9527/A Different Kind of SHIELD

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A Different Kind of SHIELD
Date of Scene: 10 October 2019
Location: An Avengers safehouse, Queens, NYC
Synopsis: Lara visits the Avengers safe house to pick up sodden Hydra research papers brought out by Vi during her escape
Cast of Characters: Vi, Lara Croft




Vi has posed:
The sun had gone down by the time Captain America and the Wasp had Vi to their vehicle and underway. The girl, soaked from her dunk in the ocean, had sat quietly in the back seat. Peering out the windows, but the dark night and fog that rolled in had spoiled her look at the city. Even the skyscrapers of the New York City skyline that had made her gape, were hidden in the foggy night.

The safehouse was a modest affair, as many safehouses are. An apartment building, normal seeming enough. Perhaps it even is, for they travelled up in an elevator to the fourth floor and then into the apartment, with no way for Vi to know if the rest of the building was populated or not.

A hot meal and toweling herself drier than she had been was the first thing done in the safehouse. It was likely obvious enough to the Avengers she was ravenously hungry and dehydrated to boot. After eating, it didn't take much encouragement to get Vi to lie down on the bed in one of the bedrooms and sleep.

Meanwhile, news of the events, and the backpack of Hydra papers that took the dunk in the ocean, was sent out, and a request that SHIELD see what they could extract from the remains of the papers.

Vi wakes up in the bed. There is light coming in the window, but not much. She slept well into the afternoon, and her body had needed it. Still wearing what she had when she left the ship, she gets up and pads on bare feet over to the door to peek out of it.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara had arrived just about 20 minutes ago. With her she'd brought a number of things, including a selection of new clothing for the young woman that... well... hopefully she'll like, they're Lara Croft-style clothing. A few tank tops, a couple of long sleeved Henley shirts, a couple pairs of pants, a dark blue hoodie and even a jacket of hers that she's not using much anymore, its a stylish gray zip-up sport jacket.

All of that is laying on the table in the apartment's main room, folded and beside a backpack for the girl to have as well.

Lara herself? is standing in the kitchen and in front of an assortment of these documents that had been pulled out of the backpack. Beside her on the counter is a thermos of coffee and some breakfast in a bag, the smell of the food is probably quite enticing for Vi when she peaks out of the room. The tall woman standing there in a SHIELD jacket with her dark hair framing her face on either sides might be a little intimidating, but not too much hopefully!

Vi has posed:
Vi peeks around the door jamb with as little of her face as is necessary. Her senses magnify and she listens for other sounds of breathing in the apartment-safehouse. Whoever else might have been on guard, they seem to have left the main rooms at least to leave Lara alone with her. No doubt there are numerous cameras watching, though Vi wouldn't realize it.

Her enhanced senses mean she picks up the scent of the food all the more strongly. Her stomach rumbles. Though she ate her fill after the night time arrival to the safehouse, that was over a half a day ago.

The girl steps out quietly. She's wearing trousers and a tunic, poorly made from some cheap, coarse fabric. They look tan but have dirt permanently ground in to where even her dunk in the ocean and even being dragged through the water like a water skier without skis didn't do more than get rid of the surface dirt. Her face is only a little better. Clearly she was dirty when she went into the water, some of it washing away, but leaving dirty streaks on her skin. Her feet are bare as the diminutive teen steps out.

She looks around. "Where are the other two?" she asks softly as her eyes go back to Lara. Vi is wearing another container on a strap across her body. This one is dark, made of metal, and the metal has a stamped impression in the shape of the Hydra logo, though there's no coloring to it beyond the regular dark of the case's shell. She takes a small step nearer to the kitchen, and the scents of the food.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara was holding one piece of paper in her right hand while her eyes were down on another on the counter in front of her, her left hand resting on its bottom edge, fingertips gently touching the torn and worn document.

When Vi makes her presence known, Lara's brown eyes raise up and she looks upon the younger woman with a calm and easy stare. After a moment she offers her a light smile then glances toward the exit of the apartment. "They've taken a break for now." Lara says in her thickly London-natural accent.

Her gaze sweeps back over to Vi and she smiles more openly to her, the corners of her lips darting upward quickly. "Would you like some breakfast?" She asks then, setting the document in her hand down and then reaching over to the bag beside her that she pushes across the marble counter top to one of the bar-stools positioned across from her.

"I got this from a place near my home that I eat at. Its quite good. Your standard American affair. Hotcakes and eggs, bacon and the like. Its all still hot too, I only just arrived a short bit ago now."

Vi has posed:
Vi's mouth is watering at the smells. She looks over at Lara, then to the bag. "Yes, I would," she says softly, and then pads over quietly to the kitchen, moving to climb up onto the stool.

She's a very petite thing. Her face makes her in her latest teens. Her hands are only in a little better state than her dirty face, but it doesn't stop her from opening up the bag and taking out the styrofoam container and the plastic silverware. Vi eyes the container for just a moment before opening it.

"This smells so good," she says, Vi's tone making it not just a comment. There's more a sense of amazement there. The girl has a noticeable accent. Lara might place it as Eastern Europe, though it is a little off. Sort of how a foreign accent can be different if someone learned English from British or American speakers, though that doesn't seem to be the cause.

Vi uses the fork and scoops up some of the eggs to begin eating. She looks up at Lara as she does, studying her for a moment. "You are one of their Avengers too?" she asks.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara watches the girl approach and she smiles at her reaction to the food. She laughs a little after she hears her comment on it. "Yes, if there's one thing that they're good at in this country it's making their food as sugary and addictively-so as possible." She says with a great deal of affection in her tone, she's lived in the United States primarily for several years now after all. "Even the bread is just cake in this country."

There's a soft smile lingering then on her pale unpainted lips and she turns then to walk to where the fridge is. She opens the door on her right side and she draws out a bottle of water and orange juice she'd also brought with her and then turns to carry them toward Vi to set them before her so she can choose which she wants.

Another light laugh comes from Lara then at the question and she shakes her head. "No no." She states. "I've no super powers, or anything of that nature. I'm just an archaeologist who... I suppose..." She exhales and looks at the papers on the counter again. "Deals with stuff that the average person has no idea how to read any longer."

Vi has posed:
The papers are in a sorry state. Not only was the backpack soaked, but it was literally flooded, and had the water emptied out once Vi made it to shore, giving the papers plenty of time to be sloshed around. Many of them are fused together or just outright disintegrated, while others have the ink disappearing thanks to the salt water. Some might be salvaged with care though, particularly the middle part of the stack.

The dark-haired girl looks at the bacon with a curious expression, she picks it up and sniffs it as if unsure of it. Though when she realizes that is the cause of the best smell, she takes a small bite. The bite is enough that she quickly pushes the rest of the floppy bacon into her mouth. She's not eating like a pig, but she is eating rather fast.

Vi looks up as Lara brings the two bottles over. She looks to Lara, seeming to make sure she has permission, and then takes the bottle of water. After a moment she picks up the orange juice and looks at it, turning the bottle so the orange liquid inside moves around. "What is it?" she asks quietly.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara's had enough time to look over the papers from the backpack to know that their recovery options were pretty limited. She's isolated the best pieces and already put them into their own stack on the counter to her left beside one of the kitchen appliances on the marble counter top.

She shows a quick smile to Vi's question. "Orange juice. With the pulp still in it. Its the best kind of orange juice for you. Try it, it's very good." Lara then leans forward to place her palms on the edge of the counter top. "I'm Lara, by the way. Lara Croft. I'm not here to burden you with questions or anything of that variety, so you needn't worry. I'm just here to... well check on these." She motions to the papers. "And to give you a few items to help you get more comfortable." She motions then to the table with all the new clothing items, even a pair of leather boots that are guestimated to be the size of the girl's feet.

With an inhale though, Lara looks back to Vi, reaches her left hand up to stroke some of her strands of brown hair out of her face and she smiles softly again to her. "Eat up. Then you're welcome to go take a shower and get cleaned up, all of this clothing is for you to wear as well. It should be far more comfortable for you once you're showered and refreshed. I know how well that can feel, trust me."

Vi has posed:
Vi looks from Lara to the juice, her head tilting just a bit and her face showing just a little bit of consternation. She could already see the fluid is orange. She tentatively opens up the cap and sniffs at the opened bottle to try to figure out what kind of juice it is. The sniff still seems to leave her uncertain and she takes a small sip. "It's a little sour," she says, yet it doesn't stop her going back for another sip of it.

Vi goes back to the food. The bacon is consumed in short order, one piece after another. She tears off a bit of hotcake with her fork and tries it, her eyes showing her happiness with it. If short of the expression the bacon gave.

Vi looks back up to Lara. "You have showers?" she asks, glancing around the apartment. "You work for the people that run this place?" she asks. "Are you guards?" she asks. Vi looks over at the clothing, reaching over to touch one of the soft Henley shirts. Some of the dirt on her hand comes off on it.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara watches her sample the orange juice and she smiles lightly at the reaction to it. "If its not for you, then there's water there as well. Everyone enjoys water, or so I hope." She shows a light grin then before she glances down the hallway of the bedroom. "Yes, just through there." She motions don that direction, the door was already open to it and the light already on inside of it. "I glanced in there when I got here, there are towels and a variety of shampoos and everything you'd need to..."

Lara trails off as she sees dirt put onto the shirt the girl had touched. "Here." She turns then and steps over to the sink to grab one of the hand towels. She turns the water spout on and wets the towel down in hot water then wrings it out and walks over to hand it to Vi. "Wipe your hands off on this, you don't want to get grime on your food and then in your mouth. That won't do you any good." She states quietly then.

"And... I'm not a guard, per-se, no. Some of the members of SHIELD are, however. But... we're more accurate an Agency with the entire planet's concerns being taken to heart. We're trying to be there for the world when we're needed, where we're needed most. We're desperately trying to be 'the good guys' in a very complicated world." Lara then leans back against the corner of the counter top across from Vi and crosses her arms over her stomach.

Vi has posed:
Vi looks as Lara brings her the towel. She glances back at the shirt she dirtied, and at how clean Lara's clothing is. The expression that results is someone realizing they did something wrong, and not knowing what will come of it, peeking rather than looking directly at the larger woman.

The hand towel is taken though, and Vi begins using it to wipe at her hands. Some of what comes off is a little too light in color for regular dirt. Vi uses the towel, wiping her hands again and again, fastidiously cleaning them, with a glance over to Lara's hands for comparison, before finally setting the towel aside. "I'm sorry," she says softly, not meeting Lara's gaze.

The explanation of what Lara does gets an uncertain look from Vi, as if there are parts she is uncertain about. "So you work for those in control," she concludes finally with a small nod. Vi returns to her food, eating it quickly as if it could be taken away at any point before it is in her stomach. "What is an arcologist?" she says, getting the word wrong.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara's met all kinds of people in her life, she's been all around the globe, numerous times. She can tell that Vi's roots are not used to amenities like what is available to her right now in this moment, she's known many people who'd be in a wealth of culture shock to be suddenly in a place like this apartment. "I suppose you can put it that way." She responds to the people in control bit.

Another soft smile shows then and she shakes her head lightly. "You've nothing to apologize for either. This is a strange place to, I'm sure, but you're under no pressure to be anything but yourself. And trust me, many times when I come home after one of my tips, I am utterly and entirely caked in filth and grime." She grins for a moment then. "It often takes me days if not weeks to clean my gear properly as well."

With a light inhale, Lara glances away then at the last question. "An archaeologist is someone who looks to the past to help answer the questions of today." She glances back to the girl then and holds a smile. "My father was obsessed with the past. Ancient cultures. Lost civilizations and all the mysterious that tie in to those things. He... encouraged me to be much the same, and I suppose it rubbed off on me." She speaks fondly of her father in this moment, because she is fond of him of course... but also to help Vi feel a bit more comfortable as well.

Vi has posed:
Vi finishes off the last of the food, slowing just a little from her previous pace as she is listening closely to Lara. The girl in her late teens has pretty, dark eyes, but rarely does she meet Lara's gaze for more than a few moments before looking away. Glances to check expression, but not long enough to make the eye contact that draws attention.

Vi's hand moves, touching the metal case briefly as if to assure it is still there. It has slid down to one hip, the strap across the other shoulder and over against her neck. The explanation brings an expression that might speak of having more questions generated than answered. But the one that Vi asks is, "Why are you the one that they sent here? That doesn't sound like... something related to me?" she asks quietly.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara had seen the metal case and been told about it too by one of the Agents who'd been here when she'd arrived, the one she'd relieved of duty here. She wasn't going to ask about it though, as it really isn't of her concern... specifically, at least not unless she felt Vi was acclimated enough to the situation to feel like she wasn't stressing the girl out by prying into her life.

"Well." Lara says to the question as she glances to the papers on the counter. "Those documents you had with you were, and are, of interest to those I work for and cleaning up damaged items is something I do have a fair amount of knowledge and experience with."

As she says this stuff she's pulled out her cell phone and swiped it on. She turns it around and offers Vi a look at a picture, of herself, covered in filth. Lara smiles. "See?" She asks. "This was taken just after I returned from one of my trips. So yes, you needn't apologize to me for being filthy in any given moment. It happens."

The phone showing off this image. V5q5nWT.jpg

Vi has posed:
Vi leans over a little closer to look at the picture. She glances up to Lara, obviously comparing her appearance, then back to the picture. "This is how everyone looks," she says quietly. After a moment, she adds quietly, "But there was no ash on the ground here," in a tone as if Vi has spoken the fact aloud when she realized it.

"It doesn't fall here as often?" she asks, looking back up and over to Lara. Vi reaches for the orange juice then, taking it and giving it another tentative sip.

There's a sudden blaring, someone out in the street laying on his horn as another car isn't moving in accordance with the other driver's desires. Vi whirls and sharply winces. She looks back to Lara, and if she doesn't seen anything warning her against moving, Vi gets up to move over to the window where the curtains are drawn. Though there is time for Lara to prevent Vi from looking out of them if she desires.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara draws her phone back and stuffs it back into a pocket on her jacket. She watches Vi stand up then and move toward the windows. "There is ash falling where you're from?" She asks of the young woman. "There's no ash fall here in Manhattan, no." She pauses for a moment then, allowing the girl to look outside if she so wishes. "Are you familiar with New York City at all?" She then asks.

Lara uncrosses her arms and steps around the counter's edge to go follow after the girl, to join her at the window at a casual pace of walking. "There's twelve million people living in Manhattan, its the... city that never sleeps, so they call it." She looks out the window herself, then back to the girl. "It is a good place, but it has a high concentration of people with fantastical powers and abilities, so there's a lot to watch out for at the same time."

Vi has posed:
Vi draws back the curtain, but only enough to peek through. As if she was doing everything she could to avoid the movement or her peeking through it drawing any notice. She looks one way, and then the other. Down at the street. Up at the view of the buildings across the street, though they are only modest, squat apartments for the most part here.

Vi looks back over to Lara. "None at all?" she asks, her tone suggesting her surprise even after having noticed the lack of ash. "Yes. It never really stops, but it's only heavy a few days a week," Vi answers Lara with.

She peeks back out of the curtain, just her eye exposed. "No. What is New York City?" she asks. She turns back, a quizzical look given after Lara describes Manhattan. "People like the woman? She had wings and could fly," Vi asks. "And the man. He was a guard? He carried a shield, but I didn't see his gun or baton," she asks.

Lara Croft has posed:
Another glance is given out to the city and she smiles faintly. "New York is one of the largest cities in the United States of America. Though it is also the name of the state that it resides in, the state of New York itself. One of fourty nine other states in this country." She tries not to make that confusing, though it likely is to some degree if the girl really does have no knowledge of any of this.

"I'm quite curious about where you come from now, admittedly." Lara tells her. "But I didn't wish to grill you on questions like that until you've had a chance to eat and get cleaned up. Did you want to go take a shower and try on some of the new clothes? It might make you feel more relaxed and comfortable."

Lara turns and steps over to the table with the selection of garments then smiles back to the girl. "The one with the shield is Captain Steve Rogers. He's known as Captain America here in the... well, everywhere in the world actually. I believe the other you met was Janet Van Dyne, also known as the Wasp. She's a very lovely and nice woman. They're both great people really."

Vi has posed:
Vi moves away from the window, the curtain effectively shutting out that huge, outside world and its foreign ways from Vi. She's clearly listening to what Lara says from her expression, and the eyes meet Lara's a little more directly during those moments, before falling away once Vi isn't being addressed directly.

"Sometimes there stories. New arrivals talking about other places. Though most were really quite, afraid to say much. I guess... well enough different people say such things I guess it made sense they had to be true. But it still seemed kind of hard to believe. I guess maybe it was just easier not to believe, now I really think about it," the brunette teen says quietly. She looks back up to Lara for a moment before her gaze again lowers. "Echo. It was the only place I've ever known," she says.

That was one of the words that Lara had been able to spot on a less-damaged bit of paper. Echo, and capitalized though in the middle of a sentence from the looks of it. There might be a chance to recover more from the page once she gets it into a lab.

Vi nods at the talk of a shower. "I stand out like this, don't I?" says the girl that looks like she tumbled down a mountain into an old campfire's remains while wearing clothes from the Great Depression or worse. "Thank you," she says, nodding and going over to pick up the strange, but interesting clothing. She takes it with her back into the bedroom which had her own bathroom. She closes the door behind her, and soon the sound of the shower will result. She'll be a good 30 minutes.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara does a quiet little 'Ahhh' at the mention of the home that Vi comes from. "I'm not familiar with that location. Somewhere in Eastern Europe?" She asks then as Vi approaches the clothing and picks out what she wants of it, everything she could need or want is there, maybe some things she doesn't even know what they are. Either way, its a basic, but suitable small wardrobe.

"I'd love to hear about it, if you ever wish to share with anyone." Lara then says with another soft smile before she pulls one of the chairs out at the table and settles into it, her hands going to press palm together between her knees. "Enjoy the shower." She then says as the girl meanders off.

Thirty minutes or so go by and when Vi returns, she'll find Lara still there, but having moved to one of the softer sofa chairs. She's got her phone out and is simply responding to some messages on it with clicking of her thumbs.

Vi has posed:
Vi has chosen a pair of jeans, the ones closest to the trousers she had on before, leaving her ankles bare and rather snug to her slender legs. Her feet are still bare. And one of the Henley shirts is on as well.

The dirt - ash actually - is washed from her face and hair. The change could be startling, making her look like someone that could just be passed on the street without remark, rather than some older urchin out of A Christmas Carol.

Vi apparently was thinking about Lara's last questions. "I don't know where the place is you said. It's between the mountains. Beneath the nets," she answers with an expression as if she doesn't know if that is much help.

Vi glances at the phone but doesn't ask about it, as she moves over to sit on one of the other chairs. She sits on the edge rather than relaxing in it. Hands resting in her lap, and eyes flitting about now and then. "What do you want to know about it?" she asks quietly.

The only thing that still looks the same about Vi, is the metal case with the Hydra logo, worn across her body. Also there's a pouch she put on the new belt. Hand made from the look of it, not the same material as her clothing. There's a faint metallic sound like moderately heavy objects inside shifting.

Lara Croft has posed:
Once Vi returns to join her in the main living area, Lara puts her phone away back inside her jacket. She then crosses her legs at the knee and leans just a little to her right on her elbow on the arm of the sofa chair.

Vi gets Lara's utmost attention and the reaction of hearing the vagueness of where the girl comes from only manages to spark more curiosity inside of the archaeologist. "Between the mountains and beneath... the nets..." She repeats as though she's memorizing it more than questioning it. "Fishing... nets?" She asks, though that feels wrong, but those seem like the most appropriate nets for a potentially small society in an isolated location. "Do you think you could draw a map to it in relation to any other nearby locations, or landmarks?" She then asks.

A moment later though and Lara tilts her head straight again and offers another light smile. "And you look very nice now, all cleaned up and refreshed." She notes the hydra box, but that really does feel like more of a Captain America concern than a Lara Croft concern.

Vi has posed:
Vi gives a little shake of her head at the mention of fishing nets. "They are on poles above the village. Stretched between them. They gather ash and the workers have to sweep it free now and then so the weight doesn't get to be too much. One of the jobs the children are put to doing," she says quietly. Vi gives a little shake of her head. "I once heard someone say they are so we won't be seen, but I don't know if he knew what he was talking about," she says.

"The foundry has the same thing but they are right against the roof," Vi adds quietly. She looks perplexed at the question of drawing a map. "There are the mountains around it. It's up against the side of one, where the entrances to the mines are," she says, holding up her hands as if not sure what to say beyond that. The mountains that give off the ash, are... there's two on one side, and one the other."

Vi looks over to Lara. "Does that help?" she asks, in a tone as if she doesn't imagine it did. Vi looks down at herself, and runs a hand over the Henley shirt. "It's very soft," she says.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara just gently nods her head along with what Vi relays to her over her home and where it can be found. It wasn't much to go on, but she wasn't going to press that subject right this moment. There was 'some' to work with, but probably not enough to really garner a location from those vocalized statements alone. A smile shows then across Lara's lips. "Yes, it helps. Thank you." She states in a warm tone of her British-flavored voice.

Lara then draws in a breath and she glances over her shoulder toward the kitchen, before looking back to Vi. "Do you have any idea what those documents you had with you are all about? They're very badly damaged, I'm afraid. I'd love any insight into what was on the pages that are simply too far gone now to read. Why did you have them on you? Were you running from someone?"

Vi has posed:
Vi glances over towards the counter. She swallows and slides back in her chair, until her back is against the chair back, though still sitting upright rather than relaxing. "There were men who did things to me. I had this thing I could do. My Luck I always called it. Make something come to my hand, or, maybe use it as a distraction. A guard saw it and took me in. The men, wanted to know how I did it. What else I could do. When I escaped, I scooped up everything they had on the counter and... and then left."

When Vi is talking about scooping everything up, her hand unconsciously goes to cradle the metal case protectively. "What are they?" Vi asks, looking over towards the papers and then back to Lara.

Lara Croft has posed:
'Mutant' is the first thing Lara assumes upon hearing Vi's story then and there, though she's very sure that this girl has no concept of what one of those things are, so there's little reason to question her on, though she'll recommend the girl get a genetics test just to make sure, should SHIELD wish to even know...

"It sounds like you're one of the many in this world who's abilities have evolved to a place that surpasses someone such as myself." Lara states with a slight grin. "If I could pull things to my hands with sher willpower alone, well... lets say it would've made my life a lot easier. But likely a lot more difficult in other ways that I'm not aware of too."

Another glance is given back to the papers, then back to the girl. "I don't know, yet." She states. "I may never be able to find out either. I very much would like to know and I have a number of growing guesses that I could make as to the nature of all of this, but guesses rarely help anyone truly wishing to solve a difficult puzzle."

Its then that Lara looks to the box with the HYDRA icon on it and she nods toward it, deciding to ask. "What is that that you have there?"

Vi has posed:
Vi looks down at the box, her arms tightening around the metal container a little protectively. She hesitates rather than answering right away, her eyes flitting about as if her thoughts on what to answer are a jumbled mix.

"The results of what they did to me," she says quietly. "It's mine. I had to pay the price for it," she adds. It doesn't sound like she's talking about an exchange of currency. "And it wouldn't do anyone else any good," she adds, as if to dissuade any thoughts in certain directions.

She glances down at the case, and her hand is resting on the Hydra logo. She moves her hand off of it unconsciously as if not liking to touch the slight impression in the metal case. "I got away and hid in the metal containers leaving Echo," she says quietly. "But I took what I could with me."

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara doesn't openly react to Vi's words then, she just remains where she is, observes and seems calm and quiet toward it all. She does eventually respond though by nodding her chin toward the case. "The logo on it belongs to a notoriously cruel sect of individuals who have left a trail of suffering and misery behind them for a very long time now." She pauses then before speaking again a few moments later. "My father was murdered by a group that is loosely affiliated with them in fact. If the contents of that case are of great importance to you, we should probably find a new container for them, for your own well being."

She smiles softly then to Vi. "But we can worry about that later. You're a brave person, Miss Vi. You've put a lot on the line to get away from your former home, and you've accomplished it now. You have an opportunity for a completely different life here in the US, a very good one too, if you want it and work to get it for yourself."

Vi has posed:
Vi looks down at the logo. "These are the guards. And the foremen and the men in the building who kept me there," she says of the logo, frowning. "I thought maybe the man was one of them. He had a shield, and I've never seen anyone with a shield but the guards. But I couldn't sense his shield. Is it made of wood?" she asks, tilting her head curiously as she looks over to Lara.

Vi falls silent for a few moments. "I've wondered why anyone is helping me," she says quietly. "I guess for the same reasons they.... Hydra, took an interest in me," she adds in her English that carries that unusual, Eastern European sound to it.

Lara Croft has posed:
"You mean Captain Roger's and his shield?" Lara asks. "The red white and blue one with the star in the center?" She shows a slight smile. "Its not wood, it's made of a rare metal. Vibranium I believe. Very difficult to find any of that on all of the Earth." She draws in a light breath then and nods once to the girl.

"HYDRA is desperate for power, they'll essentially walk over anyone if they believe that it will lead them to an advantage that will yield powerful gains. This includes kidnapping and experimentation, brain washing and other heinous acts upon people who themselves have unexplained powers. I can't say for sure that this is the case for you, but it sounds as though its on the right lines of it... but, you've found us now and we're the best people to find if you're looking to get away from HYDRA." Lara shows her another soft smile then.

"You're with us now, safe and sound."

Vi has posed:
Vi's brow furrow for a moment at the mention of the vibranium. "Hrm. Strange," she says, giving a little shake of her head and then seeming to shrug it off afterwards.

She rests her hands back in her lap again, listening to the talk of Hydra. Vi's eyes flit about, signs that her thoughts are churning. She may not understand exactly why she's being helped - she can guess, given they saw what she did leaving the ship, but she isn't sure - but Vi knows people enough to know that others don't help unless they are gaining something.

But she needs the help, desperately, so she stays quiet on the matter. "What happens from here then?" she asks quietly.

Lara Croft has posed:
Lara shakes her head softly from side to side. "Ultimately it isn't up to me to say. You'll have to be given a clearance to go on about your way, which you should be interviewed for later today. In fact, I believe the escort to the Triskelion should be arriving here soon." Lara pulls her phone out to glance at the time again.

"The Triskelion is SHIELD's headquarters here in Manhattan. It's a big place, very... fancy, it might be a bit overwhelming for you to see, but, well... I think you'll enjoy it. It'll just be a bit more talking, most likely. You might have to speak with Captain Rogers again too due to the Hydra connections. SHIELD is adamant toward investigating leads on that organization, to stop their nefarious actions around the world..."

With a light sigh then, Lara shakes her head. "But... yes, beyond that, I'm not sure. You're a free individual now, for all intents and purposes."

Vi has posed:
Vi listens, eyes glancing around the apartment as she does. It looks like a fairly regular place. Anything the Avengers have in the way of security, scanners or the like is hidden. Perhaps Lara might suspect locations for a few cameras.

Vi looks down at her hands, fingers working against each other. Seeing how clean they are again. Having them dirty again after busting out of the lab was part of blending in with the rest of the workers in Echo until she could get out of the place. Yet it had felt like freedom compared to the cleanliness forced on her in the research lab.

The girl looks up again and gives a small nod. "Thank you for this clothing, and for the food. It was very good. The best meal I've ever had," she says. Vi looks down, hand rubbing over the denim of the jeans. "These must have been very expensive," she says.