2881/A Game of Rocky and Bulwinkle

A Game of Rocky and Bulwinkle
Date of Scene:	17 October 2017
Location:	Triskelion, New York City
Synopsis:	Skye visits Agent Romanoff about an important job, and learns things about herself.
Cast of Characters:	Black Widow (Romanoff), Quake

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Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
TRAINING ROOM, TRISKELION

    The training area at SHIELD Headquarters takes up an entire floor. It is broken into several areas which in include a weight room and an Olympic size swimming pool. There is also a shooting range at one end of the floor, allowing the agents to hone their skills with any level of firearms including energy and alien technology. The main room that is most often occupied consists of varying training apparatus around the outer walls and a huge matted area in the center of the room. This area is set aside for the agents to learn hand-to-hand skills although, unlike a normal dojo, shoes are not forbidden.
    It is in the center of these mats where Natasha Romanoff stands. Around her on the mats are the bodies of various agents. Some are sitting, others are laying down, a few are clutching limbs that will have bruises come later in the day. One may be crying but everyone pretends they don't see it. The Widow is wearing a pair of black shorts and a sports bra in red. This shows off her toned muscles and quite a few scars marring her skin. There is also a large bruise in the center of her chest, about the size of a grapefruit, peeking out from the edges of her top. It is a mess of purple, black and a little greenish tinge on the edges.
    Natasha glances around at the recruits. "I think that's enough for the day. Keep working on those techniques. We'll meet up again next week."

Quake has posed:
    Skye Johnson, Agent-in-training had arrived to see the last of that sordid display, wincing as she watched, because quite frankly it looked not only painful, but a precursor to the next half hour or so of her life, and she was still smarting from that shot on the ass she took from Agent May in the training exercise they'd all recently participated in.
    Still, she tries to look all cool and casual as she makes her way through the departing numbers towards Agent Romanoff, a half-grin perched upon her lips, as though this were just a social call in the break room. A jaunty "Hey," disguising her actual nerves on the matter of the meeting ahead, and the distinct possibility that she was going to be adding kissing the mat to her recent bout of adventures. "Was hoping we might talk?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    As the agents manage to drag themselves to their feet, they wander off to other areas. Except for the one crying. He heads for the showers for some privacy.
    Natasha looks up at the approaching agent and gives a nod. "Of course. What's on your mind?" Perhaps to Skye's relief, the senior agent doesn't suggest teaching her any techniques, thus saving her from ending up on the mats. For now. Eventually Skye will be scheduled to face training with the Widow.
    The redhead moves to the wall where a bench rests with a bottle of water and a towel. She picks up the water first, taking a long draw before recapping and setting it back down. Then she turns her full attention on the younger woman.

Quake has posed:
    She's relieved, and it shows, when Natasha heads over to the bench and her water and towel, Daisy following along behind, waiting until she's got the other's attention. "Uh, well.."
    Now that she was here, all the pithy things she'd thought to say had disappeared from the tip of her tongue, and what was left was the awkward silence of Skye flustering around admitting rather most publicaally what she did. It wasn't like the other agent didn't *know* who and what she was - Skye just was unused to broadcasting it to any outside a very small circle, and even those she was still coming to grips with. You died fast on the darknet if people knew who you were. That bit of paranoia hadn't fully gone away.
    "That thing we did the other day?" The training execise. Skye's calling it 'that thing' a rather quaint nod to how far out of her usual all things physical were. "That was not bad." She shakes her head, agreeing with herself. But it's not really what she came her for, so she continues. "Actually, I came to talk to you about the attack the other day. I kinda need your help."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As the girl works through things, Natasha simply waits. She doesn't speak. She doesn't interrupt. She gives her the time needed. During it all, Natasha is reading her body language and picking out little details. Her discomfort is glarine, ever for someone without that ability to read people. There are undercurents as well, little bits of the woman behind the mask peeking out. Natasha is all about masks so she understands and respects it.
    At the comment on the training, Natasha quirks a bit if a smile but then it's gone as they reach the cusp of the conversation.
    Perhaps it is a testament to the life Natasha leads when she answers, "You'll have to be a bit more specific. Which attack? The Hydra agents or...?"

Quake has posed:
    Skye's purse of lips at the 'which attack?' has only the barest hints of amusement to it. The wry thing framing her next words, "The Hydra one. You're probably aware I'm who shut their access to our systems down."
    There. That was a baby step. And she still couldn't explain why this felt so uncomfortable. Fury knew. May knew. She'd gone to Tony Stark. He knew, pretending all the while he had no clue who she was while throwing coded warnings at her. So why was this one so different?
    It occured to Skye that Natasha had always lived in a whole other catagory for herself, and after today, she'd be one of the ones who not only knew, but didn't dwell outside her own little circle of abilities. Or so she'd been led to believe.
    Still, she waited, watching the senior agent's reaction.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    That earns a nod of the head as Natasha says, "So I understand. If not for your abilities to do so, things could have gone the other way. So thank you for that."
    Yet she knows there is something else, something more. She's not sure what it is but Skye is taking baby steps she is so uncomfortable with this. Patience is the only course of action.
    She picks up the water and towel then sits down on the bench, glancing to the seat next to her then Skye in an unspoken invitation to take a load off.

Quake has posed:
    There's some value to pacing, but Skye's not even doing that. Though when she's offered the seat, she does consider it. Bodies in motion. There's something about them. Maybe because they're just one step closer to running, and running away was a thing Skye did well. The physical act of sitting mirroring an act of declaration..
    And that's when Skye knew what it was that was bothering her. It wasn't just what she was about to admit to Agent Romanoff. It was what she'd so blythely thrown at Tony Stark, making light of the thing somehow, because that's how they worked together. She didn't know how she worked with this one, but she knew every step she took towards making this next bit real was one more step towards never going back.
    It was more than a little terrifying.
    Skye hovered a moment longer, then sat. "I'm not sure what all Director Fury told you?" The young woman's head tilts to one side, her features pulled together in an uncertain squint. Lips pursed. "I didn't just stop them, I got in. I've been working on the bits and pieces of code I'm going to need for the sleeper I left behind." Skye lays that out there and leaves it, still watching. Only slightly less wary.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
One of Natasha's skills is her use of computers and hacking. It is a lesser known skill, one that isn't on the Black Widow list for most people. It's better that way. A handful of folks know that ability and the lack of advertising it has served well on previous missions. Sho she knows what a sleeper is. It's impressive that Skye was able to not only stop their attack but manage to infiltrate their systems at the same time. She's not sure she could've done that.
    If Skye was expecting some sort of adverse reaction, she isn't getting it. "Impressive. Continue." She doesn't ask questions because that might shift the woman's mind to something other than the spot she's trying to reach.

Quake has posed:
    Skye shrugs, lips still pursed in that uncertain way. "So, I need your help. None of it works without a diversion. Something they're not going to see as a diversion, but an actual attack. So I can get in and get us as much as we can before everything crashes." And it will crash. If she's found, what she's been working on will take out as much of their system as possible on it's way out. The whole thing a nasty little ball of trojanesque code she hoped would do the trick. In testing, it was looking like, but she couldn't be certain until she actually put it to the real test. And that she only got one shot at.
    But it's an act of good faith she offers in return for what she knows she's just thrown at the other - her awareness of this hidden tidbit of the other agent's portfolio, "Odds are they're going to know it was me when this is done. I recognized the signature of the one who got into our mainframe. I can't see any way around them not figuring it out."
    And there was the elephant in Skye's room: if she did this, she was throwing in with SHIELD in an irrevocable way. It wasn't just play anymore. Or her eternal grumbling about being voluntold to join the team or get used to a 4 by 6 cell. It became real.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    There seem to be two points to address there so Natasha does just that. "First, if you need a distraction, that can be arranged. You just need to tell us what is needed and we will get it done. I have no doubt the Director would be on board to find those responsible. To do so, we need that information. The more of them we can find, the more we can eliminate." Nevermind that whole cut off one head and two grow back. She's willing to cut off a lot of heads.
    "Second, if you are concerned that it may be recognized and you aren't ready for that step, perhaps one of the other computer types could put in some lines of code that will allow the finger to point at them instead." It was unlikely. Everyone had their own flavor in code. The lines couldn't be just added for fluff, that would be too obvious. It would require moving bits and pieces around, adding their particular voice.

Quake has posed:
    Skye shakes her head, and addresses the elephant first. "No. Nice idea, but it goes deeper than that. And you'd have to know almost as much as I know to do it on the level it needs to be done." The other agent is given a pointed look with that.
    "I've got what else I need if I need it. But it makes no sense to throw the physcial at them. It has to look like a computer attack. They have to be looking away from where I'm looking. I'm hiding in plain sight, and unless they're too busy dealing with the other, they're going to do exactly what I did and shut me down. I'm here because I need you behind a keyboard doing what you do. From what I've been told we might have been friends in another life. I mean, I'd still like to see your chops, but you've been vouched for."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    Natasha can't help having to think that life was a long, long time ago. Not information that is public nor that she is going to be sharing though. Her age is a private affair. A handful of people know the truth about her. Most assume she is the age she looks. In about ten years when she hasn't aged and they have, they might catch on.
    "I see." The words hang there as she considers a bit then she nods. "I'd be willing to help. I won't say I'm the best but I do have a few skills in that area. I can be your obvious attack so you can get in the backdoor and do your thing. Between the both of us, we should be able to keep them from wiping their system until we're done."
    She pauses and turns her body a bit, tucking a leg up on the bench so she can face the other woman more fully. "You sure you want to do this? There's no going back if you do."

Quake has posed:
    Her lips are a discontented purse for a long time before she finally shrugs, Skye offering, "Yeah. Had a long time to think about this while working on the code." The edges of that purse of lips twist some as Skye looks out over the mats. "It's all real people here. Back before SHIELD people were this thing I didn't have to see. I think I believed I was doing good. But I never had to see the people it affected."
    When her gaze returns to Natasha, there's a certain clarity to the brown of her eyes, "I don't know when it happened. Maybe during that attack, even. I don't know. But yeah. This is going to ruin me, and no, I don't want to back down."
    The wry twist of lips realigns into a smirk, then, belying the rest. "You're good. Good enough that ego personified said I should talk to you instead of doing the deed himself. He's going to trust you with his sytems, so, yeah. You're damn good. Maybe more than damned. And we're going to take as much of them down and back home with us as we can." Which should make Director Fury very, very happy.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "Ego personified? So you've met Tony Stark." It wasn't that hard to figure out. Natasha knows his skills, knows the computer resources he has available. He tends to have her do all his hacking for him. Sometimes he isn't happy when she chooses to use the direct route of asking permission instead of taking the information. Call it artistic differences.
    "Hopefully we can access information on various locations they have hidden. They'll relocate when the systems are compromised. If we an have strike teams setup around the globe when we do this, they can hit those bases before they have time to clear up and move. It's along shot but we might get a few of them. If we can get enough, hopefully we can make them talk."

Quake has posed:
    The wry twist of Skye's lips releases into a chuckle. "Oh, Tony and I have met a few times. I think we're trying to see who calls uncle first. Yeah. He's who spilled on you. As for strike teams, I've got covert at my fingertips for this. I could probably use your help with that, too. If it helps any, he said you were better with his rig than he was for what I need."
    Again with a shrug, but she's relaxed considerably now. It's all out there, and so far it wasn't the field of land mines she'd expected. And now that she'd said it, admitted where she knew all this was going, it was a lot less terrifying than it had seemed not just minutes ago. Here. This was where she was going to belong. For some value of belong. There were still things about it that worried her, but she'd dealt with this dragon. The rest weren't nearly as terrifing.
    "Only a few people know all of this. What I did, I mean. Fury. Agent May. You. Tony. Me. Them if they found the sleeper. That's part of why I've been working on the other as well. Everyone else thinks we're just working on what you're going to do and the strike teams." She worries at her lower lip. "Fury kind of dropped it in my lap and said have at."
    It hits her then, the other side of that elephant she'd been walking around: He'd dropped it in her lap and trusted her. All of this. He'd trusted it all to her. And it would have been so very easy to walk away or mess it up. Prison aside, he'd trusted she'd do the right thing.
    It was incredibly humbling and terrifying in turns.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "That's the Director's way. If he sees the right person for the job, he lets them run with it. Oh, he'll be monitoring. He monitors everything if you hadn't already figured that out," Natasha adds as she picks up her water bottle again. The lid is twisted off then she takes a sip. This time she holds it in her hand as she continues.
    The fact that Skye was still on the fence about her life here at the time didn't matter. If she hadn't been up to the task, he would've found someone else. But she started it and she had proven herself worthy of that trust when she helped foil the Hydra attack within the Triskelion. Sometimes that trust, that belief by someone else in the core of a person. That is what made the difference.
    She should know.
    "Just keep me updated and forward any relevant files to my computer. I'll take a peek later this afternoon after the rest of combat tactics training." She waves her free hand absently toward the mats. "When you're ready, we'll be sure to have all the strike teams in place and then we'll do what we need. If you want to run a few practice sims with me before the big show, we'll schedule. See how well we can cybernetically mesh."

Quake has posed:
    Skye looks thoughtful. "It's a lot of trust," she says finally. She'd been halfway out the door as much as halfway in at that point. As far as tests of loyalty and character went, it wsa a doozy. He'd put a lot of faith behind that decision of his. "I guess he hoped I'd lean this way." There's a soft laugh as she shakes her head at herself, "Man, this place sucks you in, doesn't it?"
    She's distracted from her thoughts as Natasha carries on. "I'd like that. Running some sims, and maybe some mockups of what we're trying to do would be good. We could probably co-opt some of Tony's thing is you wanted. I owe him lunch anyway." Well, he was paying for it, but yes, she did owe him lunch.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "We could use his systems. I have full access to his systems and a key if it isn't open." That didn't sound right. Natasha continues. "He and Pepper are friends." There. that was a bit better before anyone went getting the wrong ideas. She pushes up to her feet as she recaps the water, setting it back down on the bench.
    As they've been talking, a fresh group of recruits have started to take up spots on the mat. A few or stretching in preparation for what is to come. Some sprawl in sitting positions, obviously having no clue. The man who was crying earlier returns from the showers with wet hair but has a determined air to him as he returns to the mats although he has already done his lesson for the week. That right there earns Natasha's respect.
    "Is there anything else?" she asks, glancing to Skye.

Quake has posed:
    Skye has nothing to add, other than "I'll see you get the files you need. They won't be over SHIELD's computers, though, and I'd prefer it if you kept it that way. In fact, I insist." Paranoia at its best, there. Everything she's done so far on clean systems, through remote and cascading gateways. Other than helping to clean Hydra out of SHIELD's mainframe itself, Skye wasn't touching their computers directly. It might be overkill, but it did speak to the lengths she was taking to make this work in their favour.