2459/Log 2459

Log 2459
Date of Scene:	14 September 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons

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Leo Fitz has posed:
The lab has been cold the last day or two. And while in normal circumstances that might be deemed socially cold, in this case, it has become physically cold as well. The expanse of the room has been quiet with junior R&D agents knowing full well not to ask too many questions about why the thermostat has been dropped to glacial temperatures, well, glacial for indoors at least.

Wearing several thick sweaters, Fitz's hand trembles as he moves eyes the mainframe in front of them. It's overheated twice in three days. And they're reasonably certain the overheating is an effort to hack the system.

"It's brilliant," Fitz scratches his head as he examines the physical structure in front of him. "But I don't know how to shut it down without putting the building into lockdown and rebooting the entire thing..." he's been thinking about the problem at hand and little else since Sam Winchester came to call. Or, at least, he's managed not to do much besides this since then.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
As she has been since the aforementioned Sam Winchester came to call - Simmons is working with his blood. The attempt to create some form of a synthetic to use in the wake of actual demon blood is certainly an ask, especially without actual demon blood to attempt to copy. However, to obtain a sample such as that, she's not sure she wants SHIELD to pay the price. As such, she's attempting to use her blood samples from the first Winchester blood draw and this one to monitor and extrapolate.

What makes this all the more difficult are the constant fluctuations of temperature. Blood does not do well with such changes. As such, dressed in her own sweaters and jackets, she stands behind Fitz with a flashlight. She frowns. The last thing they want is a lockdown. "Is there nothing else you can see?" With a sigh, steps backward. "If the only thing we can do is shut everything down, though..." she trails off. "If that will finally put an end to all this, that seems the best. I can't work on my blood samples if the heat keeps fluctuating as it is."

Leo Fitz has posed:
Fitz rubs his chin. He hasn't left here since the problem presented, and he could really use a shave. His lips hitch up on one side. "Yeah, it's halting work here. And not just in here." His eyebrows lift. "I think we'll have to head into lockdown. Information isn't getting where it's needed and there's no way to even back it up if we're facing a hack."

He casts a long look towards Jemma and her blood samples. "I'm going to make the call," and face any undue consequences. "I've looked at the problem from every angle and it's just not subsiding. We need to build a failsafe into the next one. And put back ups on a secure server on site instead of through multiple SHIELD bases."

His hands go about their work to dismantle it. "Any progress on the blood?" he asks while he quite literally begins to pull the server apart -- the results of which will lock the doors to the building.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
Simmons has done little to leave Fitz. Despite their argument in the recent past, he is still her best friend. She's not about to leave him. In fact, her only physical absences have been to go to the mess to make him his favorite sandwich to bolster his spirits. Otherwise, she is behind him with a flashlight or working more on Sam Winchester's blood.

As Fitz finally makes the call, she nods. "I think it's a good one," she agrees with him. It's inconvenient for quite a lot of SHIELD, but it is what will fix everything and ensure they are not vulnerable to this sort of attack any more. The doors lock about them. That might make some people unnerved or scared. Simmons feels none of those things. She's in the lab, she's with Fitz. Everything is fine.

The question about the blood is met with a shrug. "It's rather a tall order from Agent May, I must say. Blood is rather singular in its composition. Attempting to make a synthetic of that is already difficult without also attempting to recreate some form of mystical component. As much as I hate to admit it, we might have to bring in one of those creatures if I am to truly manufacture something of the like properly."

As Fitz starts to dismantle the system, she steps back. "You don't like him?" It's more of a statment than a question, though it certainly sounds like one.

Leo Fitz has posed:
Much like Simmons, Leo doesn't even react to the locked doors. He expected that. In fact, he would panic more if that didn't happen -- it would signal whoever is attacking them would have found a workaround. "Just remember none of this is mystical," Fitz casts her a pointed look as he peeks out from the machine. "Magic is just science we don't understand yet. So there's science behind it. What he feels, what he's experiencing, there's science there. Something biological."

The statement has him sucking on his cheek as another clink announces his dismantling the machine to make the full reboot take full effect. "I wouldn't say that," he counters quickly enough, but there's something in his tone that there's definite tension there.

"Experience just says we need to know what we're supposed to do. I don't really like people wasting your time," he values his own far less, it seems.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
"Whatever that unknown is, it is elusive," Simmon replies with a sigh. Pulling her sweaters about her tighter, she moves back to her work bench and the vials waiting for her there. "Call it what you wish, there is an element that is hard to replicate. For God's sake, Fitz, we're discussing demons and demon blood as if they are actually real." She shakes her head, as if not believing their current state of affairs. "If that be the case, what large leap is it to believe in the mystical along with scientific explanation?"

The two being so close can, at times, be a double edged sword. She can read the tension in Fitz's voice as he says he wouldn't say he doesn't like Sam. "Well, then what would you say?" she asks, eyes lifting to him in a curious study.

There's a pursing of her lips. "At the very least, I would certainly say he is not wasting our time. His arms told the story of drug abuse, at the very least. And Agent May's report was incredibly thorough." She sighs and shakes her head. "I feel bad for him. I hope there is a proper cure we can figure out together."

Leo Fitz has posed:
"There's no cure for addiction, Jemma. It's why AA starts introductions with 'My name is, and I'm an alcoholic'," Leo counters as he drops the wrench on the floor with another clang. The irritation in his voice is unmissable. "It doesn't go away. We can't cure it in alcoholics. We can't cure it in Meth heads, coke heads, not even pot heads. Addiction is permanent. That stuff just doesn't go away."

And there it is. "So finding a cure for someone who doesn't want to get better?" his eyebrows lift. "Not a good use of your resources. And definitely not a good use of our time." His throat clears and he goes back to the work.

"But as far as demons go, there was a time I would've said Norse mythology were just stories. Once upon a time I knew we were the only life forms in the universe. And three days ago I knew that this server was unbreakable." He pulls out the core of the machine. It looks like a ball he can fit in his palm. "Just imagine what we'll learn tomorrow."

Jemma Simmons has posed:
From her samples, Simmons turns her head to study Fitz. "What makes you think he doesn't wish to get better?" she asks Fitz. From all she saw, she witnessed a confused and hurting man who visited them. It seems Fitz saw something different. "Just because it cannot be cured doesn't mean we can't try. What else is methadone but a stopgap for a heroin addict. This might be something similar."

Resting an elbow on the table, she watches as Fitz pulls something vital out of the security system as he speaks. "This is still about the Field Agent business," she says softly, sure of herself. The fact that everything changes, that they may never know what they may find next. "You're trying to convince me that we shouldn't do it."

Leo Fitz has posed:
"He didn't answer the question," Fitz states evenly. No longer being hidden by the machine leaves him exposed. The reflection in his eyes speaks to something haunted while the tension in his mouth finds a grim thin line. He swallows hard around the growing lump in his throat and he opens the core using a narrow screwdriver to crack its middle. It's not intended for that, but he knows the tech better than he knows the tools as well as everything these systems can take. "Methadone only works if an addict wants to be clean -- if they don't want to feel high. Their body stops producing dopamine and it manages the addiction. But if they want that high?" his head shakes to the core.

"I'm nearly positive these systems aren't ready to be without me on the ground," Leo observes as he splits the core into halves. He sets both on the bench and treads to another bench of tools to grab a set of odd looking magnifying glasses that hang over his head and operate as both goggles and magnifiers. He also grabs a very tiny set of screwdrivers.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
"He might be confused, but he wouldn't be here if he didn't wish to be better," Simmons tells Fitz. May wouldn't have such an interest in him, nor would he have submitted to their questions. She sees the haunted look in Fitz's eyes, though. She knows him.

She doesn't press further with whether or not Sam Winchester actually wishes to be clean of the demon blood he has been shooting himself up with. Instead, she focuses on her friend. "What aren't you saying, Fitz?"

There's a frown as Fitz completely ignores her own observation. While focusing on the problem of the server is important, she refuses to allow her own observations to go unheard. "You didn't answer me, either," she tells him resolutely.

Leo Fitz has posed:
The question in the middle brings with it a sharp sense of resignation. Leo Fitz knows he's a terrible spy. It's not even a question. He's earnest, bright, and painfully loyal, but in all of the ways a spy simple can't be. So when Jemma poses the question his eyes speak to his thoughts well before his mouth moves. "It's just ancient history, Jemma." His eyebrows lift. "And I had plenty of time at al-anon to deal with it. But yeah, there are things that mean someone isn't ready to change. And honestly? No one can make them. If they don't want it? No reason to push the issue."

Avoidance clearly doesn't work, so he follows the remark head-on. "No. I don't think this is a good idea. I don't want to leave the lab. I don't particularly like field work and I definitely wasn't designed for it. Yeah, I passed the Academy, but those kind of missions? It's not just lack of ability," which he'd argue he has, "it's lack of desire. Put me in front of a machine? I can make sense of that. I can repair it, change it, make it better... negotiate mission operations?" His lips turn downwards and his head shakes.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
Fitz's answer is met with a sympathetic look. "But it is //your// history, Fitz," she tells him. That means that despite it being ancient, she wishes to hear it. Then, though, he talks about Al-Anon. That's enough for Simmons to pick up on the cues. He knows someone who is an addict. "Ah." There's a look downward and then she sighs. "Even so, I feel as if the offer of the help, the continued ability for this alternative is helpful." She doesn't ask if he also feels similarly, she is afraid it hits too close to home.

On the tails of this personal revelation, Jemma watches Fitz and listens to his concerns. She gets them, catalogues them. Jemma grips at the tablet she holds in her hand. "I understand," she tells him. "I'd never force you into that," she tells him truthfully.

That might be the end of it, but she sighs and continues. "I think you should stay in the lab, then. I'll be here to help, but I want to try being a Field Agent. I want to see how that feels, what that means. I think it's a step I need to take."

Leo Fitz has posed:
"Look, it's just the disappointment of a ten year old boy repeatedly getting struck down because he didn't understand. It's bloody hard to live through that again and again and again. And make no mistake, when a person wants to change they can, but they have to want it." The passion behind Fitz's words actually strengthens his Scottish accent. "And I mean really want it. I believe my dad wanted it. I do, but he couldn't handle. It's hard in a way normal people can't comprehend. And I know you know the science, but it's so much more than the science." He shrugs. He's not going to belabour this point.

His lips part wordlessly as Jemma asserts she is going to try being a Field Agent. "...right." He doesn't even know what to say in return. And his posture stiffens like a stone statue. His mouth feels dry.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
Fitz's impassioned speech is met with a pause in Jemma's work. This is the most she's heard him talk about his family that far back other than the basics. It's a significant thing to hear this from her best friend and, as such, she treats it as the rarity it is. The tablet is placed to the side. Fitz has her full attention. "I'm sorry." It's not just sentiment, it's an attempt to reach out to him.

Simmons steps forward and places a tentative hand on his shoulder. "I know it's more than science. But maybe science can help this time." It's a vague hope, but one that Simmons will latch onto.

As Fitz stiffens as a statue, Simmons isn't sure what to do. "I'll always be here for you, Fitz," she tells him as reassuringly as she can. "We'll still write up reports and study things together. I'm not going to leave you. You are important to me. I just don't want to make you leave a place you don't want to leave when I feel like I just...I need to see more than these four walls."

Leo Fitz has posed:
Leo melts a little at the touch. His muscles ease enough to show that he does appreciate it, even if he's still got some tension in him. "And I don't want you in a place where no one will understand you," he offers in return. "Besides, I don't want to be here working with everyone else. They don't keep up -- you know that right? None of them. They're bright, but they don't think as quickly."

His shoulders slump. "It's not like I want you to suffer through monotony, but I don't want to be here without you." Resignation eats away his stance further. "...Fine. I'll come. I guess." It's not remotely a glow endorsement with any signs of enthusiasm.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
"It's not that no one understands me here," Simmons tells Fitz. The hand remains on the shoulder for now. "You're here and you get me better than anyone." There's a bit of a stifled smile at the idea of him not wanting to work with anyone else because they don't think as quickly. "I think you don't want to work with anyone else in here because they don't put things back the way you like them." She knows how meticulous he is about his procedures and organization.

She can hear the resignation in his voice, even as he says he'll go with her to the field. "I don't want to force you to do something you don't want to do, Fitz." However, she's also not saying that she will stay here.

Leo Fitz has posed:
"Sure," Fitz replies when Simmons suggests that people might understand her here, but already, he's getting an air of something a bit removed and distanced. While he might be part of the lab, he also doesn't want to concede being there without Jemma. His cheeks puff out and his feet become interesting while he attempts to put his thoughts into words.

But he falls to silence instead. Awkward silence. The pregnant pause that grows has his shoulders slumping. "Look, I don't think anyone else here is as effective. That's all, Jemma." It's not all. But it's all he can say. Anything else gets stuck in his throat; a frustration that will never leave.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
Though Simmons is not as gifted at reading people as agents might be, she knows her best friend and she can feel him pulling away and distancing. It's more than the shoulder slumping and the pause. The hand falls from his shoulder and she sighs.

Simmons moves back to the tablet and scoops it up, though she doesn't wake it up or scan its contents. "I wouldn't be as effective with anyone else, either, Fitz," she tells him truthfully. "I don't want to work with anyone else, alright? But I also want to try the field. I want to at least try it. Maybe we'll get on that helicarrier and it will be the worst thing and I'll hate it. Stranger things have happened."

She pauses for a moment, looking down at her own feet at as well - maybe there really is something interesting on the floor of the lab. "And I don't want to make you do something you don't wish to do, but I don't actually think I could do it without you."

Leo Fitz has posed:
The notion of not being effective, sees Leo's lips turning down at the edges. "Well, if neither of us is going to function, then it seems like a foregone conclusion that we shouldn't be splitting up, yeah?" He manages a tight-lipped smile, "And I understand. You want the field. You want to see things, I get it." He might not like it, but he gets it.

"So maybe we try it. Together. For awhile." His eyebrows lift expectantly. "At least until you can get on your feet with and feel like you have some success. Then, when you get your... flight(?)," he lifts his eyebrows with clear humour, "legs, I'll come back to earth where I'm meant to be and we find remote solutions, yeah?"

Jemma Simmons has posed:
Logic, it's always their strong suit. As Fitz says the most logical way forward is to stay together, Simmons nods. "No, I don't think we should split up." She doesn't like the fact that she's making Fitz do something he doesn't want to do, but she's not sure if she can do this without him.

"Really?" The tablet - again - gets set down. Moving forward, she reaches to hug him. "Thank you Fitz. Really, I mean it. This means so much to me." There's a breath. "Who knows, maybe you'll like field work! Maybe we both will!"

Leo Fitz has posed:
"It's decided then." Somehow things always turn out this way. Leo refuses to bend. Jemma suggests something. Leo bends. He shoots her a lopsided, incredibly boyish grin and then issues her a very small one-shouldered shrug. "We will see how it goes, yeah?" The smile extends and his hands retreat deeply into his pockets.

/It means so much to her./

Is he blushing? Must just be the light in here.

Bashfully, he allows his head to duck downwards, tucking his chin towards his chest in an action that can only be described as timid. "Maybe," he finally adds. "For now though, we should probably tell the Director we're in, yeah? And get our new assignments. I'm hoping that it means that we can get some new R&D done in the next while..."

Jemma Simmons has posed:
"Of course, yes." Simmons beams back at Fitz, even though she knows this isn't exactly his first choice of future. Some part of her certainly believes he could enjoy field work, but she knows that she has to try it.

If she notices that he's blushing, she doesn't mention it. Indeed, it's very likely that she thinks it is the lighting or the fact that she has once again talked him into something tha the was stubbornly against.

"Yes, we should, of course." Simmons beams at Fitz, happy that they're going into the field, that he's going with her. "Perhaps we can. If we're going to be in charge of it, a would assume that a request for new equipment would be in order, don't you?"

Leo Fitz has posed:
"Lots of new equipment," Fitz agrees emphatically. "Wonder if we could get the dwarves an upgrade. That could be a project well worthwhile." He scratches the back of his neck. "Plus we could totally do some new work. I really do think we need to do some study of these supernatural creatures. Think we could do a better job of gettin' rid of 'em if I can get a look at it. Test some things."

His lips quirk higher on one side. "And we could probably make an argument to get you some new fancy field bio stuff. Including medic equipment. Everyone wants a medic."

Jemma Simmons has posed:
If new equipment is what will make Fitz more excited about their upcoming change? She's certainly about that and will feed into that excitement. "That sounds like a remarkable idea. The dwarves would come in remarkable handy in the field, don't you agree? It will really push them." There's a thought, there. "That's genius Fitz. We've been wondering how to replicate this blood, perhaps if we were able to get one of the dwarves to study a demon, we wouldn't need to draw their blood. Why didn't I think of it before?"

She grins at the idea of new medic equipment in the field. "That'd be lovely. Though, of course, the hope is that there will be no need for a field medic. However, the study we'd be able to do, just imagine!"

Leo Fitz has posed:
"Exactly," Fitz agrees. "The dwarves may make field work obsolete, at least form an R&D perspective." He's already agreed to go; he's not trying to weasel out of it. He's aiming to outsource it. To the pair's robots.

"Alright. You get in touch with the Director. I'll get the Dwarves ready for walkabout." Because they're going to be field agents...