Don't volunteer for any test Tony Stark Suggests
Rowen just barely refrained from tapping her foot in irritation. She knew the recruits that Coulson had assigned her were young (all but one of them was barely 21), but being this late for a meeting was just ridiculous. The only reason she hadn't started was that she wanted to impress upon Matthew and Arthur that this wasn't alright. Which meant a public dressing down.
Both men stumbled through the room at that exact moment. Their faces were red, as if they'd been scrubbing their skin, and they were both missing their eyebrows. Matthew's hair was singed along the front, his blond hair blackened at the tips. There also appeared to be a large patch of red on his arm which he kept scratching at intermittently along with a spot on his leg.
One of Rowen's eyebrows rose in barely contained impatience upon their entrance. She could stare down the scope of a rifle for hours, but put her in a classroom with late students and her patience went out the window. Her accent seeped slightly into her words as she spoke. "Glad you could finally join us Agent Gent, Agent Corvin." Both men at least had the decency to look sheepish.
"Sorry, ma'am," apologized Arthur. "It won't happen again, ma'am." He was former Army and the only person in the group over the age of 21. He was 23 and should have known better than to be late. Which was part of what was pissing her off so much.
She watched at Arthur elbowed Matthew as well, causing the other man to wince. "Ow, watch it."
"Apologize," hissed Arthur. "Now."
"Alright, alright," muttered Matthew, rubbing his side. "Sorry for being late, Boss."
"I'm your commander, not your boss," reminded Rowen with a sigh. "But I would like an explanation."
"Ma'am?" asked Arthur uncertainly.
Rowen rolled her eyes. "I've been working with Agent Markson for five years and have known Agent Barton for seven. I'm sure all of you have either picked up on or heard of their lack of professionalism. Beyond that though, they've taught me there is always a reason for everything. So, what's your reason for being late."
"Uh," started Matthew, rubbing the back of his neck a little. "You see, we-"
"We were assisting Mr. Stark with some tests, ma'am," supplied Arthur with military precision. "He required assistance testing a new device and asked us to volunteer. He explained we might be field testing it in the future and recommended we assist him now."
"It kinda exploded in our faces," added Matthew, scratching at his arm. "There was pink goo. It was sticky. And itchy. And took hours to scrub off"
"I'd imagine," muttered Rowen, turning to the board and scribbling down her tip of the day. "Apparently I should have mentioned this one sooner. 'Tip #4: Do not volunteer for any tests that Mr. Stark suggests. Ever.' Please note, this is particularly important if it looks like Stark hasn't slept recently. And by recently, I mean within the last 24-36 hours. The chance something in his lab will explode increases exponentially the longer he goes without sleep once he's passed the 20 hour mark." Setting down her pen, she turned back to Arthur and Matthew. "Go to the infirmary. Now. Tell them you were assisting Mr. Stark, they'll know what to do. Just don't worry too much when they pull out the haz-mat suits and radiation gear."
"Uh, what?" asked Matthew, even as Arthur took his arm and pulled him from the room.
Angela's hand rose. "Agent Le Fey, are they going to die?"
"Hopefully not," replied Rowen. "I really don't feel like breaking in new students this soon." Gathering her things, Rowen turned towards the door. "We're going to postpone this meeting. Go do whatever it is you do when you're not here, I need to speak with Mr. Stark. And try not to get into trouble. I do not want to get called down to the infirmary today for anyone else."