Owner	Pose
Wendell Vaughn	It wasn't really like Wendell had been out of practice. Being in a coma for years doesn't erase skills and muscle memory. It erases muscle tone, sure... but he worked out to get back in shape.     He finished the marksmanship course, and despite not being a killer, he isn't a bad shot. He's no Hawkeye, but he showed professional marksmanship levels with the current SHIELD issue firearms. They are so different than the ones he used even a few years back... So are the uniforms. I mean when he left, it was blue kevlar weave bodysuits...     Anyway, he finds himself in the gym today... having warmed up and stretched to get ready for the hand to hand qualifications. His major focus has always been Krav Maga, but he also has a grounding in classic Karate with an emphasis in weapons such as Nunchaku and the Bo Staff and such. He showed up today in a classic white Gi, not realizing that most folks don't wear those things for training anymore, at least not at SHIELD. So a sigh, and he just went forward... no sense trying to back up and make it worse.
Mockingbird	The agents in charge of qualifications are not feeling generous today. Which is why they have Bobbi pairing off with aagents going through the re-qualification process. It's a good workout for the senior agent because under qualified people are often more dangerous in sparring practice than most people assume. They don't know how to pull their punches. She also relishes sussing out her opponents weak spots. Eyeing Vaughn's white gi with a humorous look, she invites him onto the mats with a crooked finger. She wears light absorbing black tac gear, supple and bullet-proof, though without any weapons on her beyond her favorite batons.
Wendell Vaughn	There is an old adage. The greatest swordsman does not fear the second best swordsman. He fears the worst... for he has no idea what that one will do.     Wendell shrugs his shoulders as he sees the amusement pass over Bobbi's face, "Laugh it up." he remarks with a grin. "Maybe I'm just trying to make you underestimate me?" he asks before he shakes his head, "No. That'd require far too much forethought from me."     But he steps up onto the mat and bows formally before moving into a defensive stance. His movements -are- easy and lithe. He's got the sort of muscle and body control that only someone who did a lot of training would have.     At the announcement of a start, he flows into a classic simple punch kick combo, intended not to hit so much as to provoke a response, so he can figure out the skill level of his opponent. IT's designed to -draw- a response that he thinks he is prepared to defend against. Turns out... he's not bad at this.
Mockingbird	The humor lurks in Bobbi's blue eyes though she returns the bow with the precision of long practice. The smile fades away as she assesses Vaughn's movements. There is an assurance in his first kick and punch which tell her a lot. She doubles her chin and moves back out of the way of the punch then grabs his foot to tip him backwards as he completes the kick. Using forward momentum, she strikes him twice with a one-two punch to the face, pulling them at the last moment then steps to the side to put a leg behind him to tip him over.
Wendell Vaughn	Bobbi's assault is far quicker than he expected, and as such, Wendell ends up on his ass. But... it's more of a 'use the momentum' of his backwards fall than just flopping down helplessly. One thing he learned when he was out at Uranus was that he can never quit. Never give up. Deathurge taught him that. . . long story.     But when happens is, he hits the mat, and is already rolling, continuing his motion, and popping back up to his feet. He is by no means a total fighter like Bobbi, but he's not bad. He is much better when his hands than his feet, and so he comes in using a flurry of feinting punches to try to find an opening to strike towards the torso or face.
Mockingbird	In a friendly sparring match she might acknowledge the roll with a laugh and a nod. She wants the agents being tested today to qualify and the best way to do that is for her to press the attack. Hands up to protect her face, she sidesteps forward and spins into a roundhouse kick, ignoring his agenda to set her own. The kick morphs into a leap that takes her behind him. Stepping forward she puts a foot into the back of his knee trying to make him collapse.
Wendell Vaughn	One does not win a fight by letting their opponent set the pace. As such, Wendell is stubbornly trying to hold on to the initiative. He leans into the roundhouse kick and intercepts it with his forearm/wrist.     Even as Bobbi leaps behind him, he is twisting and moving her way. As her foot heads towards his knee, he bends that knee and presses his foot into the mat to absorb the impact with a straight-on facing leg.     In most fights like this one.. if the fight isn't won in the first three seconds, it might take a while for exchanges to start landing.     As such, he is trying to keep on the attack, to force Bobbi on the defensive. She's good though, and he's not up to her level. He is however, quite capable of taking a beating and continuing to fight. After a minute or so, he has bruises on his arms and legs from blocking forceful blows.     He rolls his neck and swipes at the sweat on his forehead before he nods and comes back in to try yet again.. and again, he's not good -enough-. But he is stubborn and skilled.
Mockingbird	"Good moves," she grunts, slightly winded but with plenty of reserves. "You are keeping your head. You're trying to take the initiative. Can't ask for more than that." Holding up a hand to the agents watching, "I think he has what it takes. We keep on with this and I'll hurt him. That's not necessary. We're here to assess whether he is keeping up on training and if he can hold his own in a fight. I vote yes." Bobbi's blue eyes narrow thoughtfully as she raises her chin. "How does it feel to fight without using the bands? With them, I'm fairly certain it wouldn't be a match. I'd have lost within the first two seconds. Is that a fair assessment?"
Wendell Vaughn	Holding his guard up for a long moment after the fight is halted, Wendell lowers them again. "I mean... I could demonstrate, but I don't want to damage the facility." he says.     "Fighting with the bands is a whole different thing. But... I -do- need to keep the basics up." He grins, "Though I must admit to a certain preference to combine the two.." And as he speaks, golden Nunchaku form in his hands. Then he notices the baton type sticks Bobbi carries, and the weapon changes to that form, "Here. See if I got the mass right." he suggests as he hands the golden stick over.     Then after handing it off, he turns to go grab a couple bottles of water. "Agent Morse, -you- are a beast on the mat. I'm glad that I don't have to fight you for real." he adds before turning and returning and waiting to offer her a water.
Mockingbird	Bobbi never loses her focus on the man while giving her opinion on the match. Both agents concur with her, typing in their remarks on the tablets before moving on to the next candidate waiting on the next mat over. Smiling and shaking her head no to his question, "Such a kind offer but I don't think that taking down the Trisk is on the agenda today." His weapon creation amply demonstrates to those watching that the bands take him to super hero fighting level. Perhaps something beyond many super heroes. The senior agent is impressed and lets him know with a dip of her head. "That is what I'm talking about. I may be a beast but I'm not sure how I would typify what you just did. Beyond beast, certainly." Taking the weapon in hand, she hefts it from hand to hand and then tosses it in the air, turning and catching it behind her back. "Those are my majorette moves in case I want to leave SHIELD," she says, grinning at him. "You got the balance perfectly," she says, handing it back to him.
Wendell Vaughn	Taking the stick back, Wendell makes it simply dissolve even as he hands over a bottle of water. "Something tells me that if you ever left SHIELD, you would simply dominate in whatever field you chose. Some people have that sort of focus and drive."     He lifts his own water bottle and takes a drink before he asks, "Now. Would you like to really see what these things are capable of?" he asks as he wills the bands to glow a bit as if drawing the eye.
Mockingbird	With a lift of a shoulder and a faint chuckle, "Flattery will not make your test results better, Agent. But good try." She watches the weapon dissolve in his hand without comment and takes the water bottle offered her. A quick twist opens the bottle and she drinks in tandem with him, never taking her eyes away. His abilities merit paying attention. "Can you do that without bringing down the roof?"
Wendell Vaughn	"Sure. I've got good control now." Wendell offers, "So, nothing up my sleeve.." he says, turning his wrist and grinning, "Except the bands that is. Now, for starters.." He snaps his wrist like grasping an item out of the air.. and a bouquet of golden roses appears in his hand.     "Literally, the neural link with the bands lets me transform anything that I can picture into reality. By binding photons tightly enough together to become a physical object." That said, he snaps his wrist again and the flowers vanish.     Then he gestures out into an open area of the floor... and energy flows from his wristbands and forms into the shape of a classic muscle car. Still golden in color for every tiny little bit of the thing. Every aspect of it is golden. But after a few seconds... the engine actually revs.
Mockingbird	"Here I thought you were going to add insult to injury by offering me flowers," she puckers her mouth in a pretend moue, watching him carefully. "Anything? Literally?"
Wendell Vaughn	"Just about. The more moving parts, the more effort and time it takes. So I usually try to stick to simple shapes." The car itself transforms into what looks like a World War Two artillery piece.     "Don't worry. I'm not planning to fire this." he adds. And then the cannon shifts shape, standing up and turning into the Stay-Puft Marshmellow man from Ghostbusters. Shorter though. "Any requests?" he asks with a grin.
Mockingbird	The rest of the gymnasium has come to a complete stop. The other agents frankly stare, leaving Bobbi to wonder how many levels of security did they manage to transgress in one go. Her eyes sweep from side to side, eyebrows imperiously high in a question. Those closest catch the look and return to the workouts. She points to a group and makes a one-fingered twirling motion which prompts them into immediately paying attention to their own business. "You know, we might consider doing this when we're alone. You've made your point." Approaching him, she takes him by the arm to lead him off the mat. "That was probably not the smartest thing I've ever done. If there is any fallout from your demonstration I take responsibility. Of course, I'm glad you showed me. It sometimes takes seeing to believe." In an even lower voice, she asks, "How are you handling this? You seem so cheerful."
Wendell Vaughn	"I mean, wouldn't you be happy if you learned to do all of this? It really is amazing. Plus, what little boy didn't dream of being an Astronaut? I can fly in space any time I want to now."     He says that, and then he turns to suggest, "I have an amazing life. And I can honestly say that what I do now -really- matters.. to every single being in the universe."
Mockingbird	Bobbi listens intently, throwing him glances then looking away. Cynicism and sarcasm have marked the last generation deeply. It would seem that he is not among them. Still standing close to him so that their conversation remains private, "That is what the psyche evaluations said about you. They remarked on your optimism. They even questioned it by asking whether there wasn't profound denial at the remarkable changes you've undergone since acquiring the bands. Did you know that?" She takes a step back, head tilted thoughtfully to one side. Keeping her reservations about him and hopes to herself, she says quietly, "You do have an amazing life. I have a feeling that we all will be grateful for your existence, Agent. I understand that you've already been out on an operation. How did that go?"
Wendell Vaughn	Shrugging, Wendell says, "Well... I can see why they might think that." he says. "In all honesty, I did wonder if I would be able to make a difference when I was assigned babysitting duty because of the 'lack of a killer instinct'..."     He shakes his head and shrugs, "I actually have learned to be -proud- of that aspect of myself. I do not -want- to kill. I..."     And then the question comes of the mission, and his eyes glaze over a bit, "So many dead people... and Agents Johnson and Barnes didn't even seem to ... didn't really see them as people. It's like they saw them as just objects on the ground. I don't know how anyone gets so jaded to death."     A deep breath is taken, and he adds, "I ... I scanned the whole thing to try to help identify who they were. I think they were apparently operatives of Hydra... but I can't be sure." His voice was kept low for all of this as... you know.. Hydra.
Mockingbird	The report had already been downloaded to her. The human difference, Vaughn's unique perspective had not been included. This is what she wants to know about the man. "It may have looked that way but many agents handle death differently. A lot of them resort to compartmentalizing it and, as you noted, dehumanizing the enemy. It both helps tremendously allowing them to function in the field but as you observed can make them look cold." She has led them both to the benches that line part of the gymnasium, giving a place for agents to rest between sets, and seats herself. Patting the place next to her, "You are more aligned with SHIELD values than you might think. You should be proud of your attitude, in my opinion." Nodding rapidly, "Does that surprise you that I'd say that?"
Wendell Vaughn	The surprise shows on his face. He merely nods. "I will be honest, it seemed to me that of late, folks seem to want machines without emotions who do what they are told, kill whom they are told. To be told that my outlook is valued..."     He shakes his head, "I mean it is at the same time uplifting, and yet... terrifying. If that makes -any- sense at all."     He looks down at the Quantum Bands, and without looking away says, "I did not put these on to change the universe. I didn't do it because I thought I was better than anyone else. I put them on because lives were at stake. My fellow agents, and my Father's life. I put them on with the intent to give my life to save theirs. The fact that I survived it is really immaterial in my opinion."     "But Eon, the ancient presence who -formed- these bands in the early moments of time... he told me that I was -chosen-. That he had been aware of the situation... and watched to see what I would do. It's weird thinking that the closest thing to an omniscient god approved of my actions...."     Then he looks up to meet Bobbi's eyes, "And yet, it feels more compelling that a fellow human being approves of them somehow."
Mockingbird	After meeting his gaze, Bobbi takes a deep breath, loosing it slowly, eyes unfocused as she considers his words. "I might be easier to relate to than an omniscient being though some junior agents might disagree," she replies, flashing him a brief, bright smile. "More to the point, we don't want automatons. HYDRA might but that sort of thinking is diametrically opposed to free-will and self-determination, don't you think?" She makes a broad sweeping gesture to the agents being evaluated and going about their training regimens. "SHIELD invented ICERS for a reason. That is not HYDRA technology. Notice how we insist on teaching agents how to subdue a subject first. Killing is always the last option. Not the first." She turns to him, "Radical, isn't it? That's not all. We have investigated the why behind you putting on the bands. You didn't know you were going to survive, did you?" She twists sideways to watch him as she speaks, "You know the story about Captain America being selected to receive the super soldier serum, don't you?"
Wendell Vaughn	Blushing such that the mid-30's guy looks a bit boyish, Wendell shrugs his shoulders. "Well, it's not that I didn't know I was going to survive. It's a bit more extreme than that. I truly thought I was -not- going to survive. Nobody -had- survived wearing them before. So how could I think anything else?"     He shakes his head."I didn't take time to think about it really. If I had, I'd have been terrified. But as I said.. my dad was there."     Then he shrugs and grins, "Actually, yes... I am a big Cap fan."
Mockingbird	An agent approaches them and taps his watch. "That, Agent Vaughn is my signal to get ready for a round of meetings. We can talk more about this if you'd like. I think it's important stuff, so I hope we can." She rises and smiles, "Let's make time to do that." Not giving him time to reply, she follows the waiting agent out of the gym.