1963-07-03 - New Digs
Summary: Things are busy at SHIELD! Nick hollars on the phone, Howard spies, and Ann requests a new lab!
Related: None
Theme Song: None
fury poindexter howard 


Nick is in the main 'office' area, settled on the corner of a desk, a cup of coffee in hand. He sips it slowly before shaking his head. "No, it don't work like that. You start thinkin' like that, and the whole mess goes underground." An exhaled breath is forced before, "Shit, they might have already, I don't know. Sneaky bastards. Hard to get eyes." He's talking to a logistics guy; a paper-pusher. Every organization's got one of those! At least one.

"Now, what I need from you is to pick up the phone and get me a copy of KH-4 for the Eastern Seaboard. You don't have to know what the hell I'm talking about because I do."

*

Even though Annamena made a quick get away with the thanks to a very, odd mutant. There were still some worry where it concerns her. There were calls from her parents, asking if she was alright, who then directed her attention towards the newspaper from the Bugle that hit the stands like yesterday.

WHOOPS!

That paper in hand, tucked beneath her arm, cup of coffee in the other and maybe a pastry in a box, Anna knocks on the door to Fury's office, without need or want, allowing herself to enter and present herself like so. Patient. Waiting. Determined. She'd have his ear this day no matter how much he swears at her because.. this is just too big. -Really- big! She was supposedly kidnapped by two mutants!

*

Howard is walking through the hall in the other direction which might set off a few flags just because he rarely if ever actually works from his lab here at the office, preferring to spend most his time working from home. His own movements bring him right by the door to the office, a brow raising as he comes to a stop wearing a dull grey business suit and matching tie. A silent sip from his cup of coffee.

*

Nick puts his hand up and slides off the side of his desk. "Come!" is almost barked, and he gives the guy in Logistics a meaningful look. The man can leave, and he's ready for the next. He'll probably get called on the carpet for those satellite images, but if they want a location pinpointed? Why reinvent the wheel? "And soon. There's a fireworks display tonight over the Hudson."

*

Poindexter watches with clear interest, her head tilting just a little to the side as her gaze soon falls into something a little more vacant. She had a need to leave, but that temptation was felled by the barked order of Nick which has her jumping just a little in her spot. Taking a step aside, she watches as the logistics worker takes his leave, spotting Howard by the door of whom is spared a brief smile. Boss! Well, other boss.

"Mr. Fury." Anna suddenly perks up, a smile upon her face as she takes those few steps to carefully slide the paper upon her desk. "Is there some sort of clause in my contract to be terminated for being abducted by abnormals?" She clears her throat. "Mutants. I mean, Sir. According to the Bugle I've been wrongfully accused of being kidnapped. And I hope that this doesn't create any bad marks upon my status here."

*

Howard moves over into the doorway taking a sip of his own coffee. His movements slow and deliberate as he walks into the doorway. He lets the girl talk just slowly sipping away before setting his coffee cup down onto the nearest filing cabinet.

*

Nick watches as Logistics leaves, and there is the briefest of glances given to Howard before his attention falls completely back onto Annamena. "Miss Pinkerton," it's meant to stop any further conversation from her side, and that's coupled with a raised hand, palm out. "First question. Since when do we get our marching orders from some guy sitting in an office in the Bugle? I mean seriously." Though, he did see that article, and it does lend a question,

"So, if you weren't kidnapped, where'd you go? What made some pimply-assed reporter think you got kidnapped? I mean, c'mon." Nick shakes his head, and rests again on the corner of his desk, arms folded in front of him. "Unless you divulged the entire operation of SHIELD, I don't see how this is even an issue." Beat. "You didn't. Right?"

*

Ann rightly hushes, her smile lessening a bit as her gaze falls downward towards her hand. She was still holding the coffee meant for Fury, which was carefully set upon the desk right in front of him, the pastry still tucked beneath her arm. "We do not! However, I was under the assumption and rightly so that most of the research and development team conduct themselves with decorum off of the premises."

She takes a step back, the pastry (donut) soon delivered to Stark where he stood, placed right in front of him and meticulously opened so that he could take a peek at what was inside. "Well Sir, it was actually a different story all together. The two mutants who were present at the time of the subway altercation actually saw fit to rescue me and abscond me to the upper deck." She takes those steps closer to the desk, carefully drawing the chair out to settle down. But she does give a little shake of her head.

"Of course not Sir. I believe I was very candid in asking the mutant to return with me so that experimenting could commence. I offered him my unofficial card that lacks the business motto, only contact information by way of office phone, and suggested that he speak with me immediately. It appears, Sir.. that he has been experimented upon already. Which brings me to the other reason as to why I'm here."

*

Slowly running a finger around the rim of his coffee cup Howard looks over towards Fury raising a brow. He flicks his hand round the side of the cup so that he can take another sip from it moving the door back closed behind himself. His expression goes somewhat hard as he looks back over towards the woman trying to get a read on her.

*

"You'd think they do…" Nick offers helpfully. He twists about to the delivered coffee and nods his thanks. "I sure as hell hope they do. They're still Agents." That last bit is aimed directly at Anna, just sending that last bit home. "Right?

"As long as they didn't peg you for SHIELD, all's good. Let 'em think you were kidnapped. Can't set the record straight on that one in the news, so we might as well use it to our advantage." It's just a matter of how to nuance it, is all.

"Did you get names? I want a copy of the report." Assuming it's written. If not? Well, he wants a copy.

Nick shifts in his spot again, and brows rise in askance. "Okay. Shoot. What've you got for me?"
"

*

"Right." Oh she felt it. Fact is, speaking with the higher ups is a little unnerving. Unnerving to the point she rubs the back of her neck, her other hand lifting to adjust her glasses upon the bridge of her nose. "Well, I'm unsure of how to use that to my advantage Sir. I've yet to run through the many scenarios that would help.." She was thinking, and thinking hard.

"Oh. Yes names! In fact, I was in the process of creating a report when I received a call from my parents about the news! I'll instruct them to keep quiet and to not say a word. But regardless. The one, who said that his mutation was simply evolution, called himself Armando. The other, he named Logan. He was a slightly angry fellow. I did manage to see that he ejected some sort of steel blades from his hands." She demonstrates, by leaning forward to point to where she saw the blades upon her knuckles.

"But.. I would like to have a lab. At least a medical space so that I could acquisition a few of the abnormals and run a battery of tests. I find it curious, how abnormals themselves are born from humans. The 'mutant' genome is fascinating, I would enjoy a chance to trace it back to it's point of origin and possibly a conclusion as to 'why'."

*

"Yeah, don't worry about it. We will."

Nick exhales in a long sigh, and listening to the story recounted, his expression is impassive. Armando, he's met. Logan, that's a new name. And the blades. He pulls a breath, oblivious to Anna's discomfort at the moment, and stands straight from his desk.

"'Abnormals'. That's just as bad a name as 'Mutant'." Nick virtually spits that out. "You'll have to go back to the drawing board for that. But, as for a lab, I'm sure some space can be found for you somewhere. I want that front and center. And if they make any more contact, I wanna know about it." Now, he gets to find that room, find money in the budget and find one, two assistants. "I'll talk to Stark." Howard. The man right behind, watching everything and ignoring his damned donut.

*

Howard finally takes the damned doughnut after his long pause. He might not even want the thing but he's held off long enough. Moving over to take the delicious roll of calories. "34 should be open now Carson's dead." He finally speaks the first words since entering the room.

*

"I.." As Nick stands, Annamena stands as well, fixing her labcoat about herself as she takes a step away from the chair, pushing it in. She doesn't know if he's leaving and if he is, should she follow and continue on with her proposal and items needed.

"I don't know what else to call them, Sir!" She says defensively. "I figured Abnormal is a technical term and a lot better than mutant but I will stick to mutant if it makes it better!" Or test subjects. Whichever!

"Should I try to initiate contact Sir? I could frequent the subway, though there are less than savory types there and I'm sure I've angered the musical populace with my criticisms to their playing.. I could possibly wait at the entrance or study the algorithms in the news stories to try to pinpoint a common location as to where they gather.." Oh, she was full of ideas. And once Howard speaks, Annamena lights right up!

"Oh! It appears Carson's demise is not in vain! That is wonderful news! His lab already contains the equipment necessary for my scientific and medical needs! Though I would like to do a cursory inspection of his laboratory and remove his personal effects. I am sure we can disperse the clutter to those who could find better use for it."

*

"Depends. Do you want to stay in the lab and work, or are you looking to start on a new career as a Field Agent?" Maybe Nick doesn't mean to make it sound as harsh as it does, but in his mind, the point still stands. "If you want to be POC, then you're gonna have to get yourself back into the gym and get some sparring in." Labcoats do not equal front-line.

Nick raises his head and looks at Howard, a brief nod of acknowledgment and thanks coming from the man.

"See? You got your lab. I'm sure we'll find people who can take the walk around this so-called Mutant Town, or make contact somewhere else. Just keep your phone line open." Nick took a look around earlier, and, well… he now has a personal as well as professional interest in all this. That includes keeping Kurt OUT of the lab. "If we come across a willing subject, I'll be happy to let you know."

*

"Well personal effects is a bit of a stretch." Howard comments taking a bite of the doughnut and a sip of his coffee. "Cleaning crews haven't been in yet so it's still a bit scorched in there. If you clean it, the office is yours, and everything in it." He can't exactly make that call but he's only been back a few weeks he still needs to get used to no longer being the director.

*

As if Nick can make the call in terms of funding projects? Or making things a priority? He's not the Director, but he sure as hell recognizes when something is important. And mutants? And Supers? In his head, he's already drawing up that line against the bad-guys, but the fun part is, who exactly are those bad guys?

That needs investigation and understanding.

"We'll get a cleaning crew in there to help you, Miss Pinkerton. And someone to help you go through the files."

Nick can't help a smirk, however, at the choice of words Howard uses. "Okay.."

*

"Hm. So you're saying he exploded.." Annamena murmurs underneath her breath, her gaze gone vacant. "Amateur." It was spat out, like she just ate something horrible. Speaking of something horrible..

"Yes.. yes yes.. cleaning crews. I appreciate this muchly, Mr. Stark. Mr. Fury." She nods her head to both of them. She didn't need anything else, it was time for her to get to work. Which meant?

FLAW TIME! She's horribly bad with making friends and acquaintances. The conversation was done and she didn't need to say anything else, so she wanders off, fingers dipping into her labcoat to remove a pad of paper and a pen.. "Please make note.." She scribbles to herself.. "..to have the cleaning crew look up. If the deceased has exploded, there will be .." she continues to write and mumble.. "..biological contaminants on the ceiling.."

And then she disappears around the corner.

*

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