driftfleet | 084.1 Video

Entry tags:

084.1 Video

Who: Lance Hunter and yourself, should you choose to engage!
Broadcast: yes
Action: Marsiva
When: no time like the present!

[ the comm seems to be haphazardly leaning against something, and the image you get is crooked. a sleeping man, who almost instantly awakes with a start. no scream, mercifully, he's quite over screamer videos, and besides, it wouldn't really be that surprising under the circumstances, now, would it? his eyes dart around the room, his feet flying off the cot and touching the ground. the moment he speaks, his accent undeniably and unapologetically identifies him as an englishman. ]

Not again - [ he groans, looking around him. the first time he was knocked out and kidnapped happened because he was foolish, he trusted a friend when clearly he had overestimated the bond, bloody spies, he's had his fill of bloody spies. but this time - he has no idea what happened. one minute, he's in a pod, sailing to freedom and the next - he's in this bed. he must not have deactivated something. do they have a blasted tracker beam on these things? so paranoid! ] Oi, @therealshield, you forgot to paint your eagle - I'm gonna have to deduct your merits - [ no answer. the room really doesn't seem like anywhere his previous captors kept him in, and that's rarely a coincidence. he gets up, and the comm seems to slip off whatever it was leaning against and end up in a new position, one that shows the back of the man, as he walks towards a window. ] ...you have got to be joking.

[ and a moment later ] Bloody aliens!

[ the man comes in and out of the frame, as he's clearly examining his surroundings, before he heads back to check on what he's got by his cot, and notices the comm. picking it up, you now get a close up of his face - ] Little red light - you're either going to explode or - [ that sure looks like a camera, doesn't it? he holds it directly in front of his face. ]

Take me to your leader.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Among other things, but you're not wrong. Whoever brought us here, they make sure we don't have a lot of options when it comes to not playing along.

Now where have I seen that before.

[ well sorry to burst your bubble, captors, but he has absolutely no intent to comply, no matter how much pain you cause him. he's been married to bobbi morse, pain is practically a lifestyle choice for him. ]

Can't say it's entirely original, but they do manage to put their own spin on it.

[A pause, followed by a conscious clearing of her throat.]

That comment about SHIELD...

She could be mistaken, but the eagle branding he referred to was a little much to be a coincidence.

[ if he knew he was being recorded, he certainly wouldn't have made it, but he can't say it's not easier to have their cards on their table - or as much of them as he'll ever believe are visible with basically bobbi's role model. how much does she know, about the going ons at shield? and which shield does she support? good questions he's not sure how to get the answers to. ]

Really it's more of a jockstrap on the threat of not cutting through endless red tape before taking a leak. [ his loyalties are with coulson, let's put that out there right now if she knows the other shield. he won't even pretend to take their side. ]

I see you're a fan.

[Which can mean all sorts of things, especially without context. When he's from, where he's from—if they're even talking about the same thing.]

[ if anyone knew about the existence of the other shield his money would be on her, just from her rep, but still he doubts she understands his meaning. ]

Avid. [ evenly. he was never a huge fan of any organization of the sort, but coulson's shield is as appealing to him as any of them is likely to get. ] What's the word about it, around these parts? [ avenger or no avenger, he's not about to be star-struck out of his senses. everyone he knows is cool. ]

[His comment gets a thin smile, not exactly amused. But acknowledging his response.]

There's not much word around these parts. Not a whole lot of them around.

[In case he needs it made clear she doesn't affiliate herself with SHIELD at this point.

She picked her side.]

Though I suppose it really depends on who you're talking to.

[Peggy and Fitz would have more to say.]

People I'm talking to are telling me 'when are you from' is a valid question.

[ message received - so whenever she's from, it's in his best interest to downplay the affiliation. which, isn't so hard what with his initial thought that he's been captured by them. thank you, second shield, for your only bit of usefulness. though that ship probably sailed the moment he admitted to working with fitz on an open frequency, blasted tech.

well, even his true affiliation has never been that strong - his loyalty is to the people fighting alongside him, not the absurd acronym. and if anyone could understand the complexity of the situation it would probably be one of their most complex ex-operatives. ]

A very valid question.

[At this point, complex might be the best word for Natasha's relationship with SHIELD. Especially considering that at the point she's from, she has no reason to expect any side of SHIELD to be anything other than a headache for her.]

You're here from after DC. [She says that confidently. That's clear enough.] But if I had to guess, before the Accords.

Am I off?

[ the way she says the accords make it seem like they should be instantly recognizable. and ominous. what happens to shield under these accords? things do have a tendency to go from bad to worse as time progresses, but how bad is worse? and which shield triumphs and endures to see their arrival? ]

Depends on the accords.

[ he will say nothing regarding dc. does he really need to, anyway? ]

[Confirmation she's not wrong.]

The Sokovia Accords. No bells?

An entire orchestra, but that might just be the headache.

[ he's getting a massive one. why is everyone allergic to clarity! ]

[Surely at least Natasha has an excuse. But she's not entirely without pity.]

In reaction to some very public disasters, the UN drafted the Sokovia accords, insisting on oversight for enhanced individuals, including the Avengers.

[That's the elevator pitch, at least.]

Maybe especially the Avengers.

[ she does, but he's had his fill of spy excuses.

headaches, he is getting so many of them, all at once. yes, let us put the world's most powerful weapons in the hands of one of the most inefficient, financially and politically motivated hodgepodge of intrigue the world has ever formed. let's put veto power over avengers missions in the hands of leaders who are supported by the very people they are meant to stop. that can't possibly go wrong, now, can it? ]

And how exactly do they mean to enforce that? [ because he's seen some enhanced people up close and stopping them is - well, it takes more fire power than the UN is normally willing or able to utilize. ]

Let's call that part a work in progress.

[Her lips twitch a little, and she gives him the slightest shrug.]

So now you're up to date. Which I would say puts me at a disadvantage.

Does it? Well that was remarkably easy.

[ so dry it swallows the pools of sarcasm right up. he has hearsay about a likely futile future accord, she has actual futuristic life experiences. he's say the advantage is still very much hers. ]

[The smile he gets is one usually reserved for Tony, one that says he's not half as cute as he thinks he's being.]

You know who I am, and what I'm working with. I'd call that a disadvantage.

[ he wholeheartedly agrees - he isn't half as cute, he's at least doubly so. ]

So does most of the world nowadays, sweetheart. [ he can almost physically feel bobbi glaring at him. and throwing a button at his head. ]

[And yet, here they are.]

All right. [She says the word slowly, as though letting him consider if this is a game he really wants to play an instant longer.] And you are?

[ he is lance if-there's-a-bad-choice-to-be-made-I'm-going-to-make-it hunter, so - actually, yes, yes it is. but he's also alone and looking for allies here. what to do, what to do, the struggle is real. ]

Beyond description, really. But if you're looking for a name [ since he already gave it publicly to fitz. if peggy nabbed it, he finds it hard to believe romanoff didn't do the same. ] it's Lance Hunter. Lancelot, really, but a man can only be so charming before it becomes too unfair.

Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. [The real question here is whether he wants them to have the kind of relationship where he tells her things, and she pretends not to know them already, or if they want to have the kind of relationship where she finds out the answers to her question herself.

The second way involves a lot more hacked emails and being dangled in front of oncoming subway trains.]

Lancelot. [Quite pointedly.] Not exactly standard issue, are you?

[ he would prefer to keep the hacking to a minimum, but would still assume it's going on. he'd rather cut the pretense completely out but spies never seem to have that option. ]

I am one of a kind.

[ he will take none of the jibs as anything but compliments. ]

You are aware I did psychological evaluations for SHIELD?

[Which means she's writing one internally for him as they speak. Just as a point of interest.]

Your point being?

[ people have been telling him what they think is wrong with him for years, natasha, get in line. ]

[Oh, if Natasha was going to start telling people what she thinks is wrong with them, he'd be low on the list.]

My point being that if you're insecure enough to waste both of our time parrying perceived threats to your ego, I can excuse myself and we can try talking again when you've had some time to get you've had some time to process the situation.