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Every empty desk in the bullpen has been cannibalized, cleared, and pulled together into a large block, upon which are spread three series of blueprints from distinctly different time periods. A close inspection of these blueprints reveal that they have all been prepared by the City of New York, under various governmental agencies, based on the time period. There is a most recent assessment, dating back to 1959; an assessment drawn in 1911, and another, older, very hard to read parchment from 1872. They all depict lower manhattan, specifically, the area on and around 4th Street.
Agent Coulson has removed his jacket and tie, and is hovering over the blueprints with a magnifying glass. A mug of coffee sits upon a desk, kept safely away from the collection of papers. Spilling would be bad.
*
It is questionable as to whether or not Liv has gone home since the explosion at the Baxter Building the night before. She has at least changed clothes into a suit that isn't covered in dust or reeking of smoke, and gotten herself similarly cleaned up… so that's a plus. But the Asgardian is still looking a bit harried 'round the eyes as she makes her way back into the bullpen, a mug of tea held in both hands.
She does not need coffee right now. She needs tea.
"Please tell me this is something I can help with," Liv says towards Coulson, giving him an almost plaintive look on her way towards her own desk.
*
Simmons has arrived.
*
Well, at least Daisy isn't the only one who looks messed up. She was sporting two nice, black eyes and.. yes. She didn't go home either. In fact, once she heard that the Baxter Building had blew up, she pretty much made a bee-line right back to where she was staying. Clothes upon her back were bloodied at the pants yet at least the shirt was clean! And.. chances are Daisy smelled like pure hell. Hell in the form of wet dog and probably dirt.
She -really- wasn't expecting anyone to be there, but once she saw them, she put on a casual air and moseyed on up towards the table. Expectantly. Saying nothing. Just as if everything was totally meant to be. "Those the Freemason tunnels?"
*
Simmons might be one of the only people here who does not look worse for wear. She is used to late nights in the lab. Also, having not been anywhere near the Baxter Building and generally secluded in the labs, it even took awhile for news to filter down to her. The bioscientist presents herself to the bullpen, however, as she may be able to help with identifying components used in the bombing. It also never hurts to have a scientist around. The young woman tucks her dark black hair behind her ear and watches as Coulson pours over blueprints and Liv and Daisy offer their help.
Unable to stop herself, she moves toward Daisy. The woman has bruises and is bloodied. The doctor in her refuses to let that stand. "Have those been attended to?" she asks the woman, New Zealand accent - and concern - clear.
*
Looking up, Coulson's mildly frustrated expression softens when he sees Liv, and a smile forms. "You most certainly can," he tells her, and motions toward the blueprints. "We're looking at 4th Street, specifically, and best avenues with which to access the utility lines underneath. They're -"
At Daisy's word, he stops, looking toward her. He blinks for a moment, then straightens up a bit more. "That's right," he answers. "The Freemason tunnels. Unbelievable architecture, really." Beyond that, he studies the young woman curiously. Hard to tell just who it is behind all the dirt and black eyes. His attention easily swings toward Simmons, and this one he seems to recognize, likely from going over SHIELD files after returning from his extended deployment.
"Doctor Simmons, I presume?"
*
The relief that hits Liv when Coulson says she can help is practically palpable. The tea is immediately abandoned on the corner of her desk and she moves over to join him where he's laid out the blueprints instead, blue eyes already scanning over them as he starts to explain. "Barnes, right?" she asks, glancing to him. "I read the brief."
She looks up when Daisy speaks up and, in time with Coulson, blinks. Someone looks like they had a rough night. Before she can ask, Simmons beats her to fretting, and Liv offers her a slightly anxious smile.
*
"Oooooh.." Architecture wasn't her thing, but finely made tunnels were, especially with ones born from lore. Both hands find the table edge that was pushed together, yet her shoulders slightly raise defensively as Simmons approaches her. "Uh.. yes?" She says, if a street doctor count. "Some guy smacked my nose back into place. We're all good here!" She even gives a thumbs up! At least Daisy had the decency to brush her teeth!
"Oh. Sorry. Uh. Call me Daisy. Or Skye. Or Agent Johnson.. Junior agent.. something.. I don't know.." She shrugs her shoulders and continues to look, even edging a bit of a blueprint closer to where she could see it clearly.
*
Fitz is more the person in charge of architecture and engineering. Simmons knows people, biology, residue. Instead, she focuses on Daisy, giving Liv a bit of a shy smile in return. New Zealand definitely did not have this many people in SHIELD and they all knew each other. Some knew each other's parents. Simmons straightens a bit at Coulson's question "Only if Mr. Stanley is asking." Then blushes a bit. "Th-that is. Yes, I am Doctor Simmons. Usuallly, I go by Fitzsimmons. Or, well, not really. My lab partner is Fitz. We work together. It just became easier to call us Fitzsimmons, as we work on everything together. I thought you were making a reference to the 'Doctor Livingston, I presume' quote." She glances between everyone and then gives a smile. "So, uh, yes, the answer to your question is Yes."
That bumbling moves to something much more professional as Simmons studies Daisy. "Agent Johnson, being hit on the nose is not properly setting it. Let me take a look." She glances over at Liv and Coulson before, though. "Unfortunately, I know little of architecture. Perhaps Fitz has a better idea."
*
"That's right," Coulson answers, turning toward Liv with a nod of his head. He then looks back toward Daisy and Simmons as they both introduce themselves, clearly both feeling awkward as hell. "Skye," he says, selecting the name he'll go with for Daisy, then turns toward Simmons. "Really? They call you 'FitzSimmons'?" he asks, then shakes his head with a light smirk. "I don't know if that should be an insult or a compliment. I suppose I'll have to meet Doctor Fitz. I've read his bio." His eyebrows rise, and then conspiracy enters his face.
Perhaps he was making that reference?
Looking back to the map, he explains a bit further. "I'm mapping out everything I can about the area, before forming a field team to go in there, sweep for explosives, and set surveillance in place." His eyes glance toward Simmons then. "Suddenly I'm hoping that you and Fitz might be able to help me out. It's… important."
*
"What about the DWARFs?" Liv gives Simmons a curious look as she suggests it, rubbing at the back of her neck. One of them will probably have to explain what the DWARFs are to Coulson, but it's not going to be Liv, she's already distracted by the next few steps along the line. "They could help us cover ground a lot faster, and they've already proven that they can see things I can't." She pauses and nods to the side. "Well. Sleepy has, anyway."
*
If one would whine, she would. Daisy (read: Skye) draws her hands away from the the table, then moves towards the chair to flop down with a slight look of resignation. "To be fair, it was whistling before. It's not now!" Which, isn't an improvement, but it was close enough. There was a quietness as she watches Agent Coulson and Liv speak, it seems like they were on the same page and Simmons, aka Fitzsimmons was going to be brought in on the loop.
One hand is lifted as she leans to the side, her gaze looking towards the two of them expectantly. "Hey. Can I go too?"
*
The buzz and whirr of a drone rolling along the floor calls some semblance of attention to itself. Doc, complete with its radio transmitter, pings loudly as it rolls into one of the many people lingering in the bullpen. "You're wrong," Fitz says openly to the drone that doesn't reply. Because, well, it's a drone. "There's nothing here worth investig — " he's supposed to be doing more work one the crystal. But here he is. Following Doc.
Which is why he silences as Jemma comes into view. His hand runs through his hair and his chin drops as he slides closer to where Simmons stands. "Uh." He winces slightly. "I saw your note, but got distracted," because of Doc. "Sorry," he murmurs as his eyes hone in on his feet. Such interesting feet.
*
The conspiratorial look is met with something of surprise from Simmons. She gives Coulson a bit of a grin and then nods. "Of course, Agent Coulson." She knew who he was before this - she does her homework. "I am sure we would be glad to help." Though Fitz is not yet there, she has no issue speaking for him in this situation. She knows she wants to help and that Fitz wouldn't allow something like this to stand without offering his own expertise. As she moves closer to Daisy, she addresses Liv. "Sleepy was also badly damaged in his pursuit of knowledge." She pauses with a bit of a raised eyebrow. "As was Fitz." That is not something she forgets lightly.
Then, she moves to Daisy and gently prods to assess damage. To Daisy, she says, "Deep breath, dear," and then without warning, shoves on one side of her nose and presses down nearby her sinus cavity to properly align it. It will hurt quite a bit. Then, out of her pocket, she hands over two pills - painkillser. "Attempt to not be punched in the face again in the next few weeks. It should heal in a straight line."
The whir of Doc pulls her attention from Daisy and she smiles at Fitz for just a moment. "Ah, you got my note! Agent Coulson wished to request our help on a project."
*
While Coulson may have pretended not to know Daisy, he has in fact read her file. When she asks if she can go along, he looks her way, pretending to consider it for a moment. "We could use all the hands we can get," he admits to her. He stands back and folds his arms, looking on while Simmons tends to the junior agent's nose. He doesn't exactly grimace when the dirty deed is done, but his eyes do wince. He's… been there before, on more than one occasion.
Liv's mention of DWARFs draws a curious look, and he turns from the Asgardian toward Simmons with expectation in his face, an expectation that is cut short when Fitz wanders in. "Fitz… Simmons." He looks from one to the other, eyes squinting slightly, as if he's not entirely convinced yet whether the moniker will stick, or not. His eyes then pan down toward Doc, and he points toward it with a thumb while looking back toward Liv. "DWARF?"
*
"DWARF," Liv confirms with a nod, but she looks less pleased to see it than she probably should, for someone who just advocated the DWARFs use. It's all about context, and if Fitz is following the little drone into the bullpen, that means the Asgardian is immediately giving Fitz a worried look. "…please tell me he's not tracking something right now. I will pay you."
*
-Deep- breath.. and.. *CRACK*
There was an immediate water to her eyes, Skye doubling over in an amount of pain that obviously felt a lot worse than when she was actually hit. One foot lifts to stamp against the ground as she rocks, her hands holding onto her face as she lets out a half-way sob and a shudder with the need to vomit. Whatever it was she had eaten was swallowed down, her eyes streaming with tears as she snatches the pills from Simmons grasp. Christ, she would have been better off with a crooked nose. This -hurts-.
Though, at least Coulson's agreement of her going along helps. "Buts a DWAFTH?" The poor girl asks, still holding onto her nose.
*
Fitz shrugs at Liv, "If one of the DWARFS makes noises, it's not as if they're just amusing themselves. That always means there's something worth tracking. In this case, it's barometric pressure. Again. Probably has something to do with changing patterns of weather."
Simmons gives Daisy an apologetic smile. "There. It will be as good as new in a few weeks. Promise. Come see me if you're still experiencing unusual pain in the next three days," she says at the same time as Fitz talks with Liv.
Then, her attention snaps to Fitz. "Barometric pressure alone would not cause the explosion we saw at the Baxter Building, Fitz. There had to be a catalyst of some sort."
"I'm not suggesting that there wasn't a catalyst, Jemma. I'm saying that it's one of the irregularities. A peculiarity. A pattern — " Fitz replies.
Simmons cuts in, "You're suggesting previous acts, then. A quantifiable metric. The DWARFs may be best for this, after all. We could attempt to attune them to certain pressures—-"
" — Exactly!" Fitz snappoints at Simmons. "They are the most equipped for the job, but we need all of them! Each of them has to be up to snuff. Sleepy is still in bits on the lab bench — but if we attune them, if we get them running again, maybe we can predict — "
"The atmospheric patterns surrounding us! If we program and send out each DWARF"
" — Then we can track them and find any of these temporal anomalies in real time and respond accordingly!"
*
Arms still crossed, Coulson just sort of stands there and watches. He's still a bit lost in the dirt, so to speak, not knowing what exactly these DWARFs do. He's certainly putting a bit of it together, given the banter between Fitz and Simmons, and occasionally glances down toward Doc before looking back to the two scientists.
Okay, maybe it will stick.
"Do you think they could be used to locate explosive devices on the gas lines running the length of 4th Street?" he asks.
Whatever it is they're planning, Coulson seems bent upon the Bucky Barnes issue. He unfolds his arms and steps forward, moving closer to FitzSimmons. "I can't be certain what it is the two of you are working on, but we're looking at a potentially Soviet-backed assassination plan against the Egyptian Ambassador. If we can't stop that? Well, I don't think I have to tell you what the fallout might be."
*
"We need to talk about the Baxter Building explosion, but… later." The smile Liv offers towards Fitz is an anxious one. She leans lightly on one of the desks where the blueprints have all been spread out and drops her eyes to study them again, her brow creasing in concern.
She quietly clicks her tongue. "If it was Barnes who went after the Director at Stark Industries — " It was. " — then at least we know I can stand in front of his gun without issue. Explosives, though… those, I'm not as sure about, even if I knew where they were."
*
Whatever had happened in between Daisy popping the pills that Simmons had given her, to the braintrust that conspired, to Coulson slightly coming on board and redirecting, to Liv focusing, it is a very clear thing as to why Daisy was a junior agent in training.
"What the fuck just happened.." She says quietly to herself. In a sense it was a bit hard for the gearhead to follow, but hell, she's trying!
*
"Sounds good, Liv," Fitz replies to the Asgardian before strolling back towards Doc. He has no opinion on this Barnes issue, and instead redirects his attention to the prison blueprints on the board at the bullpen. "We should probably update this now that Banner is staying in one version of the prototype. Probably wise to make sure the thing can hold a giant green Hulk, yeah?"
He picks up a piece of chalk and begins scribbling not he sheet. Finally he seems to think about Coulson's question, "Probably. It can be used to detect a lot of things. Our goal and work is really supposed to be on the prison and getting this building made. I'm still saying we give it a nifty name and shape to boot. Like… a labyrinth." His lips edge into a small smile. No one would want to work in something designed by an engineer they found fit to be called a Labyrinth.
*
"We could use one DWARF to look for explosions, however, if you'd like us to start programming the DWARFs to look for the atmospheric pressure that could warn us of another explosion, we should devote them all to that," Simmons tells Coulson. Liv's click of the tongue gets a proper head tilt. Daisy is given a bit of a wince and a smile. Her explanation is, "I just set your nose and we are attempting to figure out a plan to best ensure something like the Baxter Building never happens again."
As Fitz moves to the blueprints, she automatically follows. It's an unconscious thing, to watch what Fitz marks and to make commments on it. "You are terrible at naming things," she sighs at her lab partner. "I am quite sure Doctor Banner would be rather miffed to find himself the Minotaur in the centre of your Labryrinth name."
*
"What was that, by the way?" Coulson asks, looking toward Liv. "It was damn near like the whole roof just… disintegrated."
Turning back to the others, Coulson begins gathering up the city blueprints into neat stacks. "So, we have three major problems we're facing. Among about fifteen others. But, three that we're discussing. The Baxter Building…" He ticks one finger. "Bruce Banner…" A second finger. "And Ambassador Elquni."
He turns from one to the other, trying to keep things in some resemblance of order. "Given the expertise of Doctor Richards, I'm going to recommend that we consider shelving Baxter. Unless there's something I'm missing; some reason why it's more important than safely containing a potentially indestructible mutation, or preventing a very ugly assassination." He pauses, giving others room to weigh in. "Either way, none of these situations are going to wait on us. We need to find a way to divide our assets and utilize them to the utmost efficiency."
*
"That was… a very, very long story," Liv replies with a wince, giving Coulson an almost apologetic look as she taps the desk with a pair of fingertips. "I don't want to distract you from planning to find those explosives. Acting on the assassination attempt is much more defined than what happened yesterday."
That being said… Liv casts a look towards Fitz and Simmons, working her jaw for a moment. "…but it was another of those anomalies, Fitz. A man came through. Blew the Four's home out from under them. He knew where to fire. He hurt Ben Grimm."
*
Skye followed the conversation easily enough after Simmons explanation. And with further words being spoken, she slowly rises from the chair to approach the building schematics upon the table, taking up that same stance she had before as she inhales, then lets out a huff of breath. With the conversations going a little more than five ways, Daisy watches each of them in kind, her hands drawing up to idly rub at her neck as she throws caution into the wind. "If you put me on the Ambassador, I can keep him safe." Considering the girl has spent a decent part of her 'coming of age' years trying to escape the.. less fortunateu countries (THANKS FURY), she figures she at least could get a handle on it.
"Out of the three, that sounds the safest. Don't think I want to be in a room with a moody dude who can weigh a metric ton in about five seconds." No thank you. "And I'm not keen on getting vaporized." Hell no. "Tell Heather I'm not coming home." Rather sleep here. "By the way. Arches." Skye points upon the map. Lightly. "Pillar supports." She points again. "I'd put them there. Could create a sinkhole if you do it right."
*
"Doctor Banner would make a pretty fantastic minotaur though, wouldn't he?" Fitz asks towards Jemma. "He's be virtually untouchable. And essentially unassuming. Like… a minotaur sleeper." His lips curve on one side into a lopsided, very boyish, grin.
"I understand Banner is in the prison by choice, yeah? So assuming we keep him drugged, don't think it's going to be much of a problem." Fitz shrugs. "That said, we need this prison up and running. Ways to contain criminals matters in the long run."
Liv's words about Ben Grimm, however, cause Fitz to frown, "Wait. What? The Thing? I thought he was virtually indestructible?" He turns to face Simmons, "Suppose something that hurts rocks would probably be able to hurt Ben Grimm — "
*
"I only wish we had the time," Coulson earnestly says to Liv, his voice quieter, as if he meant for only her to hear, even though there's no whispering amongst such close quarters. He looks away from her and toward Fitz. "In part, we can trust the Fantastic Four to be working on a solution, as well," he offers.
Coulson walks over to his desk and reclaims his coffee cup. It's gotten a bit cool, but he'll take what he can get, for now. Perching upon the edge of his desk, he props the mug on one leg after taking a sip, then looks over to Skye. "Fair enough; consider yourself assigned to the Ambassador. But that doesn't prevent the potential for those gas lines to be used as a weapon." He looks away to the others. "We may not be dealing with explosives. All you need is a crack in the line, and something as inconspicuous as a zippo lighter." With his free hand, he draws out an explosion, and makes a 'whoosh!' sound with his mouth.
Then, Daisy up and offers another suggestion. Something Coulson hadn't thought about, himself. He looks at the paperwork, then to Skye, clearly impressed.
"Fitz… how many DWARFs would it take to monitor the gas lines? We don't yet have a potential target area, nor do we have any idea how Barnes is going to use them. If that's even his endgame. Unfortunately, it's the only solid lead we've got."
*
Liv trades an equally earnest look with Coulson, lips quirking into a wry smile. "As much as they can help without their facilities, anyway," she agrees. "I know they don't need their equipment to figure this out, but I bet it sure would help."
Hard to do science with a smoking crater. Alas.
Liv aims an approving smile towards Daisy. "If you want help babysitting, I'm better at soaking damage than mending pipes," she notes with a helpless shrug, looking to Coulson. "…though I have to admit, these anomalies… I don't know if they like me, but I keep running into them. It's getting weird."
*
"Just tell me when and where." Daisy offers up. She was going to do something important.. though.. "As long as I can get an advance on my check. Can't very well babysit a guy with blood on my pants and someone elses shi-.." Oh shit. "..uh.." She glances around, then slowly begins to take a few steps back from the table, turning upon her heels as her hands shove right into her pockets. "..Make that two advances. I don't have anywhere to live." Screw, the Baxter building! But with everything said and done, Daisy stops to give Liv a.. well, not a quick once over, she was actually studying the woman. Even with a little tilt of her head at her backside and a slight scratch of her head. Hm. Finger were soon put together in a slight frame as she twists her hands back and forth, that same bit afforded to Simmons with a critical gaze.
"Goddamn it.. now I gotta go shopping. But yes Liv.. well. Watch from afar. Don't want a toilet falling from a plane ontop of my head.."
Ten bucks who can get that reference!
*
"Of the whole city or just 4th street?" Fitz asks for clarification. "The whole city?" he whistles sharply. "Jemma and I would be making DWARFS not a holding cell. But for a street from one end to the other?" he waves his hand. "To do it well, I think you'd want at least five of the seven if not all seven."
He looks towards Jemma after that. "Well. I should maybe get on that, yeah? Jemma can join when she's ready, but I should get the DWARFS ready for any kind of deployment." He grins and treads back down the hall towards the lab. Just before turning a corner, he whistles sharply, and Doc follows along.
*
A smile forms on Coulson's face, clearly entertained by Fitz' supposition. "No, no. Just 4th Street. The entire length of it, but fortunately, it's a lateral." He then looks toward Daisy, an empathetic expression forming. "Get what you need, and rent a room at a decent hostel. We'll just put in on SHIELD's expense report. This is important, more important than you finding out how to pay for essentials."
As for Liv's remark about these anomalies finding her, he looks toward her with a thoughtful expression, but he doesn't weigh on anything just yet. Instead, he rises, sets his coffee cup down, and moves over toward one of the desks he'd cannibalized. "Get some rest, all of you. We'll deploy in the morning."
Then, he gets to work at putting the desks back where they belong. Agent Coulson never asks the grunts to undo his handiwork.
*
Sweet! "Sweet!" Skye says just after the thought was had. And with a quick run and dash, she tries to follow behind Fitz with a flailed hand.. "Wait up! Can I get some new tools!"
*
"Just don't tell Doctor Banner that," Simmons tells Fitz under her breath in a joking tone. As she listens to all those gathered, she nods and thinks through all the things that have been spoken. "To be horribly detached, Baxter Building is important in the context of other scientific readings. On it's on it is a tragedy, but if we take that data and compare it with others, as Fitz and I were saying before, we might find a pattern. You seem to be quite attached to the idea that it is this Barnes that is the perpetrator, however, empirically, we do not yet have evidence to the fact, Agent Coulson. The DWARFs may be able to confirm or deny this."
Simmons looks first to Fitz and then to Liv and Daisy, "We scientifically cannot determine it was Barnes without knowing how the explosion was triggered."
*
"Oh, the Baxter explosion definitely wasn't Barnes," Liv replies, straightening up and waving both of her hands. "Not unless he can rip holes in time and space, and turn his skin blue." Which… she's pretty sure he can't do that. If he could, the assassination wouldn't be getting attempted via ruptured gas main, now, would it?
*
"Definitely separate occurrences," Coulson clarifies. "Listen, I don't want to get in the way of the work you and Fitz are doing," he tells Jemma, pausing in his reorganizing of the desks. "But if the Soviets are behind this; if they are using a brainwashed U.S. war hero, and this war hero assassinates the Egyptian Ambassador to the U.K.? It not only puts the Suez Canal deal into a world of hurt, but it could unwind everything we've worked to accomplish since the war, the crisis in cuba."
He shakes his head. "To be horribly detached… I wouldn't think of diverting this much manpower and resource just to save a politician's life. But given the way these cards have been stacked? It's… become a priority." He looks between the two who remain, hoping that they understand just where it is he's coming from.
*
"I certainly do not have the clearance to decide who the Soviets may be influencing." Simmons puts up her hands at that, attempting to show how she feels about that. "However, I am sure both Fitz and I will be glad to stymie any sorts of assassination attempts. One life is worth saving." She looks to Liv. "I just wish to make sure our resources are being put in the right places. The DWARVES are only six now, and so they only have so much they can do. We need to make sure our resources are being put where they can do the most good."
*
"If there's anything I can do, just say the word," Liv says with a tired smile. "If Agent May doesn't have any objections, I don't mind camping out under 4th to keep an eye out for saboteurs, if you think it would be worthwhile. Everything else I've been doing lately, other than the trip to Istanbul, has been fairly…" How to phrase this. "It's just kind of fallen on my head, not something I've been tasked to do. Luck." Bad luck.
*