the Counselor, that would have been one thing. The fact they sent in two field agents to enter with him? That was a sign of the worst potentially. She was trying not to jump to conclusions but that was a little difficult all things considered.

She forced her breathing to remain the same. Concentrated on keeping her heartbeat steady instead of pounding out of her chest. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as her mind was making it. She needed to wait and hear. Though already her mind was running through the possibilities despite her wish not to. And what her next steps would be for each.

"It's been some time, Reverend Murray."

Phobos has posed:
    Counselor Murray's lips parted as he turned to look at her. He had that picture perfect look of an aged wise man. Silvered hair at the temples, soulful eyes, tall and strong in his bearing. But when he looked at Agent Romanoff as she greeted him those eyes widened as he says, "Natasha."
    Some small measure of familiarity, but perhaps because it's clear he's partially surprised.
    Yet before further words come her monitor flares to life with an alert and then in a window Maria Hill's face appears as she addresses the room on speaker.
    "That'll be all, gentlemen! Back to your duties. That'll be all!"
    Which had the two tall operatives looking at each other. Then Counselor Murray raised his voice, "If I can be of any help, Deputy Director Hill..." He let that last word trail off.
    "No thank you, Reverend. We're good here, there's been a mistake." Which is how she leaves it... as the other men start to file out of Natasha's room.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
She manages not to jump literally. Although Natasha feels like she jumped about three feet in the air as Deputy Director Maria Hill appeared on her computer screen, all the email shunted off into the background somewhere. Yet, she didn't actually move. Her eyes even remained on the trio of men in her office.

As they trailed out, she didn't release her hold on the gun beneath the desk. Though she did turn her attention to that screen, the doorway still in her peripheral vision.

"Deputy Director." She still wasn't relaxing. That it was a mistake could mean a lot of things. That Alexander wasn't hurt or dead being the most important. It might even be this was the wrong office they were going to and it wasn't even about Alexander.

"I hope you'll understand when I ask what this is all about? I'm not used to that sort of...visitation to my office."

Phobos has posed:
    She could see the firmness in Maria Hill's features, could see the way she knit her brow together and faced the problem head on. Though that didn't mean she spoke right away. There were a few seconds after Natasha asked her question that she focused, nodded slowly, then she cleared her throat and seemed to reach a resolution.
    "Agent Aaron while on Operation Rosewood Buckle for Interpol missed his last two check ins. We weren't made aware until..." She looked down at her own screen most likely, then looked back up, "Seven minutes ago."
    Then she pursed her lips a little and said, "He had Agent Rushman as his emergency contact." There was some repudiation there, as if he might have known that the shit storm that might follow that misidentification might make things more clear for Natasha... once the bodies stopped hitting the floor.
    "We're looking into it now. Director Fury and I would like to be able to count on you that you'll wait til we learn more."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Missing. Not hurt. Not dead. That was good. So why didn't she feel any better? There was a sinking feeling in her stomach and she felt ill. Her immediate response was the need to go find him. Now.

Then the Deputy Director added her request. Not surprising. They knew her well enough to know how she'd react. What she would do. "He can update the contact information when he gets back," she said absently, to address that situation. "Although this way I at least know why they are in my office." Which might give Maria that insight into the choice of names.

She considered a moment, glancing to the side at one of the windows in her office. Bulletproof and reflective on the exterior to not allow someone to see within. Silence stretching.

Finally she looked back to the screen. "I'll agree on one term. I get all information about the operation. Interpol protocals be damned if they don't want to release it. I will speak to you, or the Director, before I do anything. But I have the right to prepare in case."

Phobos has posed:
    Deputy Director Hill nodded once sharply as she said, "Already on it. I'll put through what we have to your station. We've already cleared you for a follow up op." The image of her on Natasha's monitor took a deep breath. She for a moment seemed about to say something else...
    But then she said in that military growl of hers, "Hill out."
    And the monitor went dead.
    Which left Natasha alone in the office once again. Though after a few moments a mail came through, then another, as Maria did as she said she would.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As the screen went dead, Natasha continued to stare at it for a moment. The email she'd be writing came back to the front. She quickly closed it even as the mails came rolling to her inbox.

She put her hand on the mouse and closed her eyes. She took a slow breath. Felt it shudder slightly. Another intake of breath. She held it for a count of ten. Let it out and this time it was smooth. Opening her eyes, she focused on the details. If she let herself feel, she might lose it and that wouldn't help anyone.

She clicked the file to open and began reading details.