4800/Leviathan: A Devil's Bargain

Leviathan: A Devil's Bargain
Date of Scene:	03 July 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Skye gets a message out of the blue from Zola. Plans are made for an exchange to save the life of Skye's trainee.
Cast of Characters:	Arnim Zola, Quake
Tinyplot:	Leviathan

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Arnim Zola has posed:
Outwardly, Zola's work with the Rising Tide seemed like an unmitigated disaster. The other heads of Hydra had mocked him for his failure, but then they were always short-sighted, mere pretenders to the legacy of the Red Skull, blind to what real power looked like. The plan had never been to damage the net once and for all, why would he? It was his most useful tool. No, it was to set up bots across its infrastructure to watch the world's traffic and glean information from it. Some of the bots had been found and eliminated but like Hydra themselves, the bots survived, replicating themselves in death, true to the motto of cut off one head and the two more take it's place.

It was these bots Zola used to find the signature of DarkSky on the net, the SHIELD agent and infiltrator, who had once again interfered with his plans. In other branches of Hydra, that would be a death sentence, but, for Zola it just made her interesting, dangerous, but interesting. So he reaches out, using the old Rising Tide communication protocols to send a message:

Karl >> Hello Skye.

Quake has posed:
Turns out Skye /did/ have an office. Or a cubicle. Something. It was small. And assigned to her. But she'd not bothered looking for it yet. So it was that she was in her presumed office (read: The Breakroom) when Zola's ping came through. It surprised her, given the firewalls she had up. But then again...

Skye >> Should I be impressed?

She kind of was. And perplexed. But he didn't have to know that.

Arnim Zola has posed:
Somewhere in what remained of Zola's physical body, a brain in a jar as a matter of fact, he could picture the cocky expression that would have come along with that line. There is an impulse to curl lips he didn't have in a cocky expression of his own. Perhaps he should have done this from one of his LMDs but he was already speaking with her so it was a little late to change things up, just for the simulacrum of having a body again.

Karl >> That is up to you. However your little raid on our allies' base in China was impressive. If sadly incomplete.

Quake has posed:
Yeah. Skye was cocky. She was cocky most of the time. Partly as a means to protect herself and hide the fact of when she really wasn't sure about herself, and partly.. well, partly because she was finding herself. At SHIELD she was proving to be a more than competant Agent. Not to mention when it came to her hacking skills? She knew she had the right to be cocky. Hands down.

Of course she didn't think Karl had access to visuals. She'd likely say he didn't if it came down to it, given some of the things she knew were backing SHIELD systems. She might be on her own rig at the moment, but she was pretty secure in those, too.

Then again, she didn't know all there was to know about Karl. She still thought he was just a very clever hacker. She'd learn differently.. some day.

Skye >> Gee, thanks. Coming from you, that means nothing. And I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. We have people on it.

Arnim Zola has posed:
Zola has the impulse to smile again and changing his mind downloads a version of his consciousness into one of his LMDs. The replacement Karl as a matter of fact. One of the last of his current stock.

Karl >> Ah yes, people. I doubt they are as clever as those employed by the Benefactor. What have they managed with that? A temporary solution? Daily injections to stave off progress, but loses potency over time, so Martin requires more and more to stay alive?

He was guessing, but then Zola had been one of the people to pioneer the bio-sciences as he had done with computers, he was confident in his supposition.

Karl >> What if I could offer something better?

Quake has posed:
Skye might not admit it, but she did miss this aspect of her past. There werne't so many opportunities for this sort of open warfare in her present. DarkSky had been mostly put to rest - at least most knew who she was now. She might still garner the respect, but she wasn't hidden. And when she was hidden, she didn't get to bandy words and challenges.

Skye >> So you are losing sleep? How nice. And our people are good. I'd say better than yours.

That she had no clue on. FitzSimmons still didn't have a cure. They had an antidote.. Lag wasn't on ice anymore.. but they didn't have a cure. And what Karl was saying about the potency? Skye was guessing that was that nervous little look Jemma had when she'd said they'd fixed things right up and everythng would be okay.

Skye >> Better? Not sure anything you have to offer is better. I've seen your employer's rap sheet, Karl. Really not my kind of people. And I have a man.

Arnim Zola has posed:
The bit about having a man, truly perplexes Zola, it had been decades since he had considered such things so the meaning didn't immediately spring to mind, even as he moved to a console wearing a man-shaped robotic body, the concept felt alien to him. It was troubling and liberating all at once.

Karl >> I meant about the cure. I am willing to trade for a way to reverse the process entirely, giving poor Martin his freedom.

He pointedly does not mention the cost of this trade, his fingers leaving the console to mesh behind his head as his Karl body leans back in its chair.

Quake has posed:
A.. cure? Totally bypass the process FitzSimmons were in the middle of? Skye didn't think that was all too kosher, but on the other hand, listening to the man didn't hurt anyone. And even though she figured he was smack in the middle of Hydra territory and well scrambled as to location, Skye started sending out pings. Just in case he'd gotten careless.

Skye >> A cure? I might be curious. Of course I also know you're a liar. So what makes you think I'll jump at this just because you /say/ you have a cure.

Lag would have a fit if he knew his future was being bandied about like this with such careless ease.

Arnim Zola has posed:
What Lag doesn't know, well, actually, it might just kill him. If it's a ruse. Zola ponders as his fingers move the keyboard to reply.

Karl >> While the scientists at SHIELD have always been secondary to my Benefactor's genius, they are clever enough to follow any breadcrumbs I might give you to a solution on their own, were I to offer them as proof such a cure exists.

Zola pauses, drawing things out. Then continues:

Karl >> I propose an exchange. I will bring the formula for the cure, you bring someone who can verify what I have is indeed a cure for Martin's condition and if it meets standards, then the exchange can be made.

Quake has posed:
Delightful. He wanted an exchange. Which they both knew would be a loaded gun of a trap on both sides unless they stuck to strict rules. And Skye didn't see any way that she could trust Karl. Or, if she admitted it, that he could trust her. SHIELD might have those would could verify what he was saying, but Skye wasn't about to just drag them into whatever this was he was proposing.

Skye >> Supposing I entertain the idea, just what do you get out of this?

He wanted something. She knew that. He contacted her.

Arnim Zola has posed:
Of course he wanted an exchange. Zola was old school Hydra after all even if he had new sensibilities when it came to the type of warfare they should be waging. However, there was no beating the classics.

Karl types back:

Karl >> You haven't guessed? I am disappointed in you, Skye. You left things in my system. I want you, so you can remove them.

Quake has posed:
Skye >> You don't need me in the same room as you to do that. Do you think I'm stupid?
And *BOOM* there it was.

Truthfully, if she'd thought about it, she'd have come up with the answer herself. It made the most sense. It certainly explained why he had contacted her. Then again, she was actually curious if maybe she'd overlooked the obvious. After all, after learning what she had about Genus recently, other possibilities existed. That... and Skye wasn't actually sure Karl wasn't itching to get his little plaything back. Lag was quite valuable as far as things went. Likely more valuable than she was if it came down to it. Other than the fact that she'd gotten away, and she suspected Karl wasn't happy about that.

Karl didn't want her to remove anything. Not really.

Karl wanted her.

Arnim Zola has posed:
Zola wasn't sure if Skye had seen his intention or not so he played it safe, not showing his hand unless he needed to.

Karl >> You are insane if you think I am going to open our systems to you without watching your every move, in person.

The gun to the head was implied.

Quake has posed:
Oh, she'd seen his intention. Not that she was admitting that.

Skye >> But I'm stupid enough to agree to meet to you in a time and place of your choosing? I knew those guards weren't there for our security Karl. Do you want to know why SHIELD came in when they did, like they did? Because you're not nearly as clever as you think, and I knew exactly what you had planned.

And she had.

Arnim Zola has posed:
The barb thrown at Zola's intelligence got past the years of distance from his humanity and sparked a moment of anger. Robotic hands clenched about the mouse crushing it. He scattered the pieces and savoured the anger as he hooked up another mouse and carried on.

Karl >> Those are my terms. If you want the cure you will meet them, or you will watch Martin die very slowly as the toxin in his system erodes his organs one by one. Or until your General Fury decides the costs of keeping him alive are not worth his powers.

Quake has posed:
Skye was.. caught. On the one hand, she knew it was a trap. On the other hand, this would give her access. Access they could use - and not just with regards to Lag.

The question was, could she do it and get back out again? And who would have to be let in on the deal? Fewer bodies the better. Fury. Clint. May? Maybe May. Nat.. Nat was a possibility. Nat on remote could be more than a little useful.

Skye >> You know nothing of SHIELD, Karl. We don't dump our own.

Stating loud and clear that Lag was SHIELD now.

Skye >> But let's assume I'm entertaining the idea. When and where?

Arnim Zola has posed:
Zola knew better than to take the unintended bait but pride got the better of him and he typed a reply.

Karl >> You would be surprised what I know of SHIELD and those who are no longer useful to them.

He regrets it as soon as it is sent, but it's already there, not even he can stop it. Karl's face pulls into a grimace.

Karl >> My files are extensive. Thanks to that breach last year.

It was a lame cover but it was what came to mind.

Karl >>As to where. Russia. I can send you the coordinates.

Quake has posed:
Oh, that was interesting. And probably not something that Karl had meant to give away. Skye filed that away into: must tell Fury, and went back to considering the rest of what Karl was proposing.

Skye >> What, you mean the backdoors you have? Yeah. I know. I was there, rememeber? Couldn't really stop it without giving myself away. Besides, it's how you bought into me. Remember?

Yeah, she was baiting him on purpose now. You never know what he might let fly in addition to what he'd already slipped up on.

Skye >> Russia isn't neutral. I want somewhere that isn't Hydra central.

Arnim Zola has posed:
Zola had a firmer grasp on his pride and manages not to rise to the bait a second time. He'd given too much away as it was.

Karl >> Yes, those. Anyhow, where would you suggest instead?

Quake has posed:
Oh, Skye knew the place. Rules didn't have meaning there.

Skye >> You have to ask? Oh, come on, Karl. You're smarter than that. How about I give you a time and a date and see if you figure it out. After all, we both know you could kick my ass out of that system of yours if you really wanted to, right? We done playing? You want my ass in a chair in front of you, you tell me where I'm thinking.

Arnim Zola has posed:
Zola tilts the head of his Karl body and considers the question before typing a response.

Karl >> You're thinking of Madripoor. Perhaps the club that we met in. That is suitable, but hardly friendly to SHIELD. If you are sure, then let us meet in three days time.

Quake has posed:
Skye's reply was a simple return send:

Skye >> I'll see you there.

Now she had to plan things. And convince the others why she wasn't crazy for agreeing to do this.