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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Nov 15, 2020 13:44:12 GMT -8
Dr. Waynesboro's ApartmentDoctor Katherine Waynesboro is an agent of SHIELD and good friends with ex-Director Nicholas Fury. The apartment is in central Paris and is a short walk away from the Eiffel Tower. It is a small apartment with a living room that also functions as the Doctor's office space, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. Fury bought the Dr. the apartment after she decided to no longer be an active field agent but preferred a stationary position and moved to Paris to take care of her elderly mother.
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wesleybucks
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Post by wesleybucks on Dec 4, 2020 8:42:35 GMT -8
Fury sat back into the uncomfortable seat outside the patisserie, his hands tightly wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate as the breeze danced it’s way down the street. He glanced around through his dark sunglasses at the dozens of people walking past making their way through the day. He listened to their conversations on the weather, work, love lives and any other trivialities. He spoke fluent French but still struggled to translate the multiple conversations going on around him at once.
Fury’s watch vibrated. He drew up his brown coat sleeve to see it was indeed time. Still feeling the jet lag, of flying into Paris just three hours ago, Fury downed the remainder of his hot chocolate as the target came around the corner. Doctor Katherine Waynesboro walked into view on the other side of the road, striding forwards until reaching the door to her apartment building opposite the patisserie. It had been close to two years since Fury had last seen her. Her previously light brown, almost pixie cut-like hair was now jet black with purple highlights, long enough to tap on her shoulders as she walked. She balanced a bag of groceries as she entered a code onto the door’s keypad. Fury tapped the side of the sunglasses and his vision zoomed in allowing him to watch her press ‘X1952#’. Fury placed several coins onto the table next to him and stuck one underneath his chair. As the Doctor finally kicked open her door and stepped inside, Fury stood, putting on his backpack and made his way across the busy road.
Avoiding an angry driver, Fury hopped onto the pavement and reached the door of the apartment building. Entering the code, the door wheezed open and Fury squeezed inside. The lobby of the building had marble floors and a high ceiling. To his left was a wall filled with post boxes and to the right was a reception desk where an elderly man sat, his large white moustache firmly planted into a large book that seemed to have his undivided attention. Fury walked quickly past the desk and to the stairs leading to the apartments.
He heard a door close on the sixth floor as the climbed past the fourth. He apologised to a young woman walking a cat down the stairs as he kept going. He soon reached the sixth floor where there were five apartments. He made a beeline for the third flat and pressed his ear to the door with the flaking white paint. It didn’t take long for Stevie Nicks to begin blaring out of a speaker somewhere in the apartment. He had his lockpicks out in a flash and had the door unlocked in 27 seconds. Sloppy work. He was rusty working on doors with actual keyholes. Everything was electrical now. Fury stepped inside the apartment and shut the door behind him. Keeping his boots on but being careful to avoid the white rug in the hallway, Fury quietly passed into the living room.
“…He was no more than a baby then. Well he seemed broken hearted. Something within him. But the moment that I first laid eyes on him all alone. On the edge of seventeeeeen…”
The speaker’s music filled the apartment. Doctor Waynesboro had dumped the groceries in the kitchen, made her way into the living room with a beer can and had flipped her laptop open. Fury opened his mouth to speak but before he even had a chance to utter a single word, she had whipped round in her chair, silenced pistol in hand and aimed at his head. Fury was impressed. Clearly, she had seen his reflection in the laptop screen. He was glad to see she had retained her SHIELD training despite no longer being in the field. A flash of confused recognition went across her face before she lowered the gun and stood from her seat.
“Nick? What…what are you doing here?”
“Sorry to bother you Katherine. I have a small favour to ask of you.”
The Doctor rolled her eyes. as she placed the gun on her desk and pinched the top of her nose in tired frustration.
“Nick, I really like this apartment.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine but…it may be a good idea to pack a bag. But first, I need access to the SHIELD database.”
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wesleybucks
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Post by wesleybucks on Feb 14, 2021 12:10:13 GMT -8
Nick entered Katherine's user name and password onto the SHIELD network. A green tick pinged onto the screen and he had access. He didn't need to look behind him to know Katherine was rolling her eyes at the fact he knew her login details.
"Well since you're doing fine without any help from me, I'm going to make myself some food."
"Black coffee, no sugar thanks."
Nick didn't look at her as she stood wearily, plucked up her now empty beer can from the coffee table, slipped her feet into some slippers and silently stomped into the kitchen. He continued typing. Nick didn't know what sort of cyber talent would be working for SHIELD nowadays. He knew they wouldn't be able to detect him for a while but once he started really digging, it would get tougher.
The locator was whirring away next to the glass coffee table. It was working hard to pinpoint the location of the Raft. Wouldn't be much longer. Nick flicked through several files that had drawn his attention. General Thaddeus Ross appeared to be calling the shots. Temporarily of course but still...good to know. Nick wondered if, like he had, Ross would have to answer to the World Security Council. Everyone had a boss. The next file he opened was a report on the assault of the SHIELD Archive base known as 'The Treehouse'. The report stated that a stolen Quinjet carried in thieves that stole from the archive. They did not yet know what had been stolen but a record was being made and they hoped to discover in the next few days. Nick of course knew that it had been the locator that had been taken. With a few taps of the keyboard, now the report read that it had been a C-12 Huron craft that had made the drop and recovery. Plus, it was assault rifles that had been taken. And nothing else. Case closed. Next up, dig up any dirt on General Ross that could come in handy.
Nick didn't realise how long he was typing until Katherine called out to him from another room.
"Will you be staying for dinner?"
She'd just eaten hadn't she? Nick turned to see the stone cold mug of coffee sat on the desk beside him. Ah.
"Hopefully not. Give me another hour or so and I'll be out of your hair."
"I'm making omelettes!"
"I'm fine."
"Suit yourself!"
Nick was annoyed with himself. He'd been typing away to find dirt on Ross but there was nothing new. His run ins/failures with the Hulk were already well known. There was a classified Project entitled 'Thunderbolts' which kept popping up but Nick knew better than to try and hack into it. It was a level 8 protocol which meant he'd set off an alert if he opened it. He couldn't risk being found out before he had the info they needed.
Nick turned to the locator. It had worked. The Raft Prison was currently sat in the Gulf of Honduras. Nick drew a burner phone from his pocket and texted Nat the current prison location along with a brief message reading: Stl gttng intel. Am safe. Rft pson in Glf o Hondrs. Wll updt soon. NF
The typing continued. He could smell Katherine's cooking coming from the kitchen as he hacked into the Raft prison's CCTV. He flicked through dozens of hallways before finding General Ross. Checking it against the blueprints, the room's intended purpose was a conference room. Ross had turned it into some hub. Screens were set up everywhere with a dozen or so techies working them. He was calling out instructions to them all. Nick rolled his eyes. Some people just loved to stand in the center of a room full of consoles where people were working hard and bark out orders to them. He continued to search. Images of corridors, hangers and barracks flashed before him. BOOM. Finally. The cells.
"So, we're not doing save the best for last? Sorry breakin' it to you, but you just messed up Earth's easiest game."
The voice was unmistakable. Tony Stark. He was being led out of the cells by some guards as they delivered a green woman into a different cell. Thor, Dr Banner and a bug lady were also in separate cells. They appeared to be unharmed. Thor especially seemed to at least be putting on the impression of high spirits.
"And you’re a party pooper. Okay, I think Mantis won the game. We all see Gamora."
Pressing record on the CCTV of the cells, Nick made a note of the two women's names as Thor continued.
"Bear up! I know how you feel right now. It's never easy to be confronted by strange people on an unfamiliar world. Am I right, Banner?! Gamora, you’re not alone. And don’t forget that it’s Tony who is now talking to them. He‘ll tell them what happened and convince them to help us fighting against Thanos. And if not we have to find a way out on our own. Believe me, there’s always a way out – right, Banner?!"
Nick continued to make notes in his small journal as the computer kept recording the live CCTV feed. Keeping the cells on one of Katherine's two screens, Nick followed Tony's journey through the Raft on the other, all the while listening to the prison cell conversation.
"Will they make me into a science project?"
"No. They want to help. Yet, Humans are no match for what is coming."
"Humans might not. But they have us. And not all of us are completely human."
"Gamora and Bruce are right! At least I am called the God of Thunder – and I always do my best to protect my people. We’re here together – you’re my people now. So I will protect you! And don’t forget the big green guy… Um, well, Banner is hiding him for the moment. But trust me, he’s very, very strong – nearly as strong as myself. Oh, and don’t forget our strong green Warrior-Lady…I’m looking forward to see you in action, Gamora. Don’t worry, Mantis! We’ll save you from any harm. We’re heroes – and that’s what heroes do!"
Nick switched the audio from the cells over to the other screen. It was showing a lab within the Raft. Doctor Jemma Simmons. Nick was impressed. She'd been someone that he'd had his eye on for quite some time as being one of SHIELDs' most valuable agents. Watching Coulson create his team had been a proud moment for Nick. He'd chosen well with Doctor Simmons.
"Hello, Mr. Stark. A pleasure to finally meet you. Though I wish it were under better circumstances."
"Yah yah, feeling flattered, feeling appreciated, but as we chitchat here, you still have waiting in line a stressed-out man who can become green but not with envy, a god, doped up with enough testosterone that it seems to affect the - as you should think so - most important muscle, and a bug lady, probably on a whole different kind of drug which I haven't found out yet. Oh, and how could I have forgotten Jumbo from Outer Space, going to snuff out world population. So, we better get this started."
"Coulson did warn me you were a charmer. That must be how you manage to routinely flaunt the rules without consequence..."
Nick couldn't help but snort with laughter at that. He had a soft spot for Stark but he always enjoyed seeing the man get knocked down a peg or two. Nick reached for the mug and took a swig of cold coffee. He grimaced but swallowed it down. He'd had worse. The sound of frying was still coming from the kitchen. It was now joined with a faint smell of burning.
"Smells like a well done Omelette! Pretty glad I declined!"
No response. Nick smiled to himself thinking of how Katherine would be glaring at him from the kitchen, questioning her cooking. Nick looked back to Dr Simmons and Tony in the lab.
"That would be just enough line to hang myself. There are people I have to answer to, Mr. Stark, and they're not known for their patience. But I would rather have you as a friend than a foe. Gamora says she has information that Thanos needs. If we can protect her, or obtain and safeguard whatever it is, then we have leverage. Or at the very least, she can inform us of his weaknesses so that we're not going into battle blind."
Nick noted that down. Gamora would be a target. Still letting the lab and cells CCTV record, Nick flicked the screen back to General Ross' apparent throne room. He was still there watching the screens. It seemed that the screens Ross was watching was also the CCTV for the cells. Interesting. That meant that Ross either trusted Simmons' judgements in the interrogations or Ross had already made up his mind with the prisoners. Nick flicked the screen back to the lab.
"So, when's checkout? Oh, and I want my toys back. That's something out of your team's league anyway - most of them got an age limit. No offense."
"Are you referring to physical or mental age, Mr. Stark?"
"You got a sense of humor. I like that."
"Also, detainees don't get to make demands. Your 'toys' are now the property of SHIELD and will be returned to you if and when the director sees fit to do so. Which should be on or about the time you get some answers from Gamora, Mr. Alien Whisperer."
"Okay, how much time are we talking about here? Since when is delivering yourself to shorten your stay not a thing anymore? Or... was that... never a thing? How about 'when in doubt, for the accused'?"
It seemed that Tony was being tight lipped when it came to information. A pity. General Ross would most likely not appreciate that. Nick picked up the mug for another sip but froze. He could still hear frying. The smell of burning was getting stronger. The temperature in the room was colder than before. There was a draft coming from the kitchen. Nick put the mug back down and accessed the recording he was currently making on the computer of the cells and the lab. Nick set the system to work on automatic. It would record the next two hours of both CCTV feeds. At the end of the two hours, it would send the file to the Avenger's Facility where the others were. Drawing his mobile again, Nick flicked through contacts to send another text to Nat. The audio of the Raft lab was still playing.
"So, uh, who's next, or are you gonna do the drawing a straw thing first?"
"That is all, Mr. Stark, thank you. Would you bring in the Asgardian next, please? Thank you."
Nick stood from the desk and picked up Katherine's gun from where she had left it, his mobile in his other hand. Nick reached the open doorway to the kitchen, dropped to his knees and glanced inside. Katherine was lying on the floor. There was a pool of blood around her head that was slowly making it's way across the linoleum floor. Small wafts of dark black smoke were drifting upwards from the frying pan sat on the oven hob. The smoke drifted in the breeze coming from the bullet hole in the kitchen window. A wave of guilt hit Nick. He'd known Katherine for years. He'd bought her this very apartment. She'd trusted him and like most people that made that mistake, had paid the price. Nick cursed under his breath. He hadn't heard a thing.
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wesleybucks
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Post by wesleybucks on Feb 14, 2021 12:40:28 GMT -8
Nick tore his eyes away from Katherine's body and to his mobile. He texted:
I'm made. Ctct ded. Sndng ctrl of Rft fle 2 u. Going dark.
As Nick pressed send, he heard a woman shriek several floors below and a screech of a furious cat. Still kneeling beside the doorway into the kitchen, Nick disassembled the mobile and snapped the sim card. He could hear the computer in the living room still playing the audio of the live CCTV feed.
"I can imagine. I'm a biochemist, that's what kind of doctor I am. And as smart as I may seem sometimes, I assure you Dr. Banner leaves me in the dust. And we're certainly going to need every bit of genius in that head if what you all warned us about comes to pass. You've been here before, protecting the Earth from existential threats. Fighting alongside us in New Mexico, New York, Greenwich and Sokovia. What makes this man Thanos different?"
"That’s easy to explain: Most of these attacks were committed by humans. Well, I mean they only got their own powers or the power they got from their toys. But Thanos – if Gamora is right – is stronger than every human being. Maybe… just as strong as me or the Hulk. And he is searching for the Infinity Stones, very powerful artifacts which are as old or even older than the whole universe itself. And if he would get all of them he could do everything he wants with just one snap."
Thor's booming voice caught Nick's attention despite the predicament he was in. Infinity Stones? That was what this Thanos man wanted? Was that what Gamora knew intel on. He then realized his journal was still sat on the desk. Fury removed a small pack of gum from his pocket, drew four long white gum sticks and stuck them onto the door frame of the apartment. This was still a SHIELD agent's apartment. Whoever it was that was trying to stop him wouldn't easily be able to use brute force to get in. It would buy him time.
Nick crawled back into the living area, now brutally aware of the large window in the room that looked down upon the street. As he made his way to the window on his stomach, the audio kept playing.
"Okay, that’s not the main point, right? At the moment you wanted to know what Gamora knows. But I agree with you. I also don’t think Tony will get this information. She barely knew him – and she didn’t even talk too much about such important things than her own secrets to people she knew better. I can probably set her talking. But surely not in these surroundings. I mean… it’s like a prison! Maybe you could give us our weapons and let us work out together. These cells should be able to take some little damage, am I right?"
"As I told Mr. Stark, your weapons and all personal effects are now the property of SHIELD. I couldn't access them even if I wanted to. Even though you all entered detainment voluntarily, I'm afraid the same rules apply. Anyway, I'm sure we'll sort this out, defeat Thanos in typically epic and heroic fashion, and get you back to Asgard before they miss you too much."
Nick reached the window and pulled tightly on the curtain cord. The large cream coloured curtains fell into place and covered the window. Nick heaved himself to his feet, feeling his age not for the first time. Flipping open his belt buckle, Nick drew out a carabiner, clipping it onto the base of a radiator. A long, thin metal cord was inside the belt and connected to the clip. It would hopefully help with a quick exit. That was when they hit the front door. Some sort of battering ram smashed against it. The door did not budge. Another hit. Still nothing. SHIELD doors were tough but eventually, it would collapse. Nick plucked up his journal, making a few more notes on what he had heard.
"Okay, Dr. Simmons, you’re right. Our people are already here, in Norway. Tony and the others visited that place because they had noticed it on their radar. I was with the Guardians at that time until the Milano was caught by turbulences. We crashed down close-by and had a long briefing to get everyone up to date. And then your people appeared – I think because they noticed the Milano on their radars. Asgard – I mean the place Asgard – does no longer exist. It was destroyed by… Well, that’s all what matters for the moment. But right after we had escaped from the explosion Thanos' people had found and attacked us. I’m sure we would be all dead if the Guardians of the Galaxy hadn’t helped us to escape. Um, there’s one thing you also should know... I think you remember Loki, my brother? Please, don’t freak out. He’s also on Earth – but he has changed! He and Dr. Banner are the ones who built up New Asgard together with our people. Loki sides with us."
"All due respect, sir, Loki only ever sides with himself. Perhaps we may be lucky in that Loki and our goals align in order to save this planet. But you can surely understand my hesitancy to trust him. I actually have some ... tests to run, so thank you for your time. It's been very helpful. And again, I am very sorry for the loss of your home and your people. Let's do our best to make sure we don't lose anyone else, shall we?"
Nick smiled yet again at Dr Simmons' work. He would need to remember to request her transfer to something far more Avengers related. A talent like hers was wasted with General Ross. The battering ram slammed again into the door which was starting to buckle under the strain. Nick switched off the locator, picked it up and made his way into the kitchen. Crouching low, Nick made his way past Katherine's body, opened the microwave and slid the locator inside. He picked up a handful of cutlery from a drawer and stuffed that inside the microwave too. Switching off the flame from the oven hob, he let just gas start to come out from beneath the frying pan holding a thoroughly burnt dinner.
"I'm sorry Katherine. Truly."
The battering ram hit the door one final time, ripping it off it's hinges. The white sticks on the door frame snapped, detonating the C4 inside. A thunderous explosion tore it's way into the stairwell. Nick heard the screams of several soldiers but didn't stop. They'd killed Katherine. In his eyes, they deserved it. Nick returned to the computer. He wasn't going to get to record two hours of live feed it seemed. After some more rapid tapping on the keyboard, he switched control of the recording to the Avenger's Facility. Somewhere on site, a live recording of both the lab and the cells would be playing and being recorded. Nick trusted they would use it well.
"...almost every trace of Pym particles with him. Almost. Almost every trace. He must have left in a real hurry because there were some left over and preserved in the SHIELD datacore. You'd have made a better formulae composite than me but I was rushing. But, if we play the same footage over again but this time using a spectrometer filter; look at what it detects!!! Photoelectric ionization! It's a perfect Compton Scatter! The Pym particle generates a burst of gamma radiation. Totally harmless but totally detectable! I read through what the team had found in Norway and everything points to the same conclusion. Pym particles were used. And I'm willing to bet on Celtic FC itself that they used Pym particles to shrink their alien ship. Which also means, if we can track the radiation signals..."
"...Then when we can find out where our other party guests slipped off to. Oh, Fitz, that's brilliant! When Thor started talking about the others and Guardians and Asgardian refugees, I knew we must be missing something. Stark didn't just use his suit to get there, he had to use a plane, but we never saw any plane. I mean, we didn't really know to look for one at the time. But we didn't know anything about an alien spacecraft called a Milano, either. And there it is. Just southwest of that circular void where our sounders couldn't get any readings. And clear enough that we can follow their flight path from there."
Nick smiled. With Fitz and Simmons on the case, they'd undoubtedly be in contact with those at the Avengers facility soon enough. Switching off the computer screens, Nick took a step back before firing into the hard drive. It wasn't destroyed beyond repair but enough for now. Turning to the doorway, two soldiers entered the room. They were wearing black tactical gear with small cameras on their helmets. If he had to take a guess, General Ross would be watching the camera feed right about now. Nick shot first. Taking out the first soldier's right kneecap, Nick fired again over his falling body, hitting the second in the shoulder. Nick grabbed the computer chair with his free hand and flung it at the window. It ripped through the curtain and smashed it's way out of the apartment window. Nick ran forwards and swan dived out the window. The long, extremely thin metal cable started to spiral from the belt as Nick fell from the sixth floor. People were staring up at him in shock from the street or scattering in panic from the falling shards of glass and chair. The cable finally reached it's end and snapped taught. Nick grunted in pain from the abrupt stop. He was still one floor up, dangling in midair. Reaching to his belt, Nick flipped a button and cut the cable. He fell the last distance, crashing into the top of a parked car and rolling onto the pavement.
A red dot danced along the roof of the car. The sniper that killed Katherine. Nick didn't have time to truly get his revenge. A black SUV hurtled around the corner and screeched to a halt. Four soldiers jumped out, all with assault rifles and started to shoot the car Nick was concealed behind. All the civilians in the street were now sprinting as far away as they possibly could. Gunshots roared through the street and pieces of the apartment building's exterior were being chipped away by stray bullets. Reaching once more to his belt, Nick drew three small purple marbles. Praying that he'd timed it right, Nick leaned against the car and waited. The soldiers were closing in, still emptying their clips into the car. Glass from the car windows fell all around Nick. Finally, it happened.
Katherine's kitchen detonated into a fireball that stretched out of the building and above the heads of those in the street. A plume of heat struck out into the cold, winter air of Paris. The soldiers all looked up to see the damage the microwave had caused. Nick tossed the marbles under the car. They rolled into the road and started ejecting great burps of thick purple smoke. Nick wrenched himself to his feet, rolled across the bonnet of the now wrecked car and into the growing smog. He charged across the road and into the patisserie opposite the apartment building. The owner was crouched behind the till and paid Nick no heed. Nick kept going deeper into the shop and emerged on the other side. Still moving whilst trying to catch his breath, Nick made a mental note to check the progress of the Life Model Decoy project. He was getting too old for this.
Nick turned into another road and whistled sharply for a taxi. One obliged and Nick scrambled into the back. He motioned to the driver to just go. As the Eiffel Tower grew larger before him, the noise of the chaos coming from Katherine's apartment faded away. Nick laid back in the taxi, questions filling his mind. Why had Ross sent goons out to kill him? Presumably they hadn't known it was Nick, simply that someone at that location was hacking the Raft. How had they found him so quickly? No way would Katherine have betrayed him. Had it been Ross at all? Could it have been Ross' superiors. Seemingly, his questions would have to wait as the taxi drove him further into the heart of Paris.
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