7351/Have I Got News For You

Have I Got News For You
Date of Scene:	29 April 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Sam meets May at Willow's and May gives them an assignment. Chinese food, werewolves and Batman fanboying may also be involved.
Cast of Characters:	Melinda May, Willow Rosenberg, Sam Winchester

---

Melinda May has posed:
It took a few days, partly to parse through the information given to her by the Batman, and partly to send out a message to Sam Winchester and get a reply back. A meeting time and place is agreed upon, and after checking the address, arrives with a VERY full takeout bag in hand.

Be honored, she stops to knock on the door and doesn't just let herself in. But, they'd better get the door quickly. The food's getting cold.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had been surprised when Sam showed up, but had invited him in anyway. She needed someone to talk to about everything. Not just what she'd found out, but the whole guest conversation she'd had with John. Maybe she'd leave out the bits where John suggested she and Sam were a thing. It was embarrassing enough that John was teasing her about sleeping with people in *that* way.

"..So that was the thing. It was bugging me - why there? Why'd they take him there. I think I know why, Sam, and it's not good."

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Yeah?" Sam asks about Superman. "Why did they take him there-" he begins when there is that knock on the door. He looks to Willow in warning, he'd told her who their guest was, but he wasn't sure if she wanted May to overhear anything about the state of Metropolis' champion.

When that's been sorted out he heads to the door and opens it, to let May inside. "Hey, wow, is all that for us?" Because who else would it be for? "Come on in," he says getting out of her way.

Melinda May has posed:
May steps into the residence and as is a habit that Sam will very likely recognize, her eyes quickly scan the room for choke points, exits, defensible positions, and sniper-risk. "It is, and it's not as much food as it appears to be." The place she stopped at doesn't like to 'crowd' their food, apparently, if the containers are anythinf to go by. At least they're all recyclable.

She stops a little ways in, playing the part of the polite guest. If this were, say, Castiel or Skye's residence, she'd have gone straight through to the kitchen without stopping.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
May will be surprisingly pleased: while the place is obviously the domicile of young people, it's appointed in ways that smack of an awareness that the general public just don't have. Furniture pointed subtely towards exits. Particular areas very absent of any of the small bits of clutter that sit on other pieces of furniture. All the usual trappings. Not to mention, should she notice such things and appreciate them for what they are, there are subtle white on white painted markings over doors and other thresholds, plus discrete gatherings of certain herbs and dried flowers at or nearby the same.

You can't really expect less of an apartment shared by The Slayer and her witch sidekick.

"Totally, yeah," Willow was just saying to Sam. "He was there because... Oh, look, food."

There's a puzzled little blink as Sam lets their guest in, and she arrives with food. And not just food, a LOT of food.

Willow leaning in to whisper to Sam, "Does she always bring diner?"

Okay, May hadn't brought dinner last time, but she had paid for it.

To May, she wonders, "Should I get us some plates and stuff?"

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam does spot her sizing up the place and smiles. It made him feel less weird that other people do that. "Anyhow we're in the living room," he says leading the way.

As for the food thing? Sam considers, "So far, yeah," he says with a smile. "But hey, food." Though he doesn't comment on there being less than it appears, because, well he has his doubts there.

He stays standing too until the plates and stuff question is resolved, after all he might need to help out. Those Midwestern manners, right?

Melinda May has posed:
May nods to Sam and steps toward the living room while answering Willow's offer of plates. "That would be helpful, thank you." She sets the bag on a convenient and easily cleaned surface and starts unloading it. Based on the containers she's handling, the first two or three actually weigh almost nothing. The last two are very clearly the truly loaded down ones.

Once the food's set out for people to claim portions as they please, she sets the bag on the floor out of the way and moves to claim a side chair, leaving the sofa free for the other two. "You might recognize the potstickers, Sam."

Yes, she brought THOSE potstickers.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow isn't really a dab hand in the kitchen, but she at least knows where the plates and utensils live. Between her budget, her schedule, and her cooking prowess, Willow tends to eat very much like the student she is. She has a mom for home cooked meals, doesn't she?

When she arrives back in the livingroom, she ponders the offerings May has brought, her petite features scrunching up in consideration, "Those aren't vegetarian, are they? That's okay, I have stuff. They smell pretty good."

She moves to offer her guests the plates and such, noting that May hasn't touched anything Buffy might be concerned about later, and despite saying she had stuff, opts to plop back down on the couch and peer at May.

"Same didn't really say why you were coming over?" She still didn't know /who/ May was, really. Just that she was coming, it was the same woman as that time before, and, it seemed to Willow, May checked up on Sam from time to time. Not that Willow follows how she got lumped into the occassion, but free food! Except for the part where she's pretty sure Buffy is going to be happy about free food, or Sam will have leftovers.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam is content to step out of the way while Willow gets dishes for them but definitely helps unload the food, and not just to scope out what he wants to get at first. Which is definitely the potstickers.

"The message didn't say," Sam says about May's reason for calling them together. That said he wasn't in the habit of questioning when May reached out, it had never not been serious.

Melinda May has posed:
May seems content to let the two younger people fill their plates first, taking that time to answer Willow's questions about the food and about why she's here.

"The spring rolls are vegetarian, and this is lo han jai. Most people know it as Buddha's Delight, mushrooms and tofu instead of meat."

She waits a few moments before getting to the real reason why she's here. "WAND has an assignment for you, Sam, if you accept it." She tried her best to NOT sound like the beginning of every Mission Impossible episode, really.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow's eyes light up as May declares portions of the meal safe for her to eat, and happily digs in, taking a fairly large portion for such a petite little thing of the lo han jai, a couple spring rolls, and a heaping portion of the rice.

She sits back and munches away, looking more than a little curious as to why May had to come to her apartment to offer Sam a job, though for the moment she doesn't ask outright. Though knowing Willow, she'll get to it.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam samples some of the meatier stuff first, letting Willow get first crack at the vegitarian stuff, though if there's any left? Some of that lo han jai, is ending up on his plate.

"Hey thanks again for bringing this," Sam says pointing at his plate with his chopsticks as he settles into his favourite chair in Willow's living room.

The mission thing has him coughing as he bites into a potsticker, setting it down. "What? Uh," his eyes cut to Willow. "Let's hear it, I guess." He hadn't really broke the whole I work for SHIELD sometimes thing to Willow.

Melinda May has posed:
May finally loads her own plate, claiming one spring roll, a couple of potstickers, and modest servings of the rice, the lo han jai, and the cashew chicken. "Something I learned a long time ago. Important meetings go better on a full stomach."

Then, after her first potsticker is gone, she explains. "Some intel from Gotham came in the other day. Apparently, there is a quiet little war brewing there, between vampires and beings my informant named lycans. When I heard about this, I knew I'd need to contact you as quickly as possible." That's when she pulls a USB memory stick from a pocket and offers it to Sam.

Whether or not the embossed SHIELD emblem on the USB drive is visisble to Willow or not remains to be seen.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow's suspicious little mind is turning things around in her head, trying to figure this out. Okay, she lives in Gotham, but did May know that before she decided to meet with Sam? And had she requested here to meet? Or was that Sam's idea? And if it was Sma's idea, then why was May doing this in front of Willow - because Willow wasn't.. what was it Sam was anyway? The'd never really established that.

And while Willow /had/ intended to sit back quietly and see what happened next, she finds herself speaking up, "Just what is WAND anyway? And why are we doing all this in front of me?" Brain supplying.. Wand. Magic? Wasn't that just a tiny wee bit twee? "And just who are you? And what is it you and - why Sam?"

Adding as an afterthought, "This Buddha stuff is really good by the way. Thank-you for bringing it."

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam swallows hard at the mention of vampires and werewolves, which is what these lycans sounded like, not some of his favourite things as it turned out, they were damn hard to kill and when it came to the latter, he had issues.

"What are you guys looking for? For me to take them out?" he asks May. Tall order for one Hunter. "Or are you looking for intel?"

Willow's questions get a nod followed by a look for May. She'd opened that door by bringing it up here so, he waits to see if she's going to walk through it or not.

Melinda May has posed:
May nods to Willow's thanks, but doesn't answer her questions. Not right off, anyway. "My informant made it sound like assistance in stopping the skirmishes was the request, but they have suspicions about the vampires' motivations. And from the intel shared, I agree. There's a distinct power imbalance there, and when an overwhemingly powerful force seeks out allies against a weaker enemy, something in me wants to ask why."

She points her chopsticks at Sam, unaware of the fact that Willow's home is actually in Gotham. "I was hoping you would be willing to locate and speak with one or more of the lycans there, get a better idea of what's really going on. Give us some intel that's unbiased and actionable."

With all of that said, she finally turns her attention to Willow. "Wizardry, Alchemy, and Necromancy Division. A subset of SHIELD."

Mic drop.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Lycans. Vampires.

"They're not really nice people, you know." Well, there had been exceptions, but on the whole! No. "Gosh, I wish Buffy were here. John is going to want to hear about this, though. I'm not sure if the others.. that's okay. We can deal with this. I know exactly what spells I need, and oh!"

Her features brighten as it occurs to her: shopping trip. One of her favourite things to do.

And then they darken again. Her bank book says NO to that thought. She's not only perpetually broke, but this Superman thing had her missing most of the few hours of work she was able to pick up to supplement her income.

"Lycans are a lot easier to speak to," she says quietly, still disappointed. She could do bargain basement abjurations here, but gosh darn it would have been nice to go all out!

Blinking, then, at May. "Huh? SHIELD? Huh?" Yes, she knows what SHIELD is - in an Academic way. She jsut doesn't follow May's connection. "You're not really a ghost hunter sort?" Other than she carried herself like Buffy, so maybe?

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam takes in the mission with a grimmace "Talk to werewolves?" he looks suspiciously at May. "Has Dean been telling stories about me again?" his last real romantic encounter had been with one, shortly before he had to put her down. He wondered if the story had gotten out somehow. Or well that somehow being Dean.

Willow's remarks are met with a nod, "Yeah, you can definitely say that again," Sam says of vampires and wereweolves not being the nicest of people. Though he has to smile at least a little at her enthusiasm.

"Definitely," he agrees about the Lycans. "So, usual rates plus expenses right?" he asks May. "If we take the mission," he says that we including Willow now too, by way of asking if she was to be included in thise. He hoped so, it sounded like she had the right magic to make sure they walked out with out getting bitten.

Melinda May has posed:
Maydoes not miss the way Willow not only doesn't seem incredulous at the mention of vampires and lycans, she also has enough knowledge to offer opinions. Making a mental note to draft up a new WANT consultant contract, just in case.

Sam's comment has her turning to look at him shrewdly. "No, I haven't been able to contact your brother for several months. Why?" Then his question about usual rates and expenses gets a nod. "If you take the mission." And the way she nods does include Willow as well. "Also, you'll have access to the armory for any supplies, tools, or weaponry that fall outside your normal kit."

Like handheld UV and daylight spectrum lamps or something.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Say which again? That she doesn't look like a ghost hunter?" May looked at appraisingly. "I guess? But then again neither does Buffy." Other than the weapons. Buffy being rather more forward about shuch things when she set out on her work day.

Of course Sam means the manners of Lycans and Werewolves, leaving the red-head to 'ahhh' softly to herself in understanding. "if you're just talking to them, we'd have to set some traps. Force them to agree to truths. They'll be not happy about that, but if they're not messing around that should be okay. It's only if they're planning on attacking - you know what you'll need for them? I can draw you up a list?"

Said hopefully, because if Sam is getting the things, and he's got access to this armory, she might just get a few of her wants. Then again..

May gets a very sheepish, "I know I wasn't invited, but if I were with Sam and I wanted to help, do you think you could maybe get me some components that would be useful? They're not really expensive, but I'm kinda broke."

Brain worrying about how to fit this in inbetween school, her part time job, the Librarian, Superman down for the count and quite possibly about to be possessed by an elder god of Apokolips, and now this.

Willow was pretty certain something was going to give and feared her average was about to dip below that dreaded 95% mark. It was a distressing thought.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam brushes off the question about his brother, "No reason.," he says. "Just had a run in with a werewolf, wondered if Dean had talked about it." Clearly it wasn't a funny haha encounter.

As for accepting the mission or not, Sam looks to Wllow, "You game for this, Will?" he asks her. "I'm not crazy about this one, but May always deals with us square and hell I could use the money." He had his usual sources but staying in one place for so long made those a bit more tricky than they were on the road.

Melinda May has posed:
"I'm not a ghost hunter," May says to Willow plainly. And it's true. She's not. She's just the acting Deputy Director of all of SHIELD and WAND. "That's why I hire ghost hunters, and people like Sam with specialized skill sets and the need to work where local law enforcement won't interfere. Speaking of," she looks at Sam at this point. "SHIELD won't able to give you the kind of backup for this Gotham mission that we would in Manhattan. But I can get you in communication with my contact and their support base there."

Again to Willow, she nods at the question of components. "If they are items needed for this mission, WAND will supply them or a stipend to purchase anything perishable or not already prepared for use. But," she adds, pointing her chopsticks at Willow. "No black cats."

She finishes off her food while Sam asks Willow if she's in.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"What's wrong with black cats?" That one perplexes Willow. Not that she'd intended on asking for one anyway. Other than now, contrarily, she wanted one.

Buffy would kill her. Besides, when did Willow have time to take care of another pet? She already had one she was obligated to, and worse, couldn't pass off to someone else for *mumble reasons*.

Sam's question draws her back. "What do you mean am I game? You do know what my room mate does, right? Who she is? Didn't we go over this when I was trying to set you two up?" Willow sighs. Maybe Sam's angel was right and he was stupid. Though how John had heard that, Willow did not know. "We don't usually talk to them, but sometimes they're chatty. And just what makes you think I'd leave you by yourself? Your brother isn't around, and I haven't seen Buffy in weeks. Only.. there's that other job. And you know, the things we're looking for. I'm just trying to figure it out."

Sam Winchester has posed:
There's a faint smirk at the black cat comment. "I thought the rule wasn't we couldn't get paid in black cats."

As for the matter of why he asked, "Well didn't want to sign you up to contract for a spy agency without at least asking," he says. "But if you're in, awesome, so am I. We'll try to make it quick, so you know we don't die and you can get back to the other thing you're working on."

Melinda May has posed:
"No, the rule is WAND will not acquire black cats for consultants, regardless of the intended purpose," May quips back at Sam. It's almost impossible to tell if she's unimpressed or amused.

She then looks from Sam to Willow. "If you're not interested in doing contract work for WAND, Sam can list you as non-WAND personnel resource for this mission only." Which makes changes to the resulting pay and stipend, but she's not going to get into that here and now. She's not a Ferengi.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Here's where Willow has to ask May in a small voice, "Is it a problem I'm kinda working for the Justice League?" Because she was. And man did they have an alarming lack of mystical and magical knowledge going on there.

Sams's reassurances have her giggling and shaking her head. "Wow, you really do forget what my beste does. That's okay, I figure you've been around this long doing what you're doing. And I'm not really that worried. Wards are one of my specialties. How bad could it be?"

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Huh," Sam says in the same sort of unreadable deadpan. "Live and learn."

He does however watch May to see how she reacts to Willow working for the Justice League, which says pretty clearly that he knew about that much.

"I know what your bestie does, I was mostly talking about me when it comes to not dying, I don't have the cool mystical powers, remember? " he says with a slight grin.

He turns to May. "Sounds like we're in."

Melinda May has posed:
May looks at Willow and her reveal about the Justice League with the exact same Vulcan-esque calm expression she's had this entire time. "Only if your working with Sam and WAND interferes with your duties for the Justice League." Note, she did not say that the other way around.

At Sam's declaration, she nods. "Good. All of the intel I was given is on that USB along with any supplemental information WAND already had on file. I'll give you a way to reach my contact if you think it'll be necessary." Because she does NOT want to have to explain to the Batman why a floppy-haired young man in plaid and denim is calling him for help seeming randomly from the middle of Gotham.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I don't think it's interefered yet," Willow admits, though she's flubbed bigtime there with her prior blurt to Sam about what was going on. Mind, he'd met some of the crew now and been found not wanting. Perhaps just their sort. Kara herself had vetted him.

"Wait - USB? You have computer stuff for me?" Looking first to Sam, and then back to May.

"You know, you never did say why you came here. I mean, wouldn't it have made more sense to talk to him privately and not involve me?" Other than the obvious. "Or you were hoping for this, weren't you? Like, how much do you already know?"

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam leans forward to take the USB, and then gives it a quick toss to Willow. "Definitley got computer stuff for you to do."

He turns back to May then, nodding. "I'd like that, might need some help on the ground tracking these guys down. If your guy knows Gotham it'll help, I've been staying out of there since Dean ran into one of the Bats."

As for what SHIELD knows, "Nothing from me," Sam assures Willow.

Melinda May has posed:
May shakes her head no at Willow. "I only asked Sam to meet. He said to meet here. The only research I did was to confirm that this is truly a civilian residence." Which, technically, it is. "Maybe it was subconscious on Sam's part, but I think it will work out for the best."

Sam mentioning that Dean had a run in with one of the Bat clan earns him a sharp look. "Well, that could make this interesting, then. I'll initiate the contact so they know you're a friendly."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
At first Willow wants to be upset with Sam, but in a way it fits. She had kinda dragged him into the Justice League mess, hadn't she? "You owe me," she mouths at him, catching the USB stick deftly.

"I'll see what I can find on this. Sometimes I can find things that weren't intended to be there. It's kinda of the magic I do."

Apologetically to May.

Sam Winchester has posed:
Sam groans as May outs him, but when all he gets is a 'you owe me' from Willow he decides he can live with that. "Yeah, it really is," he says about the data.

"I'd appreciate that," Sam says. "Wait, you know how to reach the Bats?" he asks her a blink or two. "Like for real?" He was more of a Superman or Captain America guy, but he had to admit, the idea that he knew someone who knew Batman was kinda cool!

Melinda May has posed:
May seems okay with Willow being given the USB stick. Sam accepted the mission, the information is now his to act on, including handing it off to someone with apparently some tech savvy?

"I do, yes. The intel about the vampires and the lycans came from Batman himself. He asked for assistance in dealing with it, and I think you're the best person for the job. I'll let him know you're heading that way and to keep an eye out for you both."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow just sits there and shakes her head. "How did I get involved with these people?"

Because she's still way back in 'I am not worthy' territory, failing to see her own value in things. A very large testamony to her youth.]

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Wait, wait, wait, so /Batman/ told you about this, and now he's going to be keeping an eye out for us?" Sam asks May, on the verge of going full fanboy.

He dails it back, coughing, "Ahem, yeah, because that's excellent and we'll absolutely take care of this for you., and Batman."

Willow's comment gets Sam looking, "Right?"

Melinda May has posed:
"He did, yes." May says this completely matter of fact. Because it's true. No exaggerations. Coulson will even corroborate. "Thank you, Sam." She knows he will, even if only because that that almost-fanboy moment. Now she's thinking that if this mission goes well enough she'll have to ask Sam if he willing to do the same evaluation all the full agents did... and then pit him against Barnes. Or maybe Rogers.

For science.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Sam gets a snicker. "You're a fanboy. Oh my gosh. That's.. oh.." You just know she's filing that away to use in the future. As for May, "Uh.. you said I'd get paid? Can I see that in writing, please?"

She was pretty sure she /wasn't/ getting paid by the Justice League, which was okay, it wasn't like what she and Buffy did paid either, but May brought up the whole pay scale thing, and to be frank, Willow was a struggling student. Who was missing both her actual paying job, and classes.

Willow considers, "You must be someone if you go around hiring for SHIELD. But you don't, okay, you remind me of my friend. She looks at rooms when she walks into them the same way you did. Sam does it too."

Sam Winchester has posed:
"Wow," Sam says to May, all, 'omg someone who talked to Batman talked to me!' much better than Nightwhatshisname who talked to Dean.

Then to Willow, "What? I am not. I am just curious about the guy, I've heard a lot of stuff living right next to Gotham," he tries to cover, it doesn't quite work.

There's a slight snerk though when Willow asks for proof of payment in writing.

Melinda May has posed:
May raises an eyebrow at Willow. "Does that mean you're willing to become a WAND consultant?"If you are, I'll get the contract drafted up for you. Sam can tell you the details, it'll be very similar to his." Maybe with some differences in payment preferences, as she suspects this young woman likely has a bank account and would not mind direct depost.

"Contact me when you plan to come by the Triskelion. I'll have the contract ready by then." With that, she stands and carries her plate to the kitchen.