8109/Storming the Castle

Storming the Castle
Date of Scene:	30 June 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Castiel barges in on the Triskelion in legitimate fashion. He and May have a meeting of minds, come to some agreements, and Castiel leaves to hunt down Bucky and heal him.
Cast of Characters:	Castiel, Melinda May

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Castiel has posed:
"It wasn't your fault," Castiel had reassured Karen, shoving the number she had given him into his pocket, and abruptly as he's appeared beside her at the fountain, appearing outside the Triskelion and about to storm the castle so to speak. Just outside the doors so as to not set off security alarms. This once he's more than willing to abide by the rules Agent May had set. Perhaps rather obstinately so, to make a point.

That doesn't mean he waits politely for his turn, should there be a line, or that he's an easygoing push through security. It's with almost devilish delight he lets the security team wand him for weapons, only to ask, when they find none, "Are you Sure?" Agent May set the rules. He's no doubt she's seconds away from being able to disregard his request to see her to 'I'll be right down'.

Melinda May has posed:
It never fails. She's never NOT doing eighteen other things. But, when Security down at the entrance ping her to say that Castiel is there, she's both mildly surprised and more seriously concerned.

"Have him meet me in the conference room on level three." It's kind of neutral ground, as it's not her office or any place like that, but it's also a secure room where they can discuss matters that are likely best not aired publicly.

While she's heading toward said conference room herself, she can't help but wonder what the reason is for the angel's visit without calling fi--.

Shit.

She detours to collect his phone from where she'd stored it, and then moves doubletime to get to the aforementioned conference room.

Castiel has posed:
Luckily, things don't make it to 'that's not a knife, this is a knife!' and Castiel is ushered into the Triskelion with a nifty little security tag and all - a tag that's also shoved into his pockets, the angel *walking* to the elevator, getting inside, and once the doors close, merely arrives in the security room May has mentioned.

He's an agitated pace in the room while he waits, pondering the best line of attack. Fully expecting her to have words to say to him, if only because he's upset, so she must be as well.

Melinda May has posed:
May enters moments after Castiel, promptly offering him his phone back. "I should have returned this to you sooner," she starts promptly. "And thank you for arriving by the front doors."

She most certainly doesn't appear to be angry, though she almost never does. But, perhaps more incongruously, she truly ISN'T angry or upset in any way.

Inconceivable.

Castiel has posed:
His phone is scowled at. "That is all? That is all you have to say to me? Do you know what your stupid rules have done? The trouble that they have created?"

His hands are shoved deeply into his trench coat pockets, pulling the fabric tight against his shoulders. So tight that it threatens to split the back if he were to move abruptly.

"I understand you were angry with me, but your solution came of that anger. I have accepted it until now, but your hasty decision has put someone I care about at risk."

For one as angry as he is, Castiel is actually quite restrained.

Melinda May has posed:
May looks at Castiel with her eyebrows ever so slightly furrowed. She has to think for a moment. "I was angry that you did something we had discussed and I asked you to not do. But, who is it that you say has been put at risk because of my decision?"

She's honestly trying to think of who it might be, and she's having difficulty figuring out who in the Triskelion as been at risk because she put a slightly harsher than usual rule down on a WAND consultant.

Yes, she's fully aware that Castiel is a lot more than that, but that's what the general perception would be. Hence, she needs to understand. And, as usual, the angel is being cryptic. Probably unintentionally.

Castiel has posed:
"You had not made it clear that I should not come to occupied areas when I arrive abruptly. Had you made it clear, I would not have. I have not appeared in your sleeping quarters without permission, have I?" Not since she'd told him not to. And in truth, she'd never told him the other. Just the sleeping quarters. While it might seem a bit obtuse to need specifics, she was also dealing with something beyond the mortal. Different rules have always applied to his life.

He lets her stew about the other, because Bucky wasn't in mortal danger - or else this entire conversation would have been moot - and he wished her to be concerned. To understand that he knew things she did not.

Melinda May has posed:
May will not facepalm. She will not facepalm. She will not facepalm. "This is true, you have not. But, let me make it officially clear. Please do not arrive abruptly to any areas inside of the Triskelion building complex unless it is an immediate life or death situation. There are safeguards in place throughout this building that do not react well to anyone's sudden arrivals, and they could well inconvenience you far more than having to be checked for weapons at the front door. Because of the work SHIELD does in this building, any unexpected situations that those safeguards react to have treated as a threat until proven otherwise."

She watches Castiel alertly, her demeanor still calm and rational. "And no, I am not angry right now. You arrived and responded in a manner that would not have those safeguards seeing you as a threat."

Castiel has posed:
A perplexed look crossed the angel's features. "Your Director Fury, and yourself, have both said that you have contacts who come into this building by teleport. I do not understand? Are you saying they do not, or are you saying there is somewhere that they arrive that does not set off alarms?"

Because that front door experience is not on his list of things he's expecting to repeat.

"I did not arrive at the door for any reason other than to make a point."

Melinda May has posed:
The teleport-approved locations. "You're right. Those are approved entry points. With that in mind, if you would be willing to help us properly ward the rest of the building, at this point I think it's ridiculous of us to not accept." Is that an ... olive branch?

"Now, who was it that you said had been put at risk?"

Castiel has posed:
There's a grumble from the angel, who unclenches the tightness of his shoulders, leading now with only one, his body at a slight angle to the woman. "I am sorry that I did not think when I brought Hayal here. I realize now how alarming that must have been."

No, really, the seventh seal might have just broken. May offering an olive branch. Castiel apologizing? The world surely is ending.

"James Barnes," Castiel says gruffly, the edges of his tones blunted by what can only be fondness. His gravelly voice soft in that peculiar way of his. "He is injured and has been hiding it. I have been unaware and unable to assess him personally."

There's a gestures towards the phone, though that also encompasses the entire building and situation that had been created.

"I will assist with the warding. I may call in some help, but if you let me know who needs to be able to enter, we can make it happen."

Thinking instead of wards keeping folks out expressly, of providing keyed wards that only let those with permission in. A slight semantical difference, but an important one.

Melinda May has posed:
Truly one of the seven seals at the very least.

At the mention of James Barnes, May's eyebrows quirk, and then she feels the need to explain further as it seems like someone has misled the angel. "He isn't hiding his injuries. He was on a mission with several agents including me, and was injured in the process of protecting another agent on their way out of our target location. He's been treated by our medical staff, but considering his past, we do as little as is necessary and let him leave the medical facilities as early as possible. So, as the last time I spoke with him, he still has some healing left to do, but is doing so on his own terms. I will never tolerate anyone in SHIELD refusing Barnes his autonomy. He has survived far too much for us to take it away from him again, even when we're trying to help him."

May promptly offers Castiel his phone back when he gestures toward it. It's been fully charged but not unlocked since last used it. "I'll have that list for you by tomorrow. If you'll let me know who you call in to help, I'll make sure they're on the temporary approved entry list."

Castiel has posed:
Now it's Castiel's turn to look like he is trying not to facepalm.

"He has been treated, but he is hiding his pain and lying about it. A friend of his was concerned enough to *call* me." He says it in a manner that suggests he's not talking about a cellphone. Then again, May had his, he couldn't have received such a call.

"There is autonomy, and then there is burdening yourself with what you think you deserve. You may not be a Christian, Agent May, and I do not know what spiritual calling it is you most consider your own, but trust me when I say that he will never let you know the truth about his pain. That is not autonomy, that is stupidity."

Melinda May has posed:
May tilts her head a bit to one side. "It sounds like stupidity to us both. But I can almost guess that to Barnes it's proof that's no longer in the clutches of the people that kept him prisoner and treated him as an object instead of a person. For more than a normal human lifespan. If it means letting him choose to feel that pain for longer than necessary, it's giving him the freedom of choice."

She shrugs slightly. "I don't have to like it. I just have to respect it."

Castiel has posed:
"Then I suppose it is a good thing that I am his friend, and not a fellow Agent. There is honouring his spirit, and there is letting him - The Winchester boys. You have met the elder one. It is like that. He would throw himself on a grenade for the younger. He sold his soul for his brother. He is why I am here - because I would not allow that. For whatever reason, he believes that is not only his destiny, but what he deserves. As long as Sam is okay, he'll accept that."

Castiel regards his phone sitting between them.

"I would not let him damn himself, I will not let James. If he truly will not accept my help, then I will accept that, but I will not avoid asking him to honour the foolishness of believing it is a badge of honour for past misdeeds. There are better ways he can pay that debt."

Melinda May has posed:
May nods to Castiel. "As you're his friend and not a colleague, I can't stop you. Off the record, I'm glad you won't let him. I understand why he has so much trouble with anything medical in nature, but that doesn't mean it doesn't also bother me to see him suffering."

Her eyes flick to one side as a voice comes over her comm unit. "I have to go. More work to do. But, thank you, and we'll talk again soon."

Castiel has posed:
Castiel doesn't need second bidding. His phone is grabbed, and under the new parameters of their agreement, he finds a safe zone nearest Bucky's quarters and walks the rest of the way to visit his friend, intending on doing what it seemed only he was able to do. Which was ignore the gallant protests and heal him.