8590/Sentinels: What's the Word

Sentinels: What's the Word
Date of Scene:	30 July 2019
Location:	Trask Industries facility, Bergen County
Synopsis:	Agent Lewis visits Captain Quaid during the search of Trask Industries' Bergen County facility. Agent Lewis provides amazing potstickers and offers to set Captain Quaid up with a date. Captain Quaid is boring and just gives her new information about Trask and the Sentinels.
Cast of Characters:	Frank Quaid, Darcy Lewis
Tinyplot:	Sentinels

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Frank Quaid has posed:
The command center for the search of the Trask Industries Bergen County facility occupies the top floor of an empty warehouse building down the street. The main floor of the warehouse has been sealed off and sectioned into a gigantic evidence collection and processing center. The entire workflow from receiving and cataloguing to processing to discharge or storage can be done out of this building. And NYPD had already temporarily leased another site a bit further away in case this was not enough room.

With the total chaos in the city between the gang war, exploding giant Sentinels, gangs hunting mutants and whatever else was going on, Frank did not have a spare moment to think leading up to the morning raids. During the lull while the teams went in to secure the search sites though, it occurred to Frank that he had sources of information he had not even bothered to reach out to yet. His opinion of SHIELD and its people was exceptionally low based on how he had been treated and what he had seen of their performance, with the possible exception of Agent Darcy Lewis. She might be a rookie, but it was hard not to be impressed and grateful to someone who was kind enough to dig up super medicines to pull you out of a coma after being tortured. Frank hated to be asking favours, but he figured he already owed Lewis big. A bit more would not change things much. So that morning he had left a message telling her the raids on Trask were happening. He also asked if there were any updates from SHIELD about how things were going with Sebastion or what happened with the exploding Sentinel in New York. It was not surprising to him that SHIELD shared nothing in most cases, but when giant bits of robot were raining down on his city? He had hoped for at least a courtesy call.

By now it is after lunch and Frank is in the main area of the command center. People are sitting at computers and radios coordinating search, logistics and rotations of extra manpower. It was a huge endeavour, involving more police officers than little Bergen County had on its own. But it was a priority for the department and the mayor.

Frank is standing by one of the windows drinking his umpteenth cup of coffee. He looks as tired as he feels, with big bags under his eyes. But he is alert and in charge, dressed in an off the rack black suit with a white shirt and black tie. Tall, serious and in jeans and a NYPD t-shirt, Elaina is sitting at a desk near at hand going over some disturbing new information found by the search team.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
The message was a bit of a surprise, both because of what it was asking and because it meant that Frank was back on his feet and feeling well enough to work. Which Darcy is more than aware means that he's probably not completely medically cleared, but there are things more important than personal health and comfort that he's dealing with. Moved, Darcy did as good of a search as she could, noting that there were several things she didn't have access to, after responding to the message with a single line: See you there.

That name Trask continued to bother her. A LOT.

In her office attire, Darcy made her way to the meeting location, showing her badge at the entrance and stating that she had a meeting with Officer Quaid. Detective Quaid? Whichever of those her files told her she should use to address him. Once led in, she gave the escourting officer a smile and a thanks before moving over to Frank's desk.

"Am I glad to see you up and on your feet again, Quaid. I brought you some snacks. Potstickers, from my favorite place in Chinatown, and a hot tea. There's a coffee too, if you'd rather, but the tea goes best with the dumplings, so I recommend at least trying it. Plus, it'll perk you up without the caffeine crash at the end," she rambles pleasantly as her too tall heels click on the floor, carryinf her toward the desk his partner is sitting on. She's given a warm smile too.

"Good to see you again too, Elaina. Can I call you Elaina? Sorry. Your last name's slipped my... it's probably on your lapel, but I don't want you thinking I'm just oogling your chest, ya know? That'd be awkward, but there's enough pot stickers for you to have some too, if you wanted," is offered, even as Darcy knows that would mean giving up her own share of the sex-in-your-mouth goodness. This is okay with her.

Frank Quaid has posed:
"Captain Quaid is right this way, ma'am," says the young uniformed officer at the door to the warehouse. He is the third person to check her ID on the way from the entrance to the warehouse parking lot just to the door. This young officer gives Darcy an appreciative look and a non-too subtle grin, then leads her up the weathered wooden stairs inside into the command center proper.

"Sir? Agent Lewis is here," the officer calls after stepping into the command post and holding the door for Darcy. Frank turns around and looks surprised to see Darcy. He waves to the uniformed officer and jerks his head for Darcy to join him. The uniformed officer lingers a moment as Darcy walks off and then heads back downstairs. A few of the officers in the room take notice of their guest and shrug unknowingly to each other. She does not look FBI.

"You didn't have to do that," Frank grunts with a wry smile for Darcy. He sets down his coffee on Elaina's desk and asccepts the offered tea. "I'll take your word for it and try the tea."

Elaina's face clouds over when she sees Darcy come in. She shoots a very pointed look at Frank, which he pretends not to notice.

"Bever. Detective-Sergeant Bever," Elaina supplies curtly with a forced polite smile. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Let's grab one of the briefing rooms. Second door on the right," he says to Darcy and gestures down the hall at the back of the command center. A few more looks are exchanged by a couple of the officers in the room. Elaina starts to stand up but Frank shakes his head. She glares more and someone snerks, just barely audible. Frank looks around sharply, but whoever it was cannot be picked out from the others in the room. Frank smirks at the group reprovingly and then follows after Darcy.

The briefing room, such as it is, was probably a large office for the last occupants of the warehouse. The paint is faded and the carpet is threadbare. NYPD had brought folding tables to make a briefing table and put folding chairs along it. There is a white board on wheels at one end of the room.

"Not the Trisk," Frank sayd dryly. "You didn't have to come down here, you know. It's good to see you, but I didn't mean to drag you across town."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
Oh those lingering looks. Darcy knows them. She also knows when they comfrom people whom either 1) ass she can kick or 2) job she can destroy. Either way, Officer Eyeballs is welcomed to look. Touching requires permission. From her. Smiling as Frank takes the tea, Darcy gives him a knowing nod.

"Good. Cause you look enough like shit to make me want to force the issue if you'd gone for the coffee," the bespeckled agent quips on a smirk that smooths into a smile for Elaina.

"If you're sure, Detective?" she asks of Elaina, nothing false about her politeness. Maybe Darcy didn't notice the other woman's forced politeness? Or if she did, she's ignoring it. Instead, she follows his gesture, half turning, to assess the location. Looks good to her, so she smiles and nods and says something that might just might those other policemen think some very wrong things.

"Perfect. Some of what I've got for you really doesn't need to be shared with everyone out in the open like this." She is naive, or stupid, or just really good at derailing everyone from thinking this is actuall intel she's got or that she's even possible of having access to sensative information. She just saunters her way across the room, one hand undoing the botton on her blazer in full view of most of the male officers in here. Will they even remember her face at this point? In the office, Darcy settles herself to a folding chair and sets the bag down on the table.

"OH, no. My pleasure. The inside of my office gets boring to stare at, and living there means that sometimes I just need to get out of the damn building,you know?" Darcy bubbles, turning back to Frank and grinning.

"Have some pot stickers and let the tea do its thing. Then we'll play a game of show me yours I'll show you mine. Not that I think I can win this one, but hey. Better than nothing."

Frank Quaid has posed:
Frank smiles a bit despite himself and does his level best /not/ to notice that extra undone button when the shorter woman back round to talk to him.

"Yep, you'll go stir crazy if you stay the office too long," Frank grants. He gestures for Darcy to sit and takes a seat after her. He raises an eyebrow at her choice of words and shakes his head.

"Those smell great," Frank says of the potstickers.

"I hope they're good enough to be worth what I'm gonna go through after you leave," he says with a wry smile.

Frank insists Darcy be served first and then gets himself a few. He tries one of the potstickers and makes an appreciative face. "You win, these are good," he admits. "Where'd you get them?"

Darcy Lewis has posed:
She settles to the offered chair and begins unpacking the small feast. Meat, some vegs, carbs, and oil. Everything an officer stuck on a stake out needs.

"What you're going to go through?" Darcy asks, green eyes all wide and guileles. Right up until she leans forward and grins to rival the Mischief Maker himself.

"I could make it worse," is offered on a low chuckle. Sitting back, Darcy plates the snacks, taking a plate first at Frank's insistance. She does wait for him to try it, making sure to have set out chopsticks and forks. She uses the sticks herself.

"Chang's. It's about two blocks from the 'Kelion, and reopen after the bullshit with zippy-boy," Darcy quips around her first mouthful. Her lips stick leaves a faint red smudge on the pale beige wood.

"Their lo mien is tops and the sweet and sour?" Here, Darcy pauses to give a moan of appreciation, just on this side of inappropriate, complete with eyes rolling back to her head.

"Fucking amaze-balls," she states after, like her food-gasm at the thought of the condiment wasn't descriptive enough.

Frank Quaid has posed:
"I'm good, I've already heard enough about you SHIELD ladies coming to see me," Frank says dryly.

Both of the veteran cop's eyebrows go up at the food-gasm. "Huh, that good. Should take my next date there," he quips. He digs into the potstickers a bit more, trying a few different ones. And he eyes the SHIELD agent across from a bit as well, try to assess the woman.

"You're always doing me favours, I'm gonna be digging myself out of this hole for a while," he comments wryly. "Might even owe you more for these than the treatment you got me. They'll pull my security clearance if I end up much more in your debt."

Frank settles back a bit. "You came a long way to help out, handsome as I am, I don't think it was for my pretty face," he observes self-deprecatingly. He is a man not sought after like some of the real silver foxes his age and accepts that.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"If you're sure," Darcy says of Frank declining her offer to make the situation worse. There's a sing-song note to her voice and amusement dancing in her eyes as a smirk toys at the corners of her mouth. But then, there's mention of his next date, and Darcy nods at that.

"Ooh, yes. Do! Do! And let me know before hand. I'll talk to Madame Chang. She's the matron whose son owes the place. I'll get you the hook up," Darcy offers with a wide and open honest smile. There's little that reads lie in her body language as she moves from amused thta Frank's been seen taking meetings with enough SHIELD ladies that this is now a reputation he has to eager to help Frank impress a future lady love in his life. or lovely lad. Darcy doesn't discriminate. Of the favors, Darcy waves it off, her motions light and airy and as casual as if the two were just age old friends, instead of on clashing forces.

"Nah. You don't owe me anything. I'm happy to help, and happy to share sex in your mouth dumplings. As for the treatment, I had nothing to do with that," she quips, the end holding the first mostly false thing she's said in front of Frank all day. After all, she just... nudged a few of the right people to get things to happen the way she wanted. It wasn't like she STOLE the meds and then administered them. She could have KILLLED him if she did that!

"As long as you tell May only the best lies about me, things should be fine. Besides... whatever wrong foot we started off on at the police station.. I know you were just trying to do your best for the people of New York. That you are as willing to fight so hard for it is something I respect and admire. So, I don't mind going a bit out of my way to help out people I respect. And don't say you don't have a pretty face. That sort of heroism and honor? Way sexier than stack o' muscles and a flawless smile," she adds, giving Frank a winning grin and a flirtacious wink.

Frank Quaid has posed:
"Uh huh," Frank says with a roll of the eyes. "Wish that were so. But I'll keep your offer in mind though. I'm sure I might even find a date to take there sometime."

"You're a hard one to figure," Frank says with a tilt of the head.

"I like you though, you're good people. You ever get bored over at SHIELD, come talk to me," he offers only half-jokingly. "Can always find a place for good people. If if they might be more trouble than they're worth."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
That Frank rolls his eyes at her excitement that he might have a date soon takes some of the wind out of Darcy's sails.

"You better keep it in mind. And let me knwo if you want me to set you up. Guy, girl, whatever. Hey, you know I actually know someone who could use a bit of a nice guy to take her on a date. I offered to take her myself, but she didn't seem interested. I'd take you out, if you were interested, but if you're not, I can set you up," Darcy rambles, all worry and concern and self-assurance that this? This is a Good Idea (TM). Of course, this is right into the face of being told she's hard to figure out and his job offer. Darcy giggles brightly.

"I'm happy to be confusing, liked, and maybe more trouble than I'm worth. Yours isn't the first job offer I've gotten if I ever get bored of SHIELD work. I'll add you to the list, though, and tell you that I really and truly am very flattered. If you need a consultant on things, if said things are in my wheel-house, I'd be happy to lend a hand."

Frank Quaid has posed:
Frank barks a laugh. "And you're not the first to offer to set me up. Never had anyone offer that and to go out, too," Frank says, highly amused. For once it shows on his typically dour face. "I'm sure you get all kinds offers for all kinds of things from all kinds of people. And confuse the heck of out them, too."

Frank finishes the last of his potstickers and nods. "Will do lunch at that place with Elaina next time we're out that way," he says mainly to himself.

"Shame we don't have our liaison officer from your shop yet," Frank says, switching subjects. "Would've been useful on this search. We expected robots and and a disaster of records, logs and computers. Didn't expect what looks like some kind of human experimentation facility. Has pods in labelled stasis, stuff we've never seen before. The FBI nearly lost their mind when we told them. Getting new warrants for that floor of the facility as we speak."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"You wouldn't be wrong about them being confused either," Darcy says, a tone f pride in her voice. She noms another pot stickers, nodding as Frank tells himself that he'll take Elaina out to lunch there. She's done her good for them, so she's happy. It's the small things. Of course, that pleased smile turns into a look of horrified shock when Frank says that he doesn't have SHIELD Liason officer.

"Who was it supposed to be, if you don't mind? If they've got clearance lower than what I can tug on, I'll get their asses here yesterday. And if I can't, I'll make some noise for you and get you someone who can DO something.. And see what I can do about those warrants too," Darcy says, the lightness from earlier goes, replaced with an angry sort of seriousness.

"I'm not sure what I found can help at all, or if it's all too old. I had to try to remember it too, since none of it was in a copiable form. But, I think Trask was trying to convince Sebastion of something. It was clear that Baz didn't trust Trask at all, and was out right refusing to meet with him. Past that, I don't even know if he's still in the building or not. It's gone a over my paygrade and into parts of the server I can't even begin to get into. And I'm not sure exactly who I need to sweet talk to let me in on the know," she admits, sounding a little sad about this.

Frank Quaid has posed:
"Huh. Well I appreciate you looking into it," Frank says with a nod. He tries his tea and hmms slightly. "Not sure who your liaison is supposed to be. Nobody's been sent and I haven't heard anything. We figured it was paperwork on your side."

Frank leans back in his chair. "I'll get you our updated file on this to take back to SHIELD. Will fill in all the gaps like the attack on Trask and Sebastion killing someone and using their body parts," Frank says. The last turns his face dark. "I hope that thing is in pieces now. It'll kill every mutant it can without a thought. Even admitted to your own people he plans to take over with Sentinels to make the planet safe. He's insane and the most dangerous thing I've ever run across. I wish we'd shot him while we had him."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"Paperwork, I am very good at. Especially request forms. I'll dig into that for you. See what I can do to speed that along, at least," Darcy says before frowning at the rest. It's clear she's biting her tongue when she puts another pot sticker in her mouth and says nothing else.

Frank Quaid has posed:
"Hope your people on him are good," Frank continues. "I've already got one person who woke up and realized Sebastion had been playing her /hard/ with the whole noble act. It frustrated the shit out of him it didn't work with me. But he's classic serial killer. Psychopathic, charismatic and manipulative. You should see the psych profile the criminal psychologist did up after reviewing my interviews with Sebastion."

Frank shakes his head. "Sorry, you'll get it all in the report," Frank says. "End of the world crap isn't great lunch conversation."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"No. But it's a conversation topic that some days comes up a lot," Darcy says, sounding resigned in her faint almost amusement. It doesn't sit well that Sebastion has a horrible psych profile, but then... A certain Thunder God's brother comes to mind, the stories she's heard, what she experienced in New Mexico, and well, Darcy just sighs. She sets her chopsticks down.

"I'll get your report back, and I'll do my best to get May on it. I... Thank you," she says, eyes falling toward the table.

Frank Quaid has posed:
"Hey, thank /you/," Frank says. "This was great, and it was good to see you. And if something else good comes out of it? That's just gravy."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"You're welcome. I'm just.. I'm sorry I wasn't more help, even if it was good to see you again. Last time was just... You look tired right now, but ... " Darcy shudders at teh memory of him in that hospital bed.

"Detective Bever almost never left your side. I was half expecting her not to give me the room like she did, but... I'm glad she was willing to. Let me sneak out a copy of your file."

Frank Quaid has posed:
"She's a good partner, good friend. We've been through a lot of stuff together," Frank says with a nod. There is a hint of how touched he feels that Elaina was there, but only a hint. "She's really good people. Pretty rare."

"I'll clean this up, don't worry about it," Frank says and gets up as Darcy does. "No apologizing either. I'm the one who owes you, remember? Besides, even if it's only way, who knows what getting information up the chain will do."