SEPTEMBER 2010: TRISKELION
The gym in the Triskelion was fully equipped for field agents to train and keep in shape. Because of that, despite being open to all SHIELD agents, it was mostly used by field agents. Those who graduated from operations were more comfortable there than those from science and technology or communications. It might also have something to do with the fact that field agents needed to keep physically fit to do their jobs and stay alive.
When the elevator left Angie and her off, there was a lot of kick boxing, sparring, and strength training going on. A couple agents glanced their way, but quickly returned to their own thing. To field agents, the gym was part of their job and they gave it their full focus. For Katherine, the gym was a way to unwind after the work day was over.
Adjusting her gym bag on her shoulder, Katherine grabbed mats from the equipment closet. Leading them to a quiet corner in the back of the gym, away from the grunting weight lifters, Angie and Katherine spread out their mats. They followed a video from Katherine's tablet, working through an hour of different flows.
"I thought yoga was supposed to be easy and relaxing," Angie said, wiping the sweat from her brow. The yoga they just did was not easy nor relaxing. It was hard.
"It depends on what type you do," Katherine replied, her eyes closed and the back of her hands resting atop her knees. "And we're supposed to be meditating right now."
"Well next time let's do the stretching, relaxing kind where we lay on our backs and clear our minds for half the time" Angie peaked at Katherine out of the corner of her eyes. "How long are we going to sit in silence?"
"Apparently not very long," Katherine said, opening her eyes to smile at her best friend. "Come on, let's hit the showers."
Angie cranked up her music as they showered, claiming they needed to get in the party mood for the night ahead. The music and their voices echoed around the bathroom as they sang along in their shower stalls, not caring if other agents came in. Dressing in dark jeans and the extra black blouse she'd packed for their traditional Friday night drinks, Katherine had to get really close to the mirror in order to reapply her eyeliner. She hadn't brought contacts, and the world was a blur without her glasses, making winged eyeliner even more difficult.
"Time to knock the guys at the bar off their feet and get free drinks." Angie twisted one of her tight dark curls around her finger as she came to stand beside Katherine.
"My eyeliner is miraculously even. I think it's a sign that it's going to be a good night," Katherine agreed, slipping into her black heeled boots.
Scanning their badges to call the elevator, they boarded an empty car. The doors were sliding shut when a hand flashed between them, making them fly open again to reveal Rumlow and Rollins. Or as Angie referred to them: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.
"Lee, a little out of your depth down here aren't you?" Rumlow greeted, glancing down at Katherine. "Maybe you should stick with what you know. Tech is floor 14."
"Unlike you, I enjoy broadening my skillset outside of my job description," Katherine retorted. "Maybe that's why I'm level 7 and you're still stuck at level 6 for the…fourth year in a row now is it?"
"There's no way Johnson made you level 7," Rollins interjected.
"Read it and weep, boys," Angie said, holding up Katherine's brand new badge just as the doors dinged open to the atrium.
Both Rumlow and Rollins stared, dumbstruck at the proof Katherine was indeed a higher level than both of them.
"Don't worry Rumlow, it's never too late for an old dog to learn new tricks. There's always next year," Katherine said with a falsely sweet smile before she left the elevator with Angie arm in arm.
SEPTEMBER 2010 UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
Barely a week after the ninja's and Clint was back in the field. Another undercover solo op. It wasn't that working solo was hard, it just got boring. There was very little communication with anyone. He wasn't even supposed to get close to the target this time.
He was expected to keep his distance as he followed him and intercepted his conversation. He'd already shot an arrow with an audio transmitter above the target's room on the train. Now he just had to wait until he got the info SHIELD needed before finishing off the target and any of his accomplices.
It was the waiting that got to him now. He'd slept three nights in the baggage car and still nothing. When his connection with the target's car started getting spotty he had to call into headquarters for some technical assistance. Hopefully they'd give him someone entertaining. Although at that point he'd appreciated talking to another human no matter how dull they might be.
There was a click through the com in his hearing aid before he was connected with his personal tech guru.
"Agent Barton, we meet again." It was the data analyst who'd called him an ass. Clint couldn't help but smile. This mission just got a little more interesting.
"You've already called me an ass. I think that puts us on a first name basis, don't you?" Clint asked relaxing back against some of the bags.
"I think that would require you knowing my first name."
"You get access to my file before you call. I'm kind of at a disadvantage here," Clint pointed out.
"I doubt you called headquarters for my first name, what do you need me to do?"
"I've lost connection with the transmitter I planted." He wasn't giving up on getting her name. But he did need to get the transmitter working again.
"What frequency was it operating at before you lost it?"
"I have no idea how to answer that," Clint admitted.
"Okay, what channel were you listening on?" she tried again.
"Channel six. Is that what frequency means?"
"No, but it'll help me find the frequency you were on so I can tap back into it." She sounded distracted, he could practically hear her hands flying over her keyboard.
"I'm going to adjust some things, let me know when you can hear something." Varying levels of static echoed in Clint's ear, each increasingly annoying until he heard a soft voice between the static.
"There, I hear something," Clint said, focusing on the voice. Slowly the static disappeared until the voices were clearer than when he'd started. "What about the bits we missed?"
"They're recorded on the transmitter even though you couldn't hear it. You just need to retrieve the receiver."
"Easier said than done," Clint grumbled, moving to his feet. He'd need to be creative if he was going to retrieve the receiver and take out the targets.
"Why, where is it?"
"On the top of a train car," Clint said, prying open the car door and reaching for the ladder leading to the top of the train.
Keeping low once he reached the roof of the train so the wind from the moving train wouldn't impede his traction, Clint made his way towards the target's car. It was misting out, and halfway there he slipped on a slick part of the metal, cursing under his breath as he fell hard on his right knee. He was quick to reassure Agent Lee he was fine when her voice buzzed in his ear.
When he finally made it to the car with the transmitter, he pressed a button that released the magnetic field and tucked the arrow into the pocket of his cargo pants. Pulling a new arrow from his quiver, he magnetically anchored it to the top, attaching a rope to the end.
"Right, here goes nothing," he said, psyching himself up.
With a crash of glass he was in the target's compartment. It was too close range for his bow to do any good, so he pulled one of the knives strapped to his leg, throwing it at the figure across the car while wrapping his arms around the closer target. The knife hit the guy's left eye, dead center, and he fell lifeless to the floor in a matter of seconds. Clint had to scuffle with the other target before he managed to get him in a choke hold and snap his neck.
"Mission accomplished, Agent Lee." He'd always wanted to say that to someone.
"Katherine," she corrected as he pushed the now dead targets out of the window he'd come through.
"What?" he asked, drawing the curtains across the broken window.
"My name is Katherine, with a K not a C. That's very important."
"Is that all it took to get your name?" Clint joked as he relaxed on one of the seats. He had a bit of a ride left to go before he made it to the extraction point.
"The ninjas last time helped too," Katherine said. "Do you need anything else before I sign off?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," Clint insisted. "I have a very long ride left on this train, and I expect I am going to fall asleep. I need you to be my alarm clock."
"Goodbye Clint," Katherine chuckled.
"It's your fault if I don't make the extraction rendezvous, Katherine with a K," Clint called out before she clicked off the com.
PRESENT DAY: WASHINGTON DC
The field exam was more thorough than Katherine thought it would be. Not only did it include the normal physical elements, but also a psychological test, questioning while hooked up to a lie detector, and a training on how to withstand torture without spilling any secrets. By the end of it she was sweaty, dirty, and physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. But it was all worth it. Because she passed. Now she could add 'field eligible' to her file. And it just took 12 hours on her Saturday off to do it.
"Well? Did you pass?" Katherine had barely made it to her apartment when she got the call from Angie.
"Yes. I'm officially eligible to go into the field if necessary," Katherine said, shutting her door with her shoulder and sliding the lock into place.
"And may it never be necessary."
"What if I want to go into the field?" Katherine challenged.
"Please you only got the training to boost your resume," Angie scoffed. When there was no word from Katherine she added, "Right?"
"Yeah, but the field wouldn't be so bad. Besides, I don't think I have much of a choice in the matter. If they need an analyst in the field, they just pull from those who have training."
"That leaves you and Eric. Eric's level 3, which means they'd pull you first. Oh my god. You can't die on me," Angie ranted as she worked through the options.
"I'm sure I'd have special-op agents watching my back."
"Great, so we have to count on Rumlow or Rollin's to keep you alive. That's reassuring. There's a reason I call them Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum."
"Okay, calm down Angie. When's the last time they pulled an analyst into the field anyways?"
"That's because they didn't have any options."
"What about Eric?"
"Eric doesn't count," Angie insisted. "He just made it to level 3. He's a newbie. You're experienced. Besides there's analysts at the Hub we don't even know. They could be pulled into the field all the time."
"Okay, seriously Angie, you're going to give yourself a panic attack."
"Too late, I'm in full panic mode," Angie said, inhaling through her nose and out her mouth to try and calm herself down. It wasn't really working when all she could think about was Kat dying in some undisclosed location without Angie knowing until the funeral that would be closed casket because the mortician can't cover up a bullet hole to the head.
"Why did you go through the training?" Angie demanded "You couldn't have just gotten another doctorate to boost your resume?"
"This was cheaper and less time consuming." SHIELD footed the bill for her test. She'd trained on her own sporadically after work and it only took one day to complete the test. Another doctorate would have been much harder.
"Cheaper but more stressful. Crack open a bottle of red wine. I'm coming over and we're drinking until I'm not anxious anymore," Angie ordered before hanging up.
A/N: I'm back at it with another chapter. I'm enjoying this new writing format I have going for this story. It makes it a lot of fun to write. Hope you all continue to enjoy it!
Rach
xoxo