8382/A Little While Ago

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A Little While Ago
Date of Scene: 18 July 2019
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Some alien technology is tested, to be stored/salvaged for parts later. Whilst Nat, Bucky and Lara do a little chatting!
Cast of Characters: Lara Croft, Black Widow (Romanoff), Winter Soldier




Lara Croft has posed:
Some time ago, in the Weapons Testing Facility...

Lara Croft had waited for a time when there was no one scheduled in here and she arrives with a device she wasn't entirely sure how it functions. A long cylindrical staff/rod that opens up at the end of it and has a blue crystal mounted on its end where the opening reveals.

Croft is a known element in SHIELD, but not one of the more well known ones, like a Hawkeye or a Black Widow, not by any means.

She's known as one of the 'Weirdo Agents' in the WAND division.

One of the recovered items from her missions is now within her hands and she's raising it up to aim it down-range... After fuddling with the staff for a few moments she suddenly recoils as a blue energy beam BURSTS out of the end of the staff and lances down range to burn right through one of the target dummies!

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    There's a silence in the weapons testing facility that is usually silent, as most weapons tests are early in the morning and a few soldiers throughout the day like to test themselves more than their weapons and this happens to be the most comfortable shooting range in the whole of the facility, likely in all of SHIELD.

    This is why Natasha finds her way to the weapons range, just in time for Lara's rod to open up and glow a whole lot. Natasha doesn't make mention of it but she does stand next to the doorway, her hands behind her back and her eyes curiously watching the WAND Agent go through her routine with the alien tech.

Winter Soldier has posed:
This is another of those places in the Triskelion that Buck doesn't bring his service dog to. Not that there are many of those. So it's just the Soldier himself in t-shirt and fatigue pants. He's got a pistol with him - apparently it's purely mundane weapons he needs practice with.

But the spectacle of the thing Croft is wielding is enough to make him pause....and end up peering curiously over Nat's shoulder. He doesn't look eager to get closer.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara is dressed in a dark gray tank top that is form fit to her fit form, with a little SHIELD logo over the left breast in a navy color. Its tucked into a pair of lighter gray cargo pants cinched by a black belt. She has leather fingerless gloves on her hands helping her keep hold of the staff-weapon and after it fires she lets it run for a few seconds before deactivating it!

The blue light in the room fades away and with a heavy audible exhale, Lara sets the staff back down onto the table beside her.

The British woman leans down, bends down over the table and starts to write something on a notepad with a pen she'd gathered up in her right hand.

She's talking to herself, as most children who grew up without siblings do. "Constant beam weapon, as advertised... Its got a powerful kick, but its nothing that a standard human cannot function with. It... annihilated the target."

She pauses to look over at said target, its being replaced by floating robots with a new / fresh one.

Lara looks back to her writing then, her dark brown pony tail flopping about her bare shoulders. "The power source has to be tested... it is likely more valuable than the weapon itself."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    Natasha lifts one eyebrow above her head as she watches her fellow agent at work. She doesn't speak, but instead she unclasps her hands from behind her back and then lifts up her arms, bent at the elbow to cross beneath her chest. With a glance to Bucky, Natasha finally makes her presense known to Lara as she steps closer while the weapon is no longer active and in someone's hands.

    "Alien or Magic?" Natasha asks as she steps up to the table and glances to the new target but lets her eyes refocus on the rod so that Lara can catch on to the fact the super spy is asking about the artifact.

Winter Soldier has posed:
She's asking the questions Buck wants answers to - he doesn't often show up in WAND's environs, being a creature of purely mundane (if very weird) technology. So he's silent for a moment, stepping up and off to the side. Nat gets a nod, then he asks, quietly. "......where'd that come from?"

Firearms practice can wait; it isn't often he gets a chance to indulge his curiosity about the odder stuff SHIELD deals with.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara is continuing to mutter something else as she writes when the other two approach. A quick look up is given to them, she knows who both of them are... well she knows who Natasha is. She's seen / heard a little about Bucky, but not very much at all. Next to nothing.

The WAND Agent rises up to her full height again and she draws in a breath, her brown eyes go from them down to the pole-weapon. "Alien." Lara says then. "We thought it was magical at first, due to the nature of the crystal inclusion... but upon a closer inspection it turned out to be materials simply not of this world."

She looks back to them both. "I'm here to do a simple test of its abilities, catalog what I find and then prepare it to be stored into the 'vault'."

A light smirk is shown, and she wouldn't normally do this but since its Natasha and--assumably Bucky is with her, she motions toward it. "Would either of you like to fire it. It has a sustained beam, like a laser weapon. A small kick back... but nothing too strong."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    As soon as the word 'Alien' was spoken, Natasha had reached for it and was starting to examine the weapon in her hands, feeling the thing up and down except not the top where the end opened up like she just saw. No. You don't put you fingers in front of the barrel of a gun, nor in front of an alien ghost busting rod.

    Having seen a thing or two in her life, Natasha steps around the bench, observing proper weapon safety as she does so, keeping it aimed away from any people in the room and she then readys the device and aims it towards the newest dumby, but then she looks over her shoulder towards Lara, "How do I fire it?" She's never actually used an energy beam weapon like this before.

Winter Soldier has posed:
A figure of rumor, bordering on urban legend, up until a few years ago. Then a bloody reality, in and out of SHIELD's hands, up through this winter. But sometime around Christmas, the programming that bound him to HYDRA's will seems to have been broken, and he's been a fixture at the Triskelion ever since, if not one often seen in public areas. In person, he's not much to catch the eye, save for the metal arm.....that he hasn't bothered to conceal, for once.

He's settled into a kind of unthinking parade rest, hands clasped behind his back, booted feet spread. The invitation makes his brows go up. "Really?" he says, bemused. "Sure, if it's okay." Curiosity's a spur, overriding his wariness. "Speaking of....is there someone in SHIELD here who could maybe teach me about magic? I don't know much at all, but....I seem to run into it more and more these days." And will yet more, now that he's got Strange's address and questions to ask the Doctor.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara is one of the higher rated weapon uses in SHIELD, higher than a lot of the standard agents in fact. She's rated as mastery level in handguns and rifles, but also is known for archery... though obviously nothing like Hawkeye... of course.

So in WAND? She's easily the best with weaponry, thus here she is. The one tasked with fire testing this darn thing.

When Natasha picks it up and asks that question, Lara steps toward her and reaches out toward it as well to show Nat where to place her hands. "They--whomever they are--have larger hands than the average human, larger fingers as well. You'll have to press rather firmly, which is one of the more obvious deterrents for prolonged use, as the users fingers would likely simply wear out in a short amount of time."

Lara steps back then to let the Agent fire, before she looks over to Bucky at his question. A quick smile is shown. "I am one of the least experienced with magic in the WAND division, though there are others that could answer many questions you might have there. But if I were to give my best recommendations for the really in depth stuff? I would speak to... Wanda Maximoff of the Avengers. I haven't met her, but I've heard great things." Take that Doctor Strange.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    While Lara and Bucky are talking, Natasha spreads her legs and braces for the push back from the device when the top opens up, Natasha's eyes widen just a brief moment before the beam snaps out of the weapon and nails her target dead center.

    Natasha doesn't hold the weapon's trigger down long, not wanting to overheat the device and to keep herself from getting possibly radiation poisoning. The spy closes the weapon again and turns to set it back on the table. "Think we can miniaturize it? Maybe make it fit our hands and ergonomics?" The Avenger asks with a solid look on Lara as she extends the weapon towards Bucky as the target it replaced behind her. Let the old man take a turn at blowing something up.

Winter Soldier has posed:
Lara can see him making a mental note. "I'll do that," he says, quietly, scratching at his jawline with a thumbnail. He's not one of those who gets a true five o'clock shadow, but... there is the rasp of scruff. "I know at least one Avenger. I'll ask Steve to introduce me - I'm around the Mansion now and again. More'n I was." Understandable, considering his unease around so many others of that team: Wasp and Spiderman he's managed to antagonize, and Tony, well.... the less said about his history with the House of Stark, the better.

The old man in question doesn't quite smirk, as he comes forward to take it from her. The Widow gets a little nod, as he squares up on his target. The metal hand....well, it may not be as big as those of whatever race created this thing, but it's certainly harder to tire than those of the average human. He lifts it, examines it, turns it over....though always careful with the end that's been demonstrated to be deadly. Then he's lining up on the new target, and tries to sight along it, before snapping off a bolt. "'s light, at least," he comments.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara's arms fold across her stomach as she watches both of them test the weapon and listens to both of their rundowns of trying it out. A grin is given to Bucky from the Briton woman. "I imagine you might have an easier time using it than others." She states, of course referring to his metal arm which she assumes has an entirely different ability to provide strength to holding the 'laser weapon' in an On position.

Her eyes drift over to Natasha then. "Honestly?" She says to the agency's #1 Agent. "I was going to recommend that the item be taken apart. Salvaged, as it were, so that the power source inside it could be researched and utilized for... idealy... non weaponry purposes. If it has a regenerating power supply, I'd rather see that go to something more beneficial than merely a weapon of war."

She uncrosses her arms then and places her hands upon her hips. "I feel we've enough of those in our possession, really." She glances between the two of them, believing that his might be an unpopular opinion with them.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "War is about one of the only constants on this planet, and it seems many many others as well. Why can't we do both? Prepare ourselves for any conflict with a bench mark of this weapon as a tool of death a hypothetical enemy could weild against us, and give ourselves some guilt free air-conditioning. Why not?" Natasha says, revealing a bit of what she thinks of humanity as. She's certainly not one to shy away from a fight, and to reach for any advantage she can get.

    Natasha then looks to Bucky before he can continue his own weapon test, "She knows more about magic than she's letting on. Why don't you stick around and ask her a few things. I'll be around for a bit longer afterwards." Natasha informs Bucky before she heads for the door without saying farewell to either Agent.

Winter Soldier has posed:
Not as unpopular as she might initially fear, considering how long he spent as a weapon, himself. Lara's suggestion has Buck looking at her, thoughtfully, as he balances it on his palm. "Yeah. That arm never gets tired. Sounds like a good idea. Unless the damage it does is absolutely unique.....I think you're right. Compact power sources like that would be invaluable."

Natasha's lack of goodbye only makes him smile, fondly. "Evening, Alianovna." Then he looks back to Lara, setting the thing gently back down on the table. "I realize we haven't been introduced. I'm James Barnes," He takes a pace or two forward, offering his human hand.

Lara Croft has posed:
"Well either way, its not really up to me." Lara replies to Natasha before she sees the senior Agent make her way back out of the testing area. She turns to look to Bucky and she nods once to his introduction and hand offered. She extends her own to his to accept it and shake it.

"Lara. Croft." She says to him. "I've heard little bits and pieces about you. They said you were one of Captain America's friends in the days of his World War Two fighting. You two have... aged rather well. You'll have to share me your secrets." Its a comment meant to simply be amusing, she knows there's likely way more to whatever got Bucky to still be here in 2027 and still seemingly be a young man as Cap himself is.

"Its a pleasure to meet you though. We are lucky to have Captain Rogers still around, and I'm sure that means we're just as lucky to have you around as well." She speaks in that same refined London-common accent that Peggy herself holds.

Winter Soldier has posed:
Ah, the accent. It's enough to have him looking a little wistful - Agent Carter herself, while having arrived in this era, isn't often to be found around the Triskelion. His handshake is firm, the hand itself rough with a gunman's calluses.

The name makes him cock his head, just a fraction. "Lady Croft, isn't it? 've heard of you too, but not much, I admit. And yeah, I grew up with Steven Rogers. I, uh.....well, it's a long story, but a lot of it can be attributed to undergoing a similar series of treatments." The Soldier's HYDRA's knockoff version of the Captain, after all.

The comment about them being lucky to have Cap makes him grin broadly, deepening the lines around his eyes. "I dunno about that....but I am glad to meetcha."

Lara Croft has posed:
The use of her official heritage title makes her smile at him and release a light and short laugh. "Yes, well... I'm a long way away from my home county and all responsibilities there-in. Much to the chagrin of what remains of my family back then, but... hey." She reaches out to pat the table with the weapon on it. "I have a good excuse. I'm testing out the abilities and limitations of alien weaponry. I think thats a heck of an excuse not to attend the latest football match in Surrey County, wouldn't you say?" She shows off a sly grin then to him.

"I appreciate you seeing the need for the power source too. I think I may have offended Agent Romanoff's love of weaponry... Suggesting that this item be dismantled." She glances after where the senior Agent had gone beore she looks back to James then. "Between SHIELD, and the likes of Stark, I believe there's enough weaponry being built as-is. Maybe I'm naive though..." She glances down to said staff gun. "After all, this thing exists out there, somewhere above us."

Winter Soldier has posed:
"I can imagine. I bet running around having adventures with SHIELD as an excuse is a lot more fun than spending time worrying about how to fulfill tradition," Buck concurs, grinning.

He lifts his metal hand, waggles it indecisively. "Ennnh. I dunno about offended. She and I, we tend to think of things in those terms. But the whole point of weapons is those who they defend, ultimately. A guy gets killed by whatever....he's no more dead if this thing zaps him than if I shoot him with an AK. But if it could bring energy to places that need it....or places that never had it....who's to say what that could change for the better?"

Lara Croft has posed:
"You've no idea..." Lara says to the first part with a slow but assured grin appearing across her visage. She reaches down to pick up her notepad and when she lifts it up to glance down at her notes she listens to what further the old soldier has to say on the subject.

Its then that Lara looks back up to him and a warmer smile makes an appearance on her lips. "Precisely." She says to him. "I understand the benefits that a weapon like this might yield in a future fight, but... I've..." She softly shakes her head once from right to left. "I've seen the troubles that societies on our planet are facing right -now- that could really benefit from having a power source like this brought to them. It could... revolutionize how they provide food to their families, or medicine to their sick."

A light exhale then and she reaches up to brush some of her loose brown bangs out of her face with her pen holding hand. "Sorry to prattle on at you though, Mr. Barnes. I just, have been preparing this pitch for awhile. I guess its leaking out of me, so to speak." She says that and instantly internally regrets the use of the word 'leaking' as its not the most elegant or eloquent of words.

Winter Soldier has posed:
He waves away any idea of apology with a flick of a metal hand. "Nothin' to be sorry for. You sound like Mr. Stark on one of his better days, only with less ego. 'cause you're right. Humans will always fall all over themselves to create weapons. If preaching to the choir helps you get listened to by the people who actually make the decisions, go on."

He seems to have forgotten the pistol at his hip that was his ostensible reason for coming here to begin with, at least for now. But then, guns he knows intimately. Lady Croft is a new face.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara makes one little adjustment to her notes before she sets the notepad back down then and reaches out to take hold of the weapon on the table, keeping it aimed out toward the range, though its closed-up and not in a threatening position anyway.

"I'm a big fan of Stark's... potential." She says then as that name came up. She looks up to Bucky then, holding the weapon gently in front of her stomach. "He's capable of so much. He's looked up to by so many... if he could just slightly angle his goals and causes in a more openly beneficial direction, he could shape the world in all new directions, that could benefit so very many people."

She draws in a breath then and stops herself there. "Maybe he is doing more than I realize though, admittedly my nose is generally stuffed into an old book more than it is keeping up with Stark's latest endeavors..." She shows a slight smile then that comes and goes quite quickly.

Lara notes the man's gun on his hip and she nods toward it. "Do you need the range?" She asks. "Am I in your way?"

Winter Soldier has posed:
Another of those indefinite handwaves. "I think he's getting nudged that way. He's got good people around him," Buck offers, hopefully. "Maybe they can be the influence he needs....but yeah, he doesn't seem to be as much of a utopian as his father." Not even a flicker at the mention of Howard. That mental compartment is sealed off tight.

The question about the pistol makes him glance down. "Not in any hurry," he says. "It's open all hours." And indeed, he's here at some strange ones, in the depths of night when the nightmares won't leave him alone.

Lara Croft has posed:
That much, Lara and Bucky definitely have in common. She has her own demons. They may not have been earned over as many years of torture as his were, but they're still there and they still keep her up at night. She has a prescribed bottle of sleeping pills beside her bed, never opened a single time as she's not a fan of pills, they're there just out of obligation and the fact she's mostly forgotten them.

A quick smile is shown to the man then and a singular nod of her head. "Right." She confirms about the hours of the range. "I don't know much about Stark's father, but I've heard good things, of what I have heard."

A question strikes the Briton and she slightly tilts her head as she looks upon Bucky's eyes. "Are you a full Agent in the SHIELD ranks now? Such as Romanoff?" She asks of him.

Winter Soldier has posed:
Buck nods crisply in return. "I am. I had....help this winter in permanently disabling the programming that was used on me. So....I was deemed safe enough to be a field agent, after qualifications." No longer a prisoner or a lab rat....save as he consents to be the latter.

Lara Croft has posed:
"Safe enough." Lara says back to the man, quirking an eyebrow up above her right eye. She then just smiles at him and shakes her head from side to side. "I'm just teasing you, Mister Barnes. I'm sure you're plenty safe. I'm glad to hear that they've helped you. Though I don't know much of whats happened... I... gather it hasn't been pleasant. But you're here now and..." She nods decisively toward him.

"I bet Captain Rogers is quite glad for that. I cannot imagine going from such a long ago era, to suddenly being... in the future, as it were. I'd feel completely, lost? And I've known a lot of lost things in my time." She brings up another light smile then and there.

Winter Soldier has posed:
"Safe enough now, as in not likely to murder my fellow agents at random," he says, with a hint of dryness. "Which used to happen....it...I spent a long time in the hands of HYDRA, and they brainwashed me into a weapon in their hands...." His tone's matter of fact, quietly.

The mention of Steve makes him smile, very fond indeed. "Yeah. He and I and Peggy....we all do. But we have each other, thankfully, and a lot of help from people from this time. We're lucky."

Lara Croft has posed:
The little quip that the battle hardened agent makes at first draws a quick grin from Lara, but the rest of what he says gets an attentive stare and finally a singular and simple little dip of her chin in a solitary nod.

"I'm glad." She tells him in a soft voice, a sincere tone.

A moment later and she's trying to clear the air a bit of the dramatic sense she got from what he'd just told her. "I've had a bit of dealing with HYDRA myself. They've often hired a mercenary group known as Trinity to... threaten the discoveries that I've been after." She changes her word useage there a second later. "Pursuing."

A quick inhale follows and she nods again toward him. "I'm glad you weren't one of their people that I fought, Mister Barnes. I would have for this to be an awkward meeting of altered suddenly allegiances."

Lara gives him a growing grin then before she starts to gather up the alien staff gun off of the table. "I should probably get this back to its protectors..." She says then.

Winter Soldier has posed:
At that, he laughs, just a little. "I've had a lot of those meetings since I signed on with SHIELD, believe me, ma'am. But mostly people have been very forgiving, and I'm really grateful."

Buck steps politely aside, to let her retrieve the staff. "Of course. Have a good evening, Lady Croft. Very good to meet you," he says. The lopsided grin is in contrast to the military crispness of his motion.

Lara Croft has posed:
With the items back in her possession she packs them away in her bag she'd brought with her. "Likewise, to be sure, Agent Barnes." She uses his title then, now that she knows he's a full fledged Agent and not something else.

"Send Captain Rogers my regards. Oh and tell him that the pajamas fit wonderfully." And then she flashes a grin and starts to walk out. THAT is a joke, that Cap would likely get to explain to Bucky now.