Draw the Veil, Chapter 11
Disclaimer: Still just playing in the sandbox. Do not own, wish I could. Please don't sue. (It's my therapy); Introducing several of the AoS (Agents of SHIELD) characters here.
Warnings: None
The team scrambled from the conference room, and quickly scattered to gather their gear.
Steve was held back by Coulson, "Captain Rogers, you have a new uniform available. We took the liberty of updating the look and capabilities." Coulson refused to admit he'd helped in that endeavor. "It should have been moved to your quarters by now."
"Thank you, Agent Coulson. I'll see you on the flight deck," Steve replied with a grateful smile. They left the conference room together.
Tony followed Bruce, mostly out of curiosity. He wondered just what super spy gear the professor needed.
"What can I do for you, Stark?" Bruce asked as they reached his lab once more.
"Just following along, Doc. You know where you're going, I'm just a consultant," Tony glibly replied. Bruce snorted in amusement and headed to the back of the lab to pack any equipment he thought he might need. His satchel was sitting on a work table, and he quickly glanced around the room, finding nothing he wanted, he grabbed the satchel and made to leave again.
"Greta, make sure everything we've been working on has been ported to my tablet. And lock the lab down until I get back," Bruce told his AI.
"Of course Bruce. The lab at home is up and running, awaiting your orders. The disks are fully operational and the robots are standing ready," she answering quickly and concisely.
Tony's curiosity was in overdrive. Just what had this man managed to accomplish on a professor's salary? Had he finally found someone he could intellectually make out with? Someone who'd easily be able to keep up with where his brain went? He knew he was in lust already with this scruffy man, these hints into the depths of his genius just made Tony ache with want.
Clint and Nat silently made their way to their quarters to collect their gear. Each took the time to pack not only weapons, but energy bars and a couple changes of clothing. Still without speaking they headed directly to the flight deck.
Thor, ever prepared for battle, waited on the rest of his new comrades near the flying machine that he'd been directed towards by one of the agents from the conference room. He considered himself very blessed to fight alongside a trio of berserkers. The good captain seemed to ooze confidence and ability, so he would follow the other man's lead, for now. Thor thought it best as Rogers knew more of Midgard than he remembered from centuries past.
He watched technicians in bright blue shirts and ground crew in dark green move around the flight deck and in particular the jet the team was to use.
A team of science techs approached, pushing a couple of well laden trolleys. Two young people, kitted out in the strange, dark blue, skin tight uniform of these agents, broke away from the group and approached Thor.
"Your Highness," the young, dark haired woman said, "We shouldn't be a moment more getting the last of the extra equipment aboard. Do you require anything before Fitz and I get all this loaded?"
"Nay, my lady. I await the rest of my comrades and am quite comfortable. Please go about your work," he spoke kindly, "And, here, I am just Thor. No titles are necessary."
"As you wish," she agreed with a shy smile before turning to follow the other techs with her partner. The young man gave a small bow and went with his partner.
Only a few minutes passed before Thor's team appears. Everyone seemed ready to face whatever may come their way.
The seven boarded the plane. Tony whistled, eyes taking in the interior and what systems and gadgets he could see. Bruce headed for the station he always occupied when not in the lab, pulling out his tablet to dock in place of a laptop on the desk.
"Stark, there's a secondary station to Dr. Banner's," Phil said, indicating the open desk on Bruce's right.
Tony moved across the jet, still cataloging everything he saw, to sit next to the bear. "So, come here often?" he quipped, getting a smile in return.
Phil showed Steve and Thor the other side of the jet, where there was a line of bucket seats and safety harnesses.
"Sorry gentlemen, this particular jet is outfitted for a science team. You'll have to be strapped in for take off, then you'll be free to move about," he told them before going around a divide to a small lab where the two young techs were busy with Bruce's request.
"FitzSimmons, how are you doing?" he asked them.
"Doing well sir. We have 10 filled canisters so far. But we could use Dr. Banner's advice as soon as he's free," the young man replied, able to look at Phil while his partner fitted another slim, metal container to a larger, more rotund one.
A lean, muscled shadow slipped into the lab behind Coulson, and called to the techs. "Well, Eyases, are you ready for this?"
"Clint!" the woman called, happy to see her trainer. The man smiled, turning a small knob on the feed line to the canister connection. There was a faint hiss as the small canister filled.
"Hello Jemma, Leo. All set?" Clint was smiling, but the expression didn't reach his eyes, which conveyed a hint of worry.
"As ready as we can be, Boss. We've almost got the canisters done," Leo answered, able to step away from the work station. He went over to Clint and grasped his hand in welcome.
"Good. Bruce will be along once we've reached a cruising altitude. I need to get my butt back up to the cockpit before Nat replaces me!" Clint returned the handshake, and brushed by Jemma, touching her shoulder as he left the lab through the other doorway.
"Agent Coulson, we're clear for takeoff in 5," Nat's voice came over the intercom, hastening Phil's own steps back to the rack of seats. He checked on Steve and Thor, saw Tony and Bruce were strapped into their seats and grabbed his own.
The flight to Iowa was relatively short, given the jet's top speed but the science team had plenty of time to get the Xenon packages ready.
They found a sturdy parking garage to set the jet down on, the VTOL capabilities in full use.
Phil called the team together, "All right, we need to hook up with the advance team and coordinate the rest of the mission with them. Rogers, you've got command from here. Let's get it done, people."
Steve stood up, and drew all eyes to his statuesque form and stern face. "With the help of Agents Fitz and Simmons, the knock out gas is ready to deploy. We'll need several teams to infiltrate and scatter them. Agent Barton, you are my liaison with the shifters, since Agent Romanov will be among the teams." Clint nodded, accepting the task.
"Agent Romanov, you'll head up the teams of infiltrators and report to Barton. Thor and I will join the negotiator's team and Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner can handle supplies and equipment," Steve handed out the rest of the assignments. Tony leaned forward, about to argue when Steve pinned him in place with a look. "This is how it is. If you can't work with it, you're off the team. Everyone has a part to play, and yes, it does occasionally mean working below optimums or preferences. Remember it could all change in an instant."
Tony subsided with a frown. Bruce accepted with the quiet sort of inevitability he used in most interactions with SHIELD. It came mostly from Agents who didn't understand how to work with him, and he knew that a similar problem would occur with Rogers in command. At least, at first.
"Let's get going," Steve wrapped up, wanting to get this hostage situation over with.
They got to work.