15385/I don't even like tea!

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I don't even like tea!
Date of Scene: 27 July 2023
Location: Two Bridges (Chinatown), Manhattan
Synopsis: Skye follows a suspicious former secret agent. It turns out to be a size changing superheroine.
Cast of Characters: Wasp (Pym), Quake




Wasp (Pym) has posed:
Ahhh New York there's always something new to see or do. Especially when you've spent most of your life growing up in a Siberian bunker and the rest mostly in a science lab. Today Nadia is doing the tourist thing, gawking at all the sights and sounds of Chinatown, and picking up a selection of wonderful tea's for those late night GIRL planning meetings.

A super science lab doesn't build itself.

Well not yet anyway. A sentient lab construction system Nadia can unleash to build her new labs is on the to-do list. Thankfully quite far down the list. Somewhere near the von neumann probes. What's the point of visiting space if there are no good labs to research in?

She's dressed in a red Summer dress with white socks plus black buckle shoes. Plus a little clutch bag that she's already filled with an impossibly large selection of souvenirs.
Quake has posed:
Skye, however, isn't doing the tourist thing. She knows what storefronts to avoid. And which carts to frequent. At least, she did. It's been a while since she was back, and some of the regular crowd doesn't seem to be here.

Including the old women who sold teas.

Looking up, then down, she could have sworn *this* corner was where she had always come to for tea. And not just any kind of tea - it was a special blend made for Skye.

It occurred to her how long it has been. As far as she knew the teapot was in desperate need of good care. May would be horrified if she knew.

*sigh*

Still she looks one more time to be certain. "This is what falling in love, and out of it again can do to you. I don't even like tea!" But she did like May, and she had promised a long time ago to take the time everyday to relax. Likely, May really didn't care how she did it, but she had bought the teapot and present to Skye and Clint, exacting that promise.

Now that Clint was out of the picture, some stubborn thought made Skye try it again. Or would if she could find the tea seller.
Wasp (Pym) has posed:
Has Nadia found the mystery tea seller Skye is looking for? Nope. But she's probably been to just about everyone else in the area by now. And that clutch of hers has another few bags of leaves added. Plus a sack of fortune cookies. For probability science (and snack time).

To the trained eye there's something a little odd about her. Not in the way she seems super excited by everything around her, although that is moderately unusual for a young woman her age, but how she moves. Constantly aware of her surroundings. Shifting out of the way of people a typical tourist wouldn't have even noticed. Limiting the number of avenues people can approach her from. Lots of little hints that she's had some covert training that an agent like Skye might pick up on.

There's even a moment when someone slips in through the crowd, likely aiming to cut the strap on her bag and run, when she seemingly slips out of the way. And at some point during the exchange the would be thief ends up somehow diverted and finds his knife is missing and he's holding a fortune cookie.

It probably reads 'You will find great success if you embrace a change in your career'.
Quake has posed:
Even before SHIELD, Skye knew lots about the ins and the outs of skullduggery. When you lived on the street as early as Skye did, you learned quickly, or else..

Now that she was a bonafide Agent of SHIELD.. well, actually, her days were about what they were back then, but her skills were better! Much.. much.. better. Especially if you include her hacking.

Skye stepped to the side as she caught Nadia in her vision, and carefully rubbed her forearms. ..Would she .. or would she not.. But almost as she was debating, the whole thing was over. Just like that.

Interesting, to say the least.

And from where she stood, everyone was unharmed. Including the thief.

Skye slipped into the crowds, and followed Nadia more closely. This was more interesting than buying tea.
Wasp (Pym) has posed:
If the teenager is up to no good she's sure hiding it well. Picking up an extra large portion of buns filled with pork. Marvelling at paper lanterns while she eats them. Walking a meandering path around that makes pretty much no sense. Being neither efficient or having a pattern. She goes where her whims take her.

The meandering route will eventually lead Skye into a fairly dark alleyway. (At least it will once she's finished those pork buns!)

And there she finds....? She's gone! The petite young woman seemingly vanishing into thin air. Although everyone who knows anything will tell you thin air is anything but empty. There's entire civilisations living in the motes of dust carried by the wind.
Quake has posed:
Nadia was gone. Or to the average person she is. Skye wasn't your average person!

Following Nadia to the alleyway, it was dark. Even in full sun, the alleyway would have been dark. At dusk time, it was definitely dark.

"I know you are here. You do know that, don't you?" Right now Skye wasn't doing anything to find Nadia. She had several theories on why she seems to have vanished. "That was pretty impressive the way you got out of that thief's hands. Or course, you're not so goody-goody yourself." Of course, Skye has a smirk on her lips.
Wasp (Pym) has posed:
The vanishing act is weird to those enhanced vibration senses. A heart beat that pretty much disappears. Replaced with the fluttering of chitin insect wings.

Of course it's still pretty hard to pin down something wasp sized in an alleyway. Lots of space. Lots of places to hide!

"Of course I know silly," Nadia says from her vantage point. "What I don't know is if you're following me following me. Or if you just came across me and followed me. Agent...?"

Clearly she's assuming Skye is some sort of covert operative.

"Also I'm extremely good. I don't hurt people or do bad things. So I don't really know what you're suggesting... I took a dangerous weapon away from someone who was misusing it. And gave them a cookie. A fair exchange if you think about it. They don't wind up in jail and they get a snack. Also my bag doesn't get damaged. We all win."
Quake has posed:
Weird. Very weird. It isn't that she can't follow the difference between a heartbeat or an insect (though it certainly makes it a challenge!!) - it's just difficult. Not impossible, though.

Still, Skye is fairly certain she is addressing someone in front of her, not behind. Good. That means Nadia is still engaged. Not trying to escape!

"Should I be following you, hmm?" The girl was adamant that she didn't harm anyone. (Compared to Skye who couldn't say the same, although she didn't kill people as a rule - in theory at least. Though hurting them was quite often a part of the job.) "Don't worry." She didn't answer the question of if she was an agent. "I wasn't looking for you. Though, with skills like that?"

Oh.. yes, a couple of her contacts might be interested.

"I noticed the cookie. That was pretty cool, if I say so myself. I noticed how fast it was. The thief barely took one step towards you, before he was disarmed. You can call me Skye. Most people do." Unless they were hackers, then they knew her as DarkSky. Or if they were more like the thief (say Agents of Hydra) they had become more familiar with Quake these days. "You must be - what? First year university? Second? I never got to go."

Then again, she didn't finish highschool.
Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"I honestly wouldn't recommend it. Following me that is," Nadia says. Flitting around the space. Motions erratic so it's hard to predict where she's wind up. Just on the off chance there are people working with Skye. "Unless you like construction projects and subway tunnels. I'm building a science lab. It's fascinating stuff but only if you're interested in... well... science. Oh or engineering too."

Alas Skye's contacts would likely be disappointed! She's already got a deal to pass on information and it's very carefully worded. So she doesn't have to be a spy for anyone.

"Nice to meet you Skye. Most people call me Nadia," she grins. Although she's too tiny for anyone to see. "Except people who don't know that's my name." She laughs. "College? I only go there when I'm recruiting people. I suppose I could teach a few classes as a guest lecturer. The trouble is all the paperwork they expect you to fill in."
Quake has posed:
Skye makes a noise under her breath. So, she's not *in* college, but the age is correct.

"Nice to meet you Nadia. And no, I usually avoid construction projects and subways. Most of my time is sitting in front of a computer analyzing it." Not computer science though! Hacking was Skye's forte.

She leans into the allerway wall. No, she isn't aware of where Nadia will go next. Though she is quite certain that if she needed to, she could stop Nadia's flight . But why would she?

"You never know, we could use you at times?" She shrugs, as though it isn't important. Then she backs up. "Recruiting? Sorta a superheroes group? Or..?" Nadia wasn't worried about her mutant status. And unless she lied (not likely), then she was into science. Two possibilities came to mind.
Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Analysing the computer or something on the computer?" Nadia wonders. "Honestly I've dabbled with both in my time." Probably, depending on her security clearance, Skye could just look up Nadia's file at SHIELD. GIRL though is totally public knowledge. And active online. So the underground lab business wouldn't take much hunting on a computer to find out about.

Could Skye stop Nadia with her powers? At her current size? Probably. But vibration powers won't work if she just shrinks so small she's in the space between molecules!

"I'm already on the Titans. Although I haven't gone on any adventures with the team yet."
Quake has posed:
"Titans, huh? Now, see, I wasn't able at that time to do anything like you do. I taught myself computers. I can do programming, but my actual title is computer hacker. I dredge around through those back doors and take a peek, essentially."

It may be that Nadia might remember a few years ago, that someone called Daisy 'Skye' Johnson was wanted by INTERPOL for her involvement in the Red Tide fiasco. She was let go (because she was on the guys side and undercover).. eventually.
Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"I taught myself English by listening to a Dazzler CD," Nadia replies brightly. Is it a joke? Who can say! (Well aside from Nadia that is. It's certainly not something you'll find in a SHIELD file!) "I know what hacking is silly. I grew up in Siberia not on the Moon." A beats pause. "Although there are supposed to be people on the Earths Moon so lets go with one of the Moons around Jupiter. Ganymede works."

A few years ago Nadia was probably busy in her lab. And before that? Escaping a Russian bunker. Sadly they weren't really in the habit of keeping the Science Class up to date on current events. Mostly her time between was spent doing super hero stuff. Fighting giant monsters and the like.

"There's only a few people in the world who can do what I do though. Mostly they're in the Avengers. I guess I should go meet them formally some time. But my lab keeps me so busy. I've hardly even had the time to see the sights."
Quake has posed:
Skye laughs. "Of course you do. But probably not to the extent that I perform it." She was one of the world's preeminent hackers. She sleeps, eats, and plays hacking. And on her off time? You got it, she dredged around the dark web for fun. "Sorta like you with English - which, by the way, is great! - I taught myself computers. It kept me into trouble.. actually, it still does."

She grins to the 'void'.

Then Nadia speaks of the Avengers, and Skye sighs. "I know them too. Quite a lot of them. My ex boyfriend.." Roommate? Common-law husband (she shudders inwardly at that one). "Was Clint Barton. If he mentioned Keyboard? He meant me." Not that she was so certain he used that name outside of the pair of them.
Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Oh I don't really spend time with the Avengers," Nadia says quickly. Is she shaking her head emphatically too? Probably! "Once my lab is up and running I'll be offering to provide additional support with research. There's always a ton of super science for teams to do and never enough people to do it." A tiny shrug. "I've met a few but it was years ago."

"Since coming back from my extended... I guess sort of a reverse sabbatical. I took time off everything else to focus on my studies. There really is far more I want to do than hours in the day to do it all in. Would you believe three years was barely enough time to stay current on advanced biotech?"
Quake has posed:
"Biotech?" Skye lifts her right brow. "Way past me. I mean, I know of it? Far as I know biotech is the place to be." And then she grins. "After hacking, of course."

"I took some time off, too. Had to get used to my body again. It happens." She shrugs, as though being a metahuman by force was just another day for her. "Nowadays I wear these bracers. See?"

She lifts up her arms.

"But before that? It was a sticky situation to not break my arms. Figures."
Wasp (Pym) has posed:
There's a thoughtful Hmmmmmmmm from somewhere in the ally as Nadia muses on what Skye has said. Possibly she's alluding to powers and some sort of control device! Or possibly her hacker lifestyle has led Skye to poor nutrition which caused brittle bones. In the super community it's probably the former! But hey you can't rule out a mission going wrong and those bracers being there to keep injured forearms from suffering further injury.

"I designed my abilities so I wouldn't need any external control mechanisms. It's much more reliable than having to learn through intuition!"
Quake has posed:
To tell, or not to tell her some of the truth.

For a second Skye debated. Then..

"The bracers absorb the extraneous vibrations so that they don't travel up my arms and be absorbed by the rest of my body. Usually controlled actions are okay - especially when they are normal everyday reactions. Big actions, or finely controlled actions are a whole other ballgame. Trust me, if you didn't have to learn the way that I did? You're lucky."

"I was forced into this. I was something that I should have had the choice over. As it is, a whole lot of people paid for the man who decided to take that choice away from me. It took at least a year to control myself. Now? Now it's part of me."

Skye looks sober. "Are you going to be ok?" To hell with the tea. This errand had taken a turn. Maybe she would pick up some Chinese food and call it a day.
Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Okay? Of course I'll be okay," Nadia assures, having spent most of Skye's story time listening and observing. Studying from a safe distance. Powers then. Which means a control device. Probably those gauntlets would be entertaining to disassemble! Although Skye might not appreciate having her control systems taken apart for her amusement....

"I've got a billion dollar corporate heiress bankrolling my project. A whole bunch of cool science friends. And I know someone that's /in a band/. Which is pretty cool." She giggles. "But if a few supervillains don't wind up wanting to attack me then I'm not doing enough good." She certainly seems confident enough. "No need to worry though. I've got the Titans to back me up." Or she will once she's had chance to get to know them better. She hopes.
Quake has posed:
"Geeze." Skye whistles lower under her breath. "I suppose I ..could.. ask some people to work on things." Depending who she didn't want to know what she was up to. Tony and Oracle came to mind.

"Just me and my laptop here." Okay, SHIELD gave her pretty much what she needed. "Then, I think there is some noodle soup calling me. Take care!" And she was off.
Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Money can't buy you happyness," Nadia says. Is she eating a fortune cookie? "But it can buy you noodle soup. Which I'm sure will do the trick!"

That tiny vibration signal just seems to vanish. As Nadia shrinks herself so small she doesn't register as being there. And zips off about her science business.