2014.03.03 - Introductions on the Helicarrier - A Small Tip Goes a Long Way

Ever seen how business the bridge of a normal naval vessel is? Those have nothing on the Argus. Seating well over two dozen agents, and more besides walking back and forth, checking this and that or delivering reports. It's noisy as hell. Maria Hill is currently on the bridge, which probably accounts for a little of the tension. Okay. A lot of the tension. The SHIELD agents would all agree she is a good boss. She cares about the agents below her. She encourages them to work to their full capacity and is willing to give people second chances. Thing is, she can be a bit of a bitch. She's a stickler for following the rules when it comes to procedure - most of the time. She's willing to bend them, but when it comes to how the Argus works, /everything/ must be done right. Which probably explains the yelling.
"Matthews! I want to know what's going on the Raft yesterday! We've got Danvers down there!" Which of course isn't too much to worry about, but Maria does prefer agents working in pairs.
She's also on the bridge because one Agent Johns mentioned meeting someone that apparently had information related to some HYDRA movements, and this person /insisted/ on meeting SHIELD leadership directly. A little suspicious, but... it was allowed. Johns had a good feeling, apparently.
For Salu, being led through the bowels of this flying monstrosity is rather like a child at a zoo. When she isn't shyly sidestepping agents casually walking through the halls or pulling up the folder she brought in front of her cheeks to hide a blush, she is sidling up to perfectly ordinary things. Well... ordinary around here. Computer terminals, electronic locks, even the very material the place is made out of seems to pique her curiosity! In fact, more than once she starts to lag behind, requiring an impatient clearing of her guides throat to cause her to straighten up and bashfully appologize... for about the tenth time.
By the time she is finally on bridge, she was keeping almost perfectly behind her escort, craddling the folder of information so high up that it hides half her face. Peering over the brim of the folder however, her violet eyes were darting all over the place. The noise, at least while so distracted, doesn't seem to much get to her... until she hears that first shout! With a jump she suddenly shifts immediately behind the poor fellow bringing her to meet with the upper leadership.
Clearing his throat, the agent announces "Salu Digby, codename Shrinking Violet to see you Assistant Director. She... uhm.." he turns around, hoping to get the nervous girl out from behind him... but rather suddenly, she didn't seem to be there anymore... " has... some... intel?"
"Shrinking Violet?" That's not a name Maria recognizes. But her memory's not perfect. It may be that a file with the name crossed her desk once or twice. It might not be. As long as unregistered heroes are still following the law and battling villains, SHIELD generally leaves them alone. The Assistant Director tilts to one side, trying to see around
Johns. "Agent, is this a joke? There's no one behind you."
The poor agent stammers, raising his hands rather suddenly in his own defence "I.. I... She was here a second ago!" Scratching his head, he turns around one more time, only for a girl to appear out of nowhere between Assistant Director Hill and himself! Rather by accident, in her haste to regain her former, arguably 'usual' size, she bumps the poor agent and causes him to tumble backwards and nearly fall over.
"S-sorry!" Salu stammers, nervously rubbing the back of her head. "I... I just.. get a little nervous... in.. uhm.. H-here." Her eyes keep darting from the floor, to Maria, and back to the floor again, though more than once her eyes flicker curiously to one of the displays or controls nearby. It's almost fifteen seconds before she seems to realise why she is there, and entirely to late looks at the folder startled and says "Oh! R-right. Here. Its.. I heard some people talking about a robbery... so I decided to follow along. T-th-this is what I managed to gather from the safehouse they went back to." Inside was intel on a few nearby safehouses, one or two shipments they were going to be moving through New York next week, and the names of at least half a dozen middlemen SHIELD itself had yet to hear of... even if the remainder of the info was already on file.
Maria Hill glances over the folded when the agent hands it to her. She dismisses him with a nod, turning to Salu. The agent protests of course, but Maria assures she'll be okay. Nobody's been bold enough - except Magneto, that is - to directly attack the SHIELD helicarrier. "I'm AD Maria Hill," she says, sticking out a hand when Salu finally gets closer. "Welcome to the Argus." The information, as she flips through it, looks pretty good. "You understand I'll have to pass this down to analysis before we send some people down there. I have to ask, Ms. Digby - what exactly do you want for this?"
The offered hand has her gaze tentatively a moment, before she seems to understand the gesture. Her smile a little nervous, she nonetheless returns the gestuer as best she can, taking Maria's hand timidly, and likely briefly. "I.. Thank you! Its a fascinating piece of old technology I mean.." conversation starting to lilt towards the helicarrier starts to see some of that nervous trembling melt away. "..lifting something like this.. even with the jet intake fans you have running externally... its really rather amazing. I can't imagine using anything this simple for such a massive project!"
Its not until talk turns to return that she looks... perplexed. The question of what she wants for the information seems to stun her momentarily. "W-want? I just... I tried to turn it in to the police... but they said it was above them. Legionaire databases suggested this would be the best place... I just want to see the information put to good use! I.. its the sort of work I'm used to by this point, and no matter -when- I am I'm always happy to help the local authorities." She certainly had the getup of a superhero, but from the sounds of it she had some experience as well. Now if she could only stop breaking eye contact to stare at this or that around her as thogh she wanted to take it appart...
"You're one of the Legionnaires," Maria says, nodding understandingly. She knows of the Legion. One of them visited the helicarrier quite recently, in fact. "I appreciate the information, Ms. Digby." A passing agent is given the file. "Baker, get this down to Analysis. I want to know everything about these people before the sun sets. Understood?" The agent snaps off a salute and scurries to an elevator.
"I asked, Ms. Digby," she smoothly continues, turning, "Because so often the authorities offer a reward for information that many people think it's a given."
A proud nod, followed by her slightly wilting stature soon after she none-the-less tries to keep a more respectable stance. Hands down at her sides, albiet occasionally tapping her thigh or gently flexing in a light nervous tic, she watches the exchange between Maria and the agent with interest. Continued use of the name 'Ms. Digby' earns a quiet, half hearted correction of 'Salu is fine...' but frankly its soft enough to be easily missed, especially in the background noise here on the bridge.
"Well, I assure you Assitant Director my only interest is to help as best I can. If the sort of gear those... people... were carrying is any indication I think it best people at least be informed. It seems rather... uhm... f-forgive me... advanced for this day and age. Leastwise what I've seen of now so far.. er.. here... and now.. as in..." Time travel... prone to make even the brightest minds turn to jello, and Salu was nowhere near claiming that sort of honor. Its really her next statement that shows where her heart lies.
"If anything, I'd just like to help where I can. The Legion is always committed to assisting planets in need. I-I'm sure I can't quite measure up to what you have here!" she adds quickly, as though worried of offending "but I am somewhat experienced in espionage, intel gathering, infiltration and basic field support... though I admit.. I'm still getting used to the.. erm..." she looks around, briefly lost for words, stammering a few moments before saying "...d-different... level of technology here."
This actually earns a little smile from Maria. "We look quaintly antiquated from where you're standing, don't we? My understanding is the Legion comes from several hundred years in the future." She turns and looks around at the bridge. "Would you be surprised to know what we have here is some of the most advanced computer technology available at the time?" Of course no specifics are given; Salu's not qualified for that just yet. The gears in Maria's head are a-turnin'. "There's still a need for espionage in the time you call home, Salu?"
Salu Digby can't help but nibble on her lip a little, blushing but giving a guilty smile. Rubbing the back of her head, she mutters under her breath while averting her gaze "A-about a millenia or so.. g-give or take a few decades..." Still, the question about the tech on the bridge gets her to perk up, answering perhaps a little too quickly in her haste not to offend "No! No a-actually.. to be honest... its rather brilliant in its application. I mean.. I learned SOME of the fundementals in micro-engineering but... it was all just theory taught as a grounding for.. Oh.. uhm. That is to say, it is still increadibly impressive." Hidden, of course in her head, is the question 'I wonder what they could do with some of the tech from Brainiac 5's workshop...'
But that she shoves aside. There would be time for reminiscing about home when she wasn't standing face to face with arguably an increadibly important person! "Oh yes. I mean, arguably more so. If you think about the scope and scale being delt with. The Legion was effectively formed, at least in my time, as a unification of the various allied planets... what could be comperable to your United Nations. We were meant to represent a unified front. One of co-operation and inclusion... but of course the forces that seek to tear down such ideals rarely are so rash as to do so openly."
Maria Hill isn't sure whether to be happy there is a place for people like her in the future, or sad society hasn't eliminated the need. "I see. It's hard to imagine such a grouping for an entire organization of planets..." Hey, she likes Star Trek, but she never thought it could happen!
"Well.." she says with a wince and another distracted gesture of stroking the back of her neck. "The Legion started more as an ideal to work towards. A way to prove co-existance and co-operation was an achievable goal. That isn't to say it was easy. I can't imagine... when everyone is Human... its quite the same but when you try to crowd people of such vastly different customs, creeds, biologies... all towards a common goal.. you can imagine there is some friction. I think the saying here is 'Its an ongoing process'... but one I was proud to push myself towards." It seems her timid exterior was finally starting to peel away, all the talk of the Legion, of her work, of all their work for the greater good... its amazing how empowering it can be.
Maria Hill nods, understanding. "Sometimes I get the feeling it's always going to be an ongoing process," she confesses. But there's a thrill to it. Working against the guys that'd try to take them all down. "Do you miss that sort of work, Salu?"
Take your eyes off her for a second, and rather suddenly she was a few feet to the left, leaning over a railing to examine, of all things, the complex mass of wiring behind one of the terminals. Her name causes her to quickly straighten back up, rather making as though she had been in pose the entire time "M-miss.. it? Oh! A-actually.." She blushes again, and clears her throat "I.. it hasn't been all that long. That's... sort of the reason I'm here actually. Uhm.. here -now- not here -here..." but she pauses, winces at the phrasing and shakes her head "that is.. not in this place but in this time..."
A soft sigh, the particularities of temporal anomolies well beyond her, she does her best to simplify. "I was actually working on a time bomb.. not a timed explosive but a temporal quantum-displacement emitter... k-kind of like a bomb I guess. I managed to.. er... minimize the effects.. but unfortunately..." and she pauses, hands behind her back, rapidly descending to a quarter her previous size. Now looking rather far up at Assistant Director hill, she continues "As best I can guess there was some... small tearing. But if its for the right cause? I'll happily dive in. Sometimes a little information is the difference between life and death for entire nations... people."
Maria Hill watches, with a certain curiosity, Salu and her interest in the wires. "You mentioned 'micro engineering' before," the assistant director notes. "What is that, exactly?" She doesn't recall Stark ever mentioning it before. But then, how often does Stark talk about something and she ends up tuning it out? The man has that affect on people.
"Oh!" She says, perking up visibly and smiling "Well.. its nothing special really. Actually its sort of a catch all academic mishmash. Its the study of miniturization, small scale construction and design theory... sort of a jumble of electronics, robotics.. a bunch of fields. I've done some intern work with cybernetics facilities, there was a short stint helping in a U.P. nanotechnology lab..." she was slowly ticking things off on her fingers, trying to do her best not to miss anything too crucial.
Finally though, she gives it up and just sort of waves the hand she was counting on "... its much more focused on how individual systems interact and integrate, to help optimally conserve space and ensure maximum efficiency where size is an issue. It required a rather extensive background in..." and she was off again, starting to mention fusion-somethings and neural-cyber interwhatsits... finally seeming to find a topic that brings her out of her shell proper. Thankfully, it isn't a minute before she flushes bashfully, realising she was rambling on, and says "N-not that I expect to manage anything t-too advanced! I mean.. alot of theory but actually applying it.. I-I'm not some amazing inventor.. j-just a university student really.."
Maria Hill can't help but think how such a thing could help SHIELD. ...and then how Fitz and Simmons would react. That idea terrifies her. "This might seem like out of the blue, Salu - but I'm gong to be honest. We need more people around here. Scientists, spies, hell, metahumans. We need what we can get. A lot of the super groups out there terrify the governments more than a little bit. But they all know SHIELD follows the law."
The reaction on her face, all the way down by your knees, is one of initial perplexion, and slowly dawning comprehension. When it seems the weight of what you are offering finally hits home, she takes a step forward while rapidly resuming her normal height. Hands together, and the sudden increase in size giving the effect of having her rather close, rather suddenly, she looks astounded. "M-me? I.. here? But... I mean I'm flattered but isn't.. aren't you... like the best of the best? I-I don't know if I'm really qualified..." The ever enjoyable barrier of self-esteem.
Still, talk of following the law, indeed the suggestion of super groups uneasing the modern government. Nibbling her lip she thinks about her teammates briefly. If there were any concerns... having a Legion member on call for SHIELD would, ideally... abate some of that concern, at least where her team was concerned. "W-well.. I.. I have been encouraged to do my best to help out where I can."
Her pose straightens, and finally she takes a step back to give some breathing room between the two of you. She raises her hand in a salute... and -ALMOST- has it right... if she weren't using the wrong arm... and doing a rather silly gesture where she coveres one of her eyes rather than propping her palm against her brow. "If I can be of any assistance please..."
Its about time! FINALLY somebody comes up from behind you, handing you a folder with her picture on it. REgistration forms and information, it seems she opted to register fully. Full name, date of birth, age, home planet. An alien it seems, something called an Imskite. If anything, it shows an early adoption of policy... something many of the modern heroes may sometimes seem lax in. Shrinking powers... does... does that say 'sub-atomic'? The logistics and practicality of that, honestly, is enough to give people from HER time headaches...
"Don't mistake me. I'm not saying I don't trust any of them. Many of the people I trust most highly in this world are on those teams. Tony Stark - Iron Man - among them. ...but don't tell him I said that." Many more than that, of course. "SHIELD will work with them as long as they understand our desire to uphold the law. And as I've said, we allow one - Rokk Krinn - on the helicarrier before when he wanted to relay some information to us." She's pacing now. Thinking. "If you're willing to bear with us - we have other agents in training..."
Another blink, this time at the name of Rokk Krinn. Cosmic boy. "Cos? You've.. er.. that is he's been here? Well I.. that is.. you have to understand I do have obligations to fulfil to the Legion. However I'm sure, that is if you would permit a liason from the Legion. I would have to talk it over with Cos.. er.. Rokk.. for it to be official in any capacity." Already there was that curious... exhilerated, maybe a little anxious glint in the violet eyes of Salu Digby. Once again her eyes wandered around all the technology just on the bridge alone, not to mention the idea of raising her abilities to a higher level. It was slow but she was dropping the silly attempt at a salute, finally saying "However it is our duty to assist the authorities where we can. What is it you need of me?"
"I would welcome a liaison," Maria says with a nod. "That way we can keep each other abreast of goings-on. We can help each other out." She nods too, at the explanation that Salu has obligations. "I wouldn't expect you to betray those obligations. We have agents that work with the Avengers and Justice League in a similar capacity." She considers. "Wait right here." She heads off into a side room, marked 'Assistant Director's Office' and opens the door. From there she grabs something from her desk and..
.... is that a velociraptor running around in there?
... She returns, holding the book out. "This is something of a manual we ask new agents to look over. How about you take a look and we talk again in a day or two, or whatever is convenient for you?"
She was doing a passable immitation of being patient as you paced and went over goals and ends to both parties, but then you have to go and walk off. There's a breif moment where she leans over to check the door you left throguh.. and then... well. When you return she's down in the command bridge, hands behind her back and.. well to her credit she wasn't bothering anybody. She stayed quiet, and usual concerns about sensitive data might be forgiven, as it seems she wasn't even really looking at the screens. At glance, she's seen about knee high and pouring over a terminal connection with rapt interest, earning some confused, some amused looks from the agents on deck.
A simple clearing of the thraot is more than enough to get her attention back however, and as she straightens her spine, she once more returns to five feet, turning with a rigid stance. "Y-yes!" she says in all the tones of a child caught looking at a christmas present, blushing and finding it a little hard to meet your eyes. What does meet her eyes is the book. Of course, this interests her almost as much as the computer panel. "Oh! Celulose parchment inscribed with a carbon based pigment. Typically processed by.." she begins, but graciously locks eyes with you a brief moment and clears her throat. "T-that is.. Certainly. Y-you could say I.." she brushes her bangs from her eyes ".. have no real shortage of spare time right now. I-I'll set something up once I've had a chance to study the reference material. Thank you!", she ends in something of a bow. Returning upright, she appends "... Its an honor to work alongside the best and most advanced espionage service of the 20th century! I won't let you down."
Maria Hill actually smiles again. It's a rare thing, but Salu has managed to get Maria to do so twice. "Do you have a communications device of some kind? Something specific to this era?" Because, well, how else are they going to get ahold of Salu otherwise?
Salu Digby starts to hold up her hand to indicate her Legion issue flight ring... but then the mention of 'this era' comes into play and she rather bashfully shakes her head. "No.. that is.. not yet. I can always be contacted through Legion Headquarters however. Even if I'm not present, they should be able to contact me through my Flight Ring, or other channels." There's a pause, whre its hard to tell if she breathes, before she says "S-sorry. I'm afraid I'm still getting used to customs and methods here. I-I can try to arrange for something soon however!"
Maria Hill goes back to her office. A minute later she returns. "This is a StarkTech phone," she explains, offering it. "I've preprogrammed the number I use for agents in the field when they need to contact me directly." This is how much Maria trusts Tony, and Tony's tech. That should say enough. "If you find anything, you let me know directly. I'll get someone to bring you here. In the meantime, read over the files. You can text me, if you must, to ask any questions." 
Taking the phone, she shows an inexplicable ammount of restraint. This is obvious more from how she looks at the phone, turns it in her hands.... unconciously pries at the seam of the backing, and so on, than anything else. Oh look! A flip out keyboard! There's an initial jump when the keypad slides out, and the look in her eye says all to clearly 'Awww! Thats so cute!' in the most patronizing of ways. She's lost... until the mention of texting. She pauses running her thumbs over the buttons, the sleek frame of the phone, looking up and saying utterly perplexed.
"Why... would I use an audiovisual communication device to portray purely textual information... wouldn't it just be more efficient to... er.. whats the word..." she struggles a minute, before offering curiously "'voice-mail'? I mean.. I suppose if silence was of key importance..." She was trying.. the expression on her face showed she was trying to keep up, but something in her stare just said 'these people have odd customs'.
Maria Hill has never seen someone investigate the phone in such a unique manner. That damn smile is tugging at the corner of her mouth again! She shrugs at the question. "Some of the younger agents prefer texting. Because it means they can send me the information if I can't respond, or if they don't trust being heard aloud," she explains.
"Oh..." comes the reply, in a voice that suggests the simplicity itself behind the reasoning embarasses her. "Y-yeah.. that would make sense..." goes her ever softening voice... to the point of silence. Thats when a beeping comes from one of the pouches of her utility belt. With a startled EEP she gives a brief spasm, then starts fumbling with the clasp of the pouch, pulling out what looks effectively like a small screen. A few taps, some swipes of her fingers, and her face falls "Agh! I'm late! The university said ten! Oh man oh man..." she was starting to take steps back towards the door, saying "S-sorry to impose... could someone.. m-maybe.. show me to the upper flight deck? I can find my way from there.. I-I'm just in a little bit of a hurry. S-sorry!"
	And so, having dropped off the President... and Deadpool, at totally different locations, thank god, Carol soared for the Helicarrier. "Danvers, incoming, with a plus one. I need energy containment units on hand, and power nullifyers if we have'em." she calls to Andy, her favorite dispatcher.
	Andy looks up and says, "Director Hill. Danvers is incoming. She says she has a prisoner that requires containment and nullification."...
	And then Danvers flies past the bridge viewports, glowing like she was a light bulb. Usually only her eyes and hands glow when she's blasting folks. But now, -she- is glowing.... and isn't carrying anyone. She lands atop on the flight deck... asking, "Okay, so where do I put this pervert I got held in stasis?" she asks.
Maria Hill looks away from her 'company' - Salu Digby - whom she was just starting to offer to have someone escort back to the city below. "Another one? Tell Danvers the brig is not for her personal collection, dammit. And noted." She in turns calls for the people on the brig level to be ready, and calls up the agents and guards with the necessary paraphanelia to get the job down. "Bear with me Salu, I'll have to get this dealt with first." It should be a given, but given how shy the young woman has been, Maria has felt inclined to be a little less... grumpy.
	"Get the Vault on the horn," comes the gruff voice of Nick Fury as he comes onto the Bridge waving off the young agent about to yell, "Attention on deck." He strides towards Hill and company. "Tell 'em we aren't equipped to handle Danvers prisoner long term or even really short term." He turns to look at Salu and raises an eyebrow. "We doing guided tours now? Hill, you moonlighting as a vacation manager?"
She was standing next to the bridge door, hands behind her back and fumbling over the omnicom in her hand... undoubtedly to give her hands something to do, when the new call comes in. She goes from glancing under the bridge platform by leaning over the side railing to standing stock straight up again "Y-yes ma'am." in less a 'oh god I'm nervous' voice and more a 'put on a good impression' sort of voice. Still, there was certainly a degree of leaning this way and that, or peering about. The alarm on her omnicom goes off again, silently this time, but she quickly mutes it. Curiosity was getting the better of her...
And then a gruffer voice comes quickly to the fore. Almost instinctively she actually gets a few inches shorter, more in surprise than anything at the countenance of the man now before her. Four foot eight now, and still up against the railing she starts to open her mouth, but the first few attempts just get silent squawks and shy muted quiet.
	Once she lands, Carol heads below decks, and to the brig level. She -deposits- Crusher Creel, aka The Absorbing Man, into a short term cell, and stumbles back a half pace. "God, that sucked." she mutters before she makes her way to the bridge. When she gets there, the bags under her eyes appear to have bags under their eyes, and she steps off the lift slowly.. reaching a hand out to steady herself on a railing. "The guy did not want to stay contained." she mutters.
When word comes up from below that their prison is Crusher Creel, Maria Hill inwardly groans. "You heard Director Fury," she barks to the agent who is staring dumbly at both of them. "Get the Vault on the horn, tell them we have an old friend for them!" They need him out of here /now/.
Predictably, Maria snaps to attention. "No sir. Agent Johns brought her here. This is Salu Digby. She's with the Legion of Super Heroes. Had some information she wanted to pass onto us regarding some HYDRA friends in the area. Analysis should have the files on your desk within the hour." And she passes on a dossier she received about Salu herself. Espionage expert, technical expertise, shrinking power. "We were discussing her operating as a liasion to the Legion so that we could keep a more official open line with them, sir." Because it would be nice to have someone over there. Just in case.
	"As you were," Fury says non chalently as Maria snaps to attention. He gives Salu and scrutinizing look. "Legion of Super Heroes, hmmm?" He reaches into his jacket's inside pocket and fishes out a cigar. He snips off the end and holds it in his mouth but doesn't light it just yet. He turns his head as Carol comes on deck. "I was sort of hoping for a bit more low key rescue of Renegade, Danvers. There are still a few walls standing down there. Want to go take care of that for me?"
The sleepy arm of a fatigued Carol Danvers is moving straight for her one moment, and then is about a foot over her head the next! It happens swiftly and soundlessly, so one could be forgiven for not noticing, as Salu takes a shy step back, then a few to the left to give the poor woman her space as she slowly regrows to normal. Her eyes move curiosuly about the new faces in the room, but what gives her particular pause to swallow a little harder than usual is the way the woman she THOUGHT might very well be in charge was acting. Well, she can be forgiven for not knowing who people are, only having been in this time period a week or so.
Still, the mans gaze turning towards her elicts a soft 'eeep' out of her and she does her best to emulate Maria's earlier attention posture. A mute nod to his question, and an intimidated, though perhaps not fearful gaze are all she can muster right now, raising her hand to wave her fingers a good two or three seconds AFTER he looks away. For now she was more or less keeping her back pressed to the wall.
"Yes sir." Maria gestures for Salu to come over. "She's offered her assistance if we need it. Seeing as how Agent Danvers sponsored Doctor Sofen, sir, I think I can take this one." She has a good feeling about Salu, over all. "And I have the feeling if we didn't give her a chance, Fitz and Simmons would never let us hear the end of it, sir."
	"Does she need a sponsor like Sofen?" Nick opens the file that Maria handed him and starts thumbing through it. He looks towards Salu. "Bit of checkered past in this file? Skeleton in the closet?" He looks back at the file continuing to chew on the unlit cigar. "Good thing I rarely listen to Fitz and Simmons's rantings then. Still...you make a good point, Hill." He looks from his Deputy back towards the shy young woman. "You want to be up here with us then?"
From her mouth doing that fish gulping thing again as she makes her way by Director Fury, a name in itself prone to make her apprehensive to stand next to Maria. It seems every time she finally gets ready to say something she gets cut off by one or the other though. Its not until nearly the very end that finally she seems to get a chance to talk, actually pausing with her eyes darting back and forth between them. Her face screams 'C-can I really talk this time?'.
"I'm Salu Digby, 23, c-co-codename Shrinking Violet, representing in an unofficial capacity pending further discussion the Legion of Super Heroes Espionage Squad devision. I un-understand you r-represent a significant presence in this t-time and place's covert operations, and would like to offer my own limited experience and skills in any way I can reasonably assist, b-barring violating m-my obligations and responsibilities as a Legionnaire."
Its one long, slow, but breathless statement. Honestly, her voice was starting to give a little in the end as she ran out of air, but immediately afterwords she tried, and failed, to be discreet as she drew back in a full breath. By this point, her eyes were moving to Director Fury, then off ever so slightly down and to the side, then back.
Maria Hill shakes her head. "Not for the same reasons as Sofen, sir." She glances to Salu, nodding. "At ease. We're just talking. Don't get nervous." After all, she doesn't have to explain anything she might get reprimanded for! "She's from another time and place. She'll need someone to ease her into things. Help her out. I'll give her the hand she needs." On top of everything else she does. "I may just have Danvers help, since she enjoys teaching Sofen the ropes so much."
	Fury can't help but give a slight grunt which might be a chuckle as Salu speaks. "Well, damn, I was thinking you were mute. Shrinking Violet. There is truth in advertising." There is a slight smile on one side of his mouth as he looks back at the file. "Well, I certainly see you being useful to SHIELD, Miss Digby. My Deputy is right on the button there." He closes the file and tucks it under one arm. "Sounds like a plan, Hill. You can be her supervising officer for now although we will probably have to find someone else eventually. What with you being the XO of this place and all. Danvers has the Doctor. I would prefer not splitting attention and have someone specific assigned to Miss Digby here." He looks back towards Salu. "This sounding good to you, Miss Digby?"
With the at ease she loosens visibly, and a smile on the face of Fury helps ease her a little more. Inwards, she can't help but return his first statement. >Oh good... he does smile.<. Though there is a momentary chain of thought pondering how much of a good thing this will prove to be. She was breathing regularily again at any rate!
Now her hands were behind her back again, fiddling with something idally out of sight to help ease her mind and keep her relatively still. "I would be glad to lend my assistance any way I can sir. I..." she pauses, nibbling her lip a little, and her eyes pause to wander again. The doors control panel... the lights... simple things.
"I'm not sure i-if its relevant... but I studied technology... m-micro-engineering and the like at my own time. A University graduate... o-or nearly when I wound up here. If its not impertinant..." she says, a little excited anxiety perhaps in her voice. "I could offer s-some asistance there, as well as in the field. Uhm. Sir..", the last few words going soft and her gaze averting again briefly.
Maria Hill nods. "Understood, sir." She glances again to Salu. "I'll be putting you through everything I think you'd work well with," she tells the Legionnaire. "You'll be getting field experience, that I can promise you." She appreciates Fury's trust in her in such a matter, but of course the Director knows this. It doesn't have to be said. "Kennedy! Any reply from the Vault yet? I want Creel off this boat now!"
Cue more scrambling to find out when they're picking up Danvers' prisoner.
With Director Fury turning about and heading off to work, lord knows he doesn't look like the sort to sleep, she finally finishes relaxing, a healthy droop coming back to her shoulders. Then more chatter comes about... some kind of prisoner. She turns to listen, but then shyly tries to pretend she isn't. A few nervous moments, a brief pause to brush her hair from her eyes, and she says "That.. uhm.. prisoner. It sounds he's troublesome.
Maria Hill salutes Fury as he leaves. Then she gestures for Salu to follow her. At a computer, she brings up his profile. Crusher Creel, AKA the Absorbing Man. Able mimic the natural attributes of any material he touches. "Imagine if he got ahold of adamantium. Or vibranium. Or uranium." Something they do not need to deal with. "Oh. A word, Salu. I have an unusual pet onboard. I would... not shrink down if you can at all help it. Not until I've trained her to recognize your scent."
Sidles along the rail up next to the console, again with a distracted look AROUND the terminal briefly before at last focusing on what is on the screen before her. Mention of him mimicing anything he touches has her glance briefly, curiously at her own ring in fact, before returning his attention forward. A brief pause, and she does that fish mouth thing again, opening her mouth but taking too long to talk and getting interupted. Finally, the nervous thing cracks a smile herself.
"Oh.. I wouldn't worry. If worse comes to worse, I doubt it could find me on an oxygen molecule... But.. uhm.. about this... Crusher... oh my. I-it sounds like the best solution.. r-really... is just to not let him touch anything... or more simplistically worded... suspend him." She says it of course like its the simplest thing in the world, and its a scant few moments before she pauses discouraged, turns and asks "W-wait... is mag-lev repulsion a common thing yet?"
Maria Hill blinks. "...no," she says. "But that's a brilliant idea." She thinks, maybe - MAYBE - the Vault might have something similar. But... "Usually we employ power nullification-technology," she expains.
Salu Digby ohs a little, and stands back to ponder a moment, one arm braced across her chest and the other propped to hold her chin. "W-well.. hmm... I.. think you used to call them.. Vertical Take-Off and Landing craft... something that could generate sufficient force to suspend his mass, properly alligned, could theoretically suspend him above anything.... i-it would take some retrofitting..." she quickly adds, and then blushes a little embarassed "T-the specifics of it would probably be outside my capabilities... b-but if you had engineers available..."
Maria Hill nods. "Well, the representatives from the Vault should be along, so we don't have to worry about it." She pats the Legionnaire's shoulder reassuringly. "Come on, I'll give you a tour of the Helicarrier so you know where everything is..."
-Later that Evening-
	Okay, so Carol literally blacked out after transporting her prisoner. When she wakes up later... her first thought is.. god, I need a drink. And then her eyes snap open and she whips her head about. This isn't her loft, her bed... It's.. oh Helicarrier. She is in the quarters that are assigned to her, but that she almost never uses. A hot shower, and change of clothes into a standard issue jumpsuit makes her feel positively human again.
	So it is that she appears fresher, with a large cup of piping hot black coffee in hand, as she strolls onto the bridge. She angles towards Maria's office and raps gently on the doorframe. "Director?" she asks. "I wanted to apologize, and say thank you.... all at once."
Salu, for the time being, would be easy enough to miss. She hadn't yet taken the time to get aquainted with SHIELD standard attire, but had jumped right in when given a reading assignment. Cautious of AD Hill's warning, and now having a chance to view the raptor for the first time, she had decided to stay high on a bookshelf, currently lounging back on a small puffball she keeps in her belt pouches. Her manner of reading might seem a little odd to some however, as she scans the pages with a small handheld device, then starts shifting and tapping on her omnicom. This of course is assuming her four inch form is noticed on a high shelf in the office. Not fearfully, but perhaps a little warily, her eyes keep darting to the creature with a mix of attention... and abject curiosity.
Maria Hill looks up from her paperwork. "Hm? Oh, Danvers. You mean with Creel?" she nods. "I hope you understand why we passed him off to the Vault almost as soon as you brought him in." Watson - the velociraptor - looks up and wanders over to Carol. Awfully doglike in behaviour, isn't she? "You looked ready to pass out, Danvers. How are you feeling today?"
	"I didn't care what you did with him at that point. As long as it involved me -not- transporting him any longer. To be totally honest, I had hoped to be able to take'im all the way to The Vault, but I couldn't get that far in that condition." says Carol. She shrugs her shoulders and adds, "I have to admit, it wasn't one of my brighter ideas. I've never really -done- that before. But I had to keep Creel away from POTUS... and I had Deadpool as a nominal ally." Another pause as she shakes her head, "And I swear, that guy's about thirteen cans short of a twelve pack."
Pausing about halfway through the second chapter, she looks up in earnest now, and just rather starts taking in the conversation. She'd wanted to watch the prisoner transfer... erm... from a distance... but had been denied due to hazardous conditions. It took most of her willpower to reel in her urge to go anyway.
Turning on her puffball and keeping a hand on it even as she gradually upsizes, the effect is rather like one of those 'just add water' growing dinosaurs kids used to play with. By the time she has her feet on the floor, she's scooped up the puffseat and is holding it behind her back alongside the manual.
Her voice certainly makes more of an impact than her sudden reappearance might. Naturally soft and a little withdrawn simply from her unfamiliarity with everything sill, she says "H-Hello... are you the one who stopped that... uhm... Absorbing Man?"
Maria Hill nods, even though Salu's question is addressed to Carol. "Agent Salu Digby, this is Agent Carol Danvers - Captain Marvel. Danvers, Digby. Fury offered her a position with SHIELD. She's under my wing until a spot open up with one of the ground-level teams."
	Raising a single brow, Carol hears Salu's question and then Maria's comment. She nods and pushes off from where she was leaning on the doorframe, left hand reaching down to scritch the Raptor's muzzle. "Savage Land?" she asks Maria even as her hand is held out towards Salu. "Or just Carol... don't need all that formal crap these days." She shrugs though and adds, "It was a last ditch desperation move that I won't be trying again anytime soon, but yeah, that was me." she says to Salu.
Shifting things behind her back to give her a free hand, Salu takes a shy few steps forward, shoulders a little hunched, but a light smile on her face none-the-less as she takes Carol's hand, and even gives it a light shake. "S-Salu... as you heard. Or Shrinking Violet... alot of my friends call me Vi actually." She was starting to stuff the other things in her free hand back into her belt pouches. "I just think its amazing, trying to contain and subdue someone with abilities like that. Is... targets like him common for this agency?" She asks, her face surprisingly more inquisitive than nervous as she looks between Maria and Carol.
"Not always. Creel's just someone who likes being problematic. A lot of what we deal with involves unpowered criminals. Terrorists mostly." She nods towards the reading material. "The section in there is labeled 'HYDRA'," she explains. Maria glances at Danvers, giving her the opportunity to add anything.
	Shrugging her shoulders once more, Carol remarks. "I serve double duty with SHIELD and the Avengers, so... what might be more common for me, isn't exactly on the dinner plate for the usual SHIELD folks. But... Fury asked me to get myself inserted into the presidential detail just in case something went wrong. You know Fury, backup plans for his backup plans."
A blink when the reference book is mentioned, and she pulls it out of her belt again to flip through. Then a few moments of peering later... she sighs and fumbles with her tiny computer screen and a strange handheld device again. "Oh my.. Avengers... the Justice League... I can't help feel a little out of place." She smiles wistfully. "B-back in my time... or.." she pauses, face starting to twist in a little confusion "Forward.. in.. my time... anyway!" she concludes, hastily shaking her hands. "We were sort of... well.. it. I can't imagine so many heroes needed for just one Planet, and with such a powerful roster!"
"You're not out of place," Maria insists firmly. "There's a place for all types in this organization. The vast majority of our agents don't possess metahuman abilities at all," she reminds. "When we start sending you on assignments, they'll be chosen because we feel your abilities will be perfect for what we expect."
	"In my defense, I wasn't always based just here on this one planet." offers Carol. She shakes her head a bit. "A while back, I spent several years in space... things were a bit... different for me." She isn't the sort who really likes to brag, so she's not planning to explain how she came about returning to Earth full time. "Wait... your -time-?" she asks. "So... are you planning to explain that reference to another time?"
	As she asks this, she eyes Maria as if to ask without asking... did you know about this?
The shy smile stays, and her voice reflects it better as she gives a nod to Maria. Hearing Carol's next statement though gets her more excited. Hands coming together in front of her, takng a step forward, excitement comes thorugh in that usually timid voice. "Oh! You aren't from this planet either? I was wondering how common extraplanetary interactions were in this time period.. I-I mean.. excusing a few notable figures obviously..." That however seems to let a different cat out of a different bag.
The surprise this brings leaves Salu stunned a moment, before realisation seems to dawn on her "Oh! I-I'm sorry.. I'm forgetting myself. I'm a member of the Legion of Super Heroes. We represent... well.. I suppose what your Avengers.. what the Justice League.. what your groups of heroes represent in this time. I'm actually.." she starts, and begins to return to that timid state before ".. g-give or take a few decades... from about a millenia from now. The 30th century."
Maria Hill did in fact know, and she nods at Danvers. It's Salu's story to tell. "She means that she didn't always operate on this planet. She's from here." The rest, likewise, is Carol's story to tell. "Agent Digby came to us with information regarding some HYDRA associates. We're acting ont it now."
	"Right, I had a rather odd... life." says Carol. "But I think less odd than time travel. But... having powers due to a link to a singularity... can be disconcerting at the best of times, let me tell you." suggests Carol. She shakes her head and holds her hand out to Salu once more, "Either way, welcome aboard. Also... I am assuming you can't like... tell folks winning lotto numbers and such."
She was following ine until the 'link to the singularity part, and her eyes go wide. Like, 'ohmygodthatsmazing' wide, and she steps in again, this time taking that hand with a little more enthusiasm "You are linked to a singularity? Thats amazing! Does that mean you have gravitic abilities, centered around the focus of concentration of mass, or is it more cosmic in origin?" Her face was rather lit up by this point, enoguh so that she barely registers the comment following "I.. huh? Oh! No. Information like that.. well.. I only really to have access to the current Legions Database... n-nott o mention" she adds with a shyer smile "I-I think Booster would get angry if I did something like that... e-even if I was able."
All of that? Singularities and such? Right over Maria's head. Instead she scoops up her tiny raptor and pets it, as though it were a dog. "Well, I'm glad someone understood that. Other than the squints downstairs." That would be Maria's word for the scientists on SHIELD's payroll.
	Shaking her head, Carol shrugs to Maria. "Don't feel bad, I'd have had zero idea about it myself before I -got- the powers. I kinda had to become a little educated on them and their source then. But it's more of a cosmic link, it was referred to as a link to a white hole... the output of energy and power sucked -int- black holes. But... here's the weirdest part. I burned out most of the power a few years back ... it took a -lot- of power to suck building negative zone antimatter out of the corona of the sun." She shrugs, "What I've got left is... well... what I currently have."
Salu blushes a little, and reigns in her excited interest as she takes a step back. A quick breath to help clam her down, and she's back to that shy, light smile "I'm sorry to hear that.. but in theory... the power should continue to build up over time. P-perhaps..." she pauses a moment, trying to consider the scale of the project she just heard mentioned ".. not to former levels.. Uhm... I suppose in theory it could be 'fed'.. but it certainly sounds like you are putting them to good use!" She was a little in awe truthfully. Prone to feeling left behind, she's amazed how even around everything else so adorably primitive... there's power so much beyond her.
Still, she is no stranger to working for the greater good, and no matter what the time... Salu can only go forwards.
Category:Log