7785/Who's That Knocking

Who's That Knocking
Date of Scene:	08 June 2019
Location:	Interior - Fulham Hotel, Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Belonwu is recruited, SHIELD style.
Cast of Characters:	Ota, Melinda May, Quake, Jemma Simmons

---

Ota has posed:
Brooklyn is busy. It is Saturday and not raining. People from all walks of life are strutting their stuff or hurrying along to dinners, dates and shows.

The Fulham is not so busy. It is poorly maintained and looks like the sort of place that will rent rooms for a week or month. The inside smells of cigarette smoke and old carpet.

The wiry, middle-aged man behind the counter has enormous bags under his eyes and suspicious look for anyone who comes in.

"For Greene," Belonwu tells the man. His eyes narrow but he slides a key to Belonwu.

The CIA agent takes stock of the lobby and then walks the stairs. He checks both fire exits on the floor work, and then goes into the room. It is small, dingy and depressing. He sits against the desk, crosses his arms and waits.

Melinda May has posed:
A particular CIA agent recently shown to have powers is the kind of thing SHIELD pays attention to. They have a whole division that does strictly that. Thus, they have been tracking one Belonwu Mazi's movements in the five boroughs area one analyst picked up word that there was a meet planned.

At the dingy Fulham Hotel, with Jemma safely ensconced nearby in an overwatch type vehicle and Skye listening from the alley next to the building proper, May waits on the fire escape near the top of the building. She's trusting Skye's ability to track vibrations to tell her where the agent has stopped, and once they have confirmation they can move in.

And, maybe, that fire exit door popping open briefly is the younger agent's way in.

"Status, Skye."

Quake has posed:
So far all Skye has picked up is the conversation in the lobby.

"He asked for Greene. By the sounds he got a key. Subject is heading up the stairs." She didn't hear the sounds of an elevator meaning it either didn't have one, or for whatever reason it was out of commission or parked on a floor, unmoving. That gave them some advantage, even as it also limited them. If their subject had to use the stairs, so did they.

Then again, there was only one of him, and three of them.

"The place doesn't sound busy. Should be minimal interference of outsiders." Also a good thing. Now for people to just stay in their rooms and not decide that /right/ /now/ was checkout time for everyone.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
There may be a drone in the area, though it is only one. And, it's really quiet. The DWARF twitters in the air as Jemma cuts in through the comms. "Snow is picking only a few heat signatures. The hotel isn't that busy." Jemma sends the drone over towards the roof. "probably already saw the roof access is open, but that is an option. otherwise, could just monitor with Snow."

Jemma herself stretches out, turning off the comms for a moment. "This...is not as exciting sitting by myself." For once, she is without Fitz.

Ota has posed:
Belonwu purses his lips and waits. He hates the waiting. But contacts ran on crime time, or spy time or any other time than clock time.

This particular meet made him uncomfortable. The Agency had been strange of late, slow rolling investigations, holding back operations. Rumours were going around that something was going on inside.

Then this meet. Not for one his contacts, and straight from the New York desk chief. No details.

He would have checked the time on his phone but the battery was out of it for now.

Melinda May has posed:
"Acknowledged, Skye. Follow him. Overwatch, use Snow to see if you can find which room the target is in. I'm heading in." This said, she starts climbing down the fire escape, only the faint and occasional metallic creak from the poorly maintained steel framework indications that she's in motion.

She could go much faster, but she's opting for stealth over speed as well as giving the other two time to zero in on the agent's location.

She's not expecting trouble, just their target being less than pleased at their ... unplanned appearance.

Quake has posed:
"Affirmative, chief," Skye mutters, taking herself from her position in the alleyway, and making for the front door of the hotel. She's already trying to use her hearing to get a gauge on what floor and which end of the hallway their mark has gone, thought it's not as precise a fix as she might like. She'll get better info once she's actually inside and listening outside specific doorways, but between now and then she has to make it to that specific floor.

Then again, she could just employ the brass ones and ask at the front desk.

In the end, that's what Skye goes with. It bypasses the problematic being stopped on her way. She approaches the desk, and while asking pulls out her cellphone. She doesn't even look the desk clerk in the eye as she mutters, "Looking for Green? Not sure if it's with or without an e at the end." Then, as bored as she can make herself look, she lifts her head like she's just now remembered normal people do these polite things like look at one another when they're speaking, but in reality, she's watching him for telltale gestures that might possibly point to which cubby belongs to the key that was given out. Or barring that, which cubbies are missing keys.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
The comms flick back on...with the decidedly British tones of Jemma cutting in. "Can do." The DWARF drops down from the rooftops, angling to use the infrared camera on Snow to take a peek through the rooms. "Well, if we discount the rooms with more than one occupant, then that gives us a decidedly smaller pool to work with." There's a sweep as the drone does its thing, then Jemma chimes in. "Third floor, southern wall, third room on the left. That is probably the most likely room." A pause, then Jemma's voice comes back in...and there might be a noticeable tinge of embarrassment and disgust mingled within. "Just don't pick the room on the right. Judging from the angle of the heat signatures, coupled with the temperatures being generated...you do not want to walk into that room."

Unseen by the two out in the field, Jemma shifts in the van that she has all to herself for the time being. Besides her is the other seven DWARFs ready to go if necessary.

Ota has posed:
Jemma can see on the infrared that the short, stocky male in the third floor room is not moving. He is leaning against something, facing away from where the TV probably is and doing nothing. He does not play on his phone or pace.

May's entrance is silent as the bad floors will let it be, but it's more than enough. Between blaring TVs and exaggerated moans of pleasure, nobody will hear the small creaks she makes.

The man at the counter looks Skye over shamelessly when she walks in. He smirks disdainfully, knowingly when she asks for Green.

"304," he all but snarks in petty superiority. He looks down at her chest and most of the way back up to her face. "Have a good night."

Melinda May has posed:
Third floor. Perfect. May has only one level of the fire escape left to deal with, so she speeds up a bit in the hopes of reaching the room that Skye and Simmons both have sussed out at the same time as the younger agent in the lobby.

"Overwatch, please position Snow for surveillance and recording." She is fully planning on making use of the DWARF's array of sensors and recording devices in this little chat they're all about to have.

Quake has posed:
"Right," Skye drawls, still bored to tears. "Guy better be paying me extra for walking the stairs. It ain't part of my job description," she mutters. "304. Swear to god I need a better screening system. What loser picks a place without an elevator..."

As Skye mutters these things, she's sent her complaints over the comms, and given her team a general idea of what they're looking at here, plus a precise room. As she makes it away from the desk, out of hearing range, her complaints drop, but she continues to give a softly voiced rundown of the interior and what they're looking at in case their mark spooks, or, you know, unexpected visitors, or civilian interference.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
There isn't an immediate response from Overwatch, but it is apparent that Jemma is on the task. As May closes in on the room from the fire escape, the drone drops into her view, hovering just above the window for Room 304. It might be there to help identify the room....or it might be there to get set up for observation. Most likely, knowing Jemma, it's both.

"Overwatch set. Scanners detect nothing of major import. The target is just....standing there. Looks like he is waiting for someone. Be careful, out there."

Quake has posed:
Outside 304, Skye leans against the door lintel, and knocks, waiting for any sort of noise or response from within. "C'mon buddy, you're on the clock. Started ticking when I got your number from the desk clerk. Be happy I didn't take my time on the stairs. No skin off my nose, but you still have to pay if you don't get to finish the job. Your choice."

Skye might just be having a little too much fun with this. And, of course, she's listening in on the room, not that she doesn't expect May and Jemma are in position to prevent an escape via the window.

Melinda May has posed:
"Acknowledged, Overwatch. Keep recording." Reaching the window that leads to the fire escape, it's the work of just a few moments for May to jimmy it open from the outside, climb in, and close it again.

She catches up with Skye just before the younger agent knocks and steps to put herself out of the line of sight of the person inside the room, ready to respond however best suits what said person does. If she's amused by Skye's 'performance', she doesn't let it show. Not here, and not now.

Maybe later.

Maybe.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
The drone dips, performing a closer examination of the room, as Jemma's voice chimes in on the comms. "Target is armed. Back waistline. Otherwise, keys and what appears like a cellphone are in the right front pocket, something rectangular in both the left front pocket and right jacket pocket."

It pays to have multiple monitors, which is what Jemma is using to observe the room. The audio microphone is on, as well, recording Skye's performance for prosperity. There might be a giggle overheard on the comms, briefly, before Jemma controls herself. "Of course. Recording in process."

Just....as a precaution, Jemma flicks a switch, which prompts a second feed to be recorded. On a more secure device. Just in case...or for playback for certain individuals later.

Ota has posed:
On infrared, the male inside the room pushes himself up and walks to the side of the door. He listens for a moment then unlocks the door and opens it.

He is a serious-looking, short, jacked man dressed in sneakers, jeans, a Lakers shirt and a light black jacket. He is very dark skinned and too average looking to be called handsome. No jewelry or really anything remarkable about him. He eyes Skye mechanically, critically, without a trace of the 'male gaze' and doesn't say a word until she is inside. Then he locks the door and walks back toward the bed. He grabs the remote, turns on the TV and leans his back against the wall, less tactical than one would normally expect.

"What is this about?" he asks in a thick Nigerian accent.

Quake has posed:
Skye remains looking bored to tears until she's inside the room, where the act is dropped, the young woman quirking a brow at him. "Well, it's not about a twenty dollar good time, that's for sure. I wouldn't really advise you opening the door and letting strange women in, and locking the door behind them. Especially if you didn't order happy fun times yourself. And don't get cocky about the gun in your back pocket either."

She holds her position easily, waiting for word from her team.

"You tell me what this is about."

Melinda May has posed:
May stays hidden as the man lets Skye in and locks the door behind them. These flimsy locks? Not even a hint of a challenge. She just has to hope that Skye is standing so he can't see or hear the doorknob being jimmied as she pulls her lockpicks and gets started.

The only real challenge to a lock this old, basic, and poorly maintained is the chance of the tumblers slipping due to being so worn down. She works extra carefully to avoid this, even if it means taking a bit longer than usual.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
Voice analysis is already underway as the gentleman in the room speaks. Of course, he doesn't know about it. Nor, really does the agent in the room and the agent currently picking the lock. Jemma, however, is running the accent through computer databases to pinpoint a particular origin, if possible. Because, what else is she going to do in her little hideaway except watch?

It only takes a couple of moments before Jemma chimes in on the comms. "Target is Nigerian. The accent, according to the database, denotes a native Igbo. Not sure if that helps or not. Once I get a good image of his facial features, I can run for identification." Snow, in her own helpful way, remains outside of the window, dutifully keeping Jemma informed via the myriad of sensors onboard her.

Ota has posed:
Voice analysis tells Jemma what she already knows from reviewing SHIELD's dossier on Belonwu, including his personnel and biometric records pulled from the CIA computers. This is either Belonwu Mazi, or someone who can replicate his voice patterns well enough to fool her systems. And it's not likely Loki is in that hotel room impersonating the CIA agent, which is about what it would take.

The tumblers nearly slip but May gets them, she has enough practice and makes no sound at all picking the lock. The moment the door is open a crack, the sounds of other rooms in the hallway get louder in the room. And the door cannot open all the way because the bar latch that has to be unlocked from the inside is still closed.

Belonwu is impassive through Skye's... Performance? Admonishment? Bravado? He just looks at her flatly and waits after she asks her question as if she had not yet spoken, and seems to be more than professional enough neither to react to it nor to take it at face value and write Skye off as an unprofessional nobody on first appearances.

When the sound level changes from the door opening his expression does not change. He has that stoneface a lot of experienced military operators have.

"One of yours?" he asks.

Quake has posed:
If he expected Skye to look impressed, she isn't either.

"Mine? Oh, I think technically I'm one of hers, but I'll give you that one for free."

Skye shrugs.

She makes a mental note that the *next* time they do something like this she should counter the noise varient. It's well within her skillset. However, it wasn't something they'd thought of in advance, and they were only learning how best to use Skye as a powered field agent instead of a desk jockey hacker.

The rest is really up to May in this one, but now that she's in the room, and they're all aware that she is, Skye moves to stand opposite where she was before. Not blocking the view from the window, but beside it, most definitely a denying presense there, as well as creating the situation where to take them down he's going to have to decide who to shoot first.

Melinda May has posed:
The slightly opened door closes almost all the way again, and then a thin blade snakes through the remaining crack and pushes the bar latch out of the way before May steps inside. She closes and relatches the door behind herself, the knife she just used disappearing back into her jacket.

"Mr. Mazi. We're with SHIELD. We'd like to talk."

Ota has posed:
Belonwu assesses May quickly when she comes into view.

"Alright," he says neutrally. "What can I do for you?"

He very clearly has not made up his mind about whether they are SHIELD or some external or internal black flag or something else altogether.

Quake has posed:
This is May's party now, and Skye bides her time to add to it. She's done her part, and to be honest, she's enjoying assessing Belonwu even as he assesses them. Not to mention, she knows her former SO enough to read /her/ assessment as well. This right here is where the man is going to make or break a future career with SHIELD. Things just got interesting.

Melinda May has posed:
"That is the correct question."

May studies the man for a moment. "CIA's case load for you has gotten a little thin lately, hasn't it?" Yes, they noticed that. "So you've been taking on side jobs. Respectable enough use of your time, I suppose, but ultimately a waste of your full knowledge and skillset."

She shifts her weight over to one foot ever so slightly, which to Skye almost announces she's standing down on the potential for hostility. "I'd like to offer you an alternative."

Ota has posed:
Belonwu's expression finally changes, his eyes narrow slightly when May finishes.

He stands up straight, with that distinctive military bearing servicemen so often wear as a badge of honour.

Belonwu pulls his cellphone out of one pocket and the battery for it out of the other. He re-assembles it quicky, plugs in the encryption dongle and dials.

"Yes, I will be home soon. Is Joe there?"

There is a pause.

"Joe, thank you for those tickets. Mhmm. No, I'm with Emma, from Sales. Did you know she was coming? Oh, yes, home soon."

"I am not sure who they thought I would tell if they warned me," Belonwu comments dryly, the first human inflection he had shown. "You are right of course, it is... Odd. What did you have in mind?" he asks curiously, the doctor, scientist peeking through.

Melinda May has posed:
May lets the man call in without so much as attempting to stop him. It's almost like she expected it.

"We have a Research and Development group that would most certainly benefit from your scientific knowledge, but I by no means intend to park you in a lab until the end of time. We also have been dealing with a biochemical threat of late, and I think you could help us both speed up our development of ways to detect the presence of this particular biochemical, but also our work on effective air and water-borne counteragents. Your expertise, both in the lab and out in the field for that could make a significant difference."

Ota has posed:
"That is intriguing," Belonwu says, considering momentarily. Then he smiles slightly and nods.

"I'm in."