KIROKAZE
Origami Around
Love Begins
Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
JBB: An Artblog!
hello vonnie
Keni
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#extradirty
Peter Solarz
Sade Olutola
blake kathryn
i don't do bad sauce passes
Andulka
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we're not kids anymore.
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@agent13shield
"Are you trying to be undercover, Nat? You'll have to try a bit hater than that." Sharon nudged the other woman, giving her a smile. She hadn't seen Natasha since her return and was glad to finally have the chance to speak with her again.
Operation Dust {Agent 13, Deadpool, Dr. Jane Foster}
"Those deployed in Nevada will need to infiltrate the facility without detection and destroy all scientific work you come across. Due to the fact that we’re unsure whether the nanobots are controlled manually or work automatically upon release, it is of the utmost importance that they do not make contact with the outside air."
This must have been why Fury had brought her back. She had almost let herself believe that there was no reason at all, other than it was her time to be back at work. But, the blonde agent should have known that was not the truth. The news had been sprung on her earlier in the morning, as soon as she had walked into Headquarters. She hadn’t even made it to her office before her pager was buzzing with an emergency message to meet Hill in one of the many, oversized S.H.I.E.L.D conference rooms. Before Sharon knew it, she was being whisked off to Nevada, of all places. The only thing she had had the time to do was send Wiley a quick message letting her know she was leaving for a mission and would fill her in later. Disappearing on one of her closest friend without even a trace of evidence left behind, was not something she planned to do again.
Now, she was driving a fully equipped, armored SUV down the rocky hills of the Nevada dessert. She had yet to speak to her traveling companions, but knew it was time to discuss their plan. In all honesty, she was almost positive she was only acting as an escort to the scientist. Dr. Jane Foster and Deadpool. Halting the car without so much as a hand signal to give them a warning, she turned to the backseat. “This is as far as we can go. We are approximately four miles out. When we get to the base, we are going to go halfway around the left side of the main tunnel. There is a secret passage into one of the alcoves, that’s where we will be entering. We need to get in, destroy everything that we can, and get out as fast as possible. We all need to stick together. And try not to use your flashlights once we are within a mile of the base, it could draw attention.” She turned her face to only stare at Deadpool, “If anything goes wrong, we protect Dr. Foster.”
"Is there something you need specifically from me? Because otherwise, the front desk is in the main floor in the lobby. I'm not sure how you missed it."
Things They Say || Braddock & Carter
He had sat down with a cheerful smile and a toast of his coffee in her direction, but when she asked his name he stood up again. “Sorry, sorry. I should have said. It’s Aidan. And you are?” Jamie offered her his hand and one of his best smiles, the sort that made his eyes seem warm and kind. He had followed her here, which had been exceedingly difficult to do without being detected either by her or some other SHIELD surveillance, and he was pleased that everything was going so well. So, in that respect, his smile was genuine – it was just genuine for much, much darker reasons than a man should have when meeting a beautiful woman.
She was beautiful, he thought. Absolutely stunning, with a gaze so direct that he wondered if she could turn her eyes to diamonds and cut with them. Wouldn’t that be something? He imagined she would look amazing in a bathing suit, or in some tight, midnight blue cocktail dress, maybe with a little bit of ruching over the hips and the waist, one shoulder strap… Her hair was the most wonderful honey blonde and he wondered if she always wore it up. It would flatter her in a severe way to always have it up, back, tight. It would make her look beautiful and dangerous at once, and what an alluring combination that would be. It reminded him of Remy, his new partner in crime – in many senses. LeBeau had been an accident, but one that Braddock had no intention of trying to take back now. Although he was still not entirely over the notion that he’d come back perfectly willing to sleep with anyone – Christ, he’d slept with that slut Tony Stark for god’s sakes, and who hadn’t? How dull – he was completely pleased with what had happened with LeBeau. The two had hit it off well from almost the first moment. Jamie had made the mistake of coming in taunting and showing his arrogance, but Remy had simply fielded it, purred, and played Braddock right back. It was perfect, really. Having an ally and a lover in one, it was just a bit like Christmas.
It was certainly better than having a twin.
Certainly better than having siblings that didn’t understand, that didn’t care, that never had truly cared or given one the chance, siblings that were drowning in self-righteous glory, siblings that betrayed – it was certainly better than having siblings that murdered.
Everything in life had consequences, even and especially death, Jamie knew. The younger Braddocks thought they had gotten away with something, thought they had rid the universe of a pestilence, thought they had done such great good.
He would show them. He would show everyone. Every single person in existence would learn what he could do, would one day see the god within the man, would wake together to realize his dream –
And this SHIELD agent would be a wonderful part of that, if he could manage it.
If. If, if, if, if.
Jamie Braddock kept his acting as solid as he could. After they shook hands and he sat back down, he took his phone out of his pocket – a Google phone, but two years old and a little scratched from being kept in the same pocket as his keys, a pocketknife, and a chapstick – and checked for messages. Seeing none, he darkened the screen again and looked back at the woman.
“So – wait. I’d love to tell you why I’m in New York, but it’s not creepy, right? I know you Americans have different stances on personal, personal space and creepiness, and if this is me intruding or making you feel uncomfortable… just tell me, I don’t want to – you know, overstep any bounds. It’s just that you’re lovely,” he blushed, but only slightly, using a memory of Remy to that flush to his cheeks, “sorry. I mean that you seem like a lovely person, and chatting over coffee… it’d be nice to make a friend here. Well,” he amended, looking up at the ceiling for a moment with a slightly bitter expression. “A friend who’s not raging mad at me.” With a shrug and a somewhat self-deprecating laugh, ‘Aidan’ looked back at the woman’s dark, beautiful eyes.
Game on. She was SHIELD, so she was dangerous, and he could well have screwed his chances already – but he wouldn’t know unless she wanted him to know, he sensed. The agent’s poise reminded him of a snake, and they never gave a thing away until the point of no return.
Extending her own hand to meet his, she made sure to keep a smile attached to her features. "Sharon." Her voice was direct, but didn't sound unfriendly. She could feel her head spinning, trying to find reasons to not trust the man named Aidan, but she couldn't come up with any reasonable ones, at least not yet. That was how she had been trained, plus it was common knowledge that most people in New York weren't overly nice to you without wanting something from you. The problem was she couldn't put a finger on what exactly this man might want.
She continued to smile as the man sat down, taking a good look at him. She wished he would get to the point, her mind irrationally deciding that he couldn't simply just be a genuinely, nice man needing a place to sit. As strange as it seemed in other people's minds, that would be very strange for her. But, he didn't know who she was. Didn't know what work she did. So, why would he want to attempt to dupe her? She wasn't sure. And that made the agent feel very on edge and anxious. Though, you couldn't tell by her demeanor. As far he knew, she was just another friendly person offering him a place to sit to enjoy his coffee.
"Don't worry, I don't think you are creepy. Not yet, at least." She added a wink in with the last part. Trying to seem as natural as possible. Folding her arms, she slightly leaned on the table. "There aren't many lines you can cross with me." The lie flew easily from her tongue, hoping to make herself seem trusting. If he wanted a friend to talk to for the moment, that is what she would be. He seemed charming, and part of her thought it possible that he was just looking for a casual conversation. But, only time would tell. "A friend? I always have time to make more of those." She gave him the most sincere smile she could muster, urging him to continue.
Breath of Life (Sharon & Shae)
This evoked a quiet smile, soft and almost invisible; like something rising up through murky water, but it was there nonetheless, if even for a moment. “He’s fine,” she replied lowly with about as much affection as she could muster. Only Sharon really knew that she actually cared about the rookie, deep down beneath all that meanness there was an underlying fondness for the bumbling assistant. She claimed it was only because he knew so many of her secrets (not important ones, of course- just minute things like how she took her coffee or what her favorite dish was from the Chinese place they frequently ordered from), but Sharon had always known better. Fury once talked about putting Agent Nichols on a field assignment and Shae had all but set a fiery wrath upon his office at the mention of it. Sam had been nervous about the assignment, but it’d magically been taken off of the table overnight. The poor thing wasn’t fit for fieldwork, and she knew it was as good as a death sentence.
She tilted her head toward the blonde at her next words. The fact that they sounded so alien coming from the woman’s mouth meant that they could be nothing but the truth. “I’m sorry,” she replied shortly, the words coming across in a clipped tone (they were in public after all), but were no less than sincere. She reached across the gap between them to place a heavy hand on her friend’s shoulder. “I’m glad you got some rest. I’ll stop being a shit about it when you give me my scotch, okay?” she added with a small grin. “And don’t let anything Fury says get to you- you’ve always been good enough for this job. Hell, even your worst is like ten times better than my best,” she continued, letting the bag drop heavily to the sidewalk. It was already so hot that glistening ripples of warmth were radiating upward, baking them from below. Summer turned the entire city into one giant oven, essentially. Only times like these would make her wish for her childhood home upstate, with the streams tucked away into the woods with flat slab bottoms- the perfect swimming spots.
The brunette turned away, back toward the box and its open chest, bared like a patient in a grim operating room, its intestines a tangled, weaving mess. She hid the pleased smile and ran a hand through her hair, feeling the air cool her scalp where perspiration had pricked its pores. “Missed you too, Thirteen,” she replied, squinting into the dark interior. This one wasn’t bad- a wire had become disconnected, somehow. She refastened it with practiced ease and slammed the door shut once more. “Who else am I supposed to stir up trouble with when you’re gone? Grace vanished too, you know. I was startin’ to feel a little left out.”
Sharon nodded her appreciation at Shae. "You will stop being a shit? I'll believe that when Tony Stark quits being a narcissistic ass." She grinned, letting the other woman know she was only joking. Well, slightly. Shea's personality was never a bright and sunny one, but that had been what had drawn Sharon to her in the first place. Their common views on things, often being sarcastic, were the underlying strings in their friendship. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Wiley. I might be better in the field, but what you are doing right now, I would have no clue how to understand." She was being honest. Shae was the best at what she did and saved agents everyday. "If I didn't have you in my ear during missions, I probably would have been dead a few times over."
"Grace left, too?" The blonde's eyebrows drew together, "I honestly had no clue. Hopefully, she gets back soon. I'd say we are in desperate need of a ladies night out." Though, she had just got back to New York, the smoldering sun and thought of getting back to work, did make Sharon wish for a nice, smooth glass of whiskey. She might've had several drinks while she was away, but it was the company she was most looking forward to.
Walking along the sidewalk, she raised her hand and swiped it across her forehead, successfully ridding herself of the growing amount of sweat that was trickling down her face. "How many more boxes do you have left?" She wasn't planning on leaving, and she wouldn't, but she did want to know how much more time needed to be spent in this outdoor sauna they called home.
Breath of Life (Sharon & Shae)
Another bunch of huffy movements and she threw the tools back in her bag, slinging it over one shoulder while she tidied up the box and latched the door. It locked from the inside and she moved down the sidewalk to join Sharon as though it were the most normal thing in the world. The people of New York had hardly flinched at the two women breaking into and fussing with an electrical box- they appeared to know what they were doing, so why bother them? Citizens of their grand city normally didn’t bat an eyelash at anything strange. Hell, most of them pulled out their phones and put whatever it was they saw on Vine or whatever. She paused next to the blonde, standing several inches shorter, and shifted the bag on her shoulder.
"You don’t have to come with me," the agent said, moving forward when the crosswalk lit up. "I can call Nichols. God knows that child needs some time in the sunshine." They cross in front of a line of yellow taxi hoods, stark and rich against the monochromatic gray of the city. "Scotch sounds nice. You can keep the dead sea animals," she replied lightly, a smirk ghosting over her features. They reached the next box quickly- it was a grid, there were a few spaced out every few feet, usually once per block. Shae set down the bag and popped open the door, resting a palm flat against the warm metal. She turned, glancing over her shoulder. "Why’d you go, Thirteen? What was with all the secrecy? You know you can tell me stuff like that, you’ve never had a problem with clearance issues before. Who was I going to blab to?"
She’d assumed that the reason Sharon hadn’t told her when or where she was going was because it was above her clearance level. It probably was, but that hadn’t kept the blonde from hinting at things before. Both she and Grace had up and split for months. What was that all about? Was there something going on within S.H.I.E.L.D.? Did she need to be worried? The brunette squinted at her friend, shading her eyes with her other hand, gripping the screwdriver and waiting for an answer. Not that it would necessarily make her any less pissed, but it’d help.
"How is Nichols? The last time I saw him you were screaming at him for one thing or another." Sharon gave a side-glance in her friend's direction. She wasn't going to leave. They needed this. She needed this. Even if they still weren't back to how they used to be, it was a work in progress and Sharon wasn't going to give up, now. The blonde resumed her position that she had held at the last box. Bak turned to Shae as she worked, keeping a watch.
At Shae's words, Sharon felt a call pain of guilt stabbing her in the stomach. She hadn't expected those words to fall from the woman's mouth. "Do you honestly believe it was a clearance issue? When it comes to S.H.I.E.L.D. and you, I have always looked past those before." It was true, she didn't keep these things from Shae. But, that wasn't what it was. "I was embarrassed." The words sounded strange coming from her own mouth. She knew it was the truth, but she never had expected to admit it to anyone. "Being sent on a forced vacation because I had let things get too far. Fury didn't trust me as an agent, anymore. You have always believed in me. I just didn't want you to stop if you knew the truth."
She turned around to face Shae, "I'm sorry. I should have told you when I was leaving. But, I truly didn't know how. How do you tell someone that you are no longer good enough for the job?" Fury must've changed his mind, but having this conversation was drudging up the feelings she had shortly before she left. "He needed me to clear my head, so that's what I did. But, I can honestly say that I missed you."
Things They Say || Braddock & Carter
"You must be taking me for someone else… You’re not waiting for someone, are you? Because I was going to ask, I, that is..," the apparently-Irish man replied with a grin, shrugging and holding up his cup of coffee. "It’s getting crowded in here, and I was hoping to have a seat for a while. Do you mind if I join you? It’s either you or the furries," he nodded towards a group of twenty-somethings that were very creatively decked out in ears, tails, and fuzzy paw-gloves, "and fluffy as they look… I’m not sure I’d fit in." He shrugged with a smile, seeming happy and relaxed and entirely casual. Braddock was dressed in black jeans and a dark green shirt, and he looked like he might be an artist of some sort — rock, maybe, or punk. He carried himself with a loose, boneless grace — but, of course, it was all deception.
Braddock wanted to have private time with someone from SHIELD. He wanted in with one of them. He wanted to talk, to learn, to know, to lie, to do everything in his power to determine exactly how much of a threat they were to him. That was why he was living and breathing the disguise. That was why he pretended to be Irish, pretended to be an ordinary man, pretended to lack taste and refinement, to be average. He played at being content and cheerful because he had so many scores to settle, because the world was a laughable madhouse, because dreams fell apart into disarray and broken colors, and because, frankly, he didn’t want to be caught before he had his day of reckoning with his siblings. Common sense might dictate that he avoid all contact with a dangerous law enforcement and intelligence agency like SHIELD, in that case, but then again… Common sense was one thing that Jamie Braddock had never truly possessed, no matter his state of wealth or sanity.
His persona was quite good, really — even the shoelaces in his old boots were right. They were old, frayed — nothing classy there, nothing refined, nothing to show that he was a man that truly believed he was better than 99.03% of the world.
No, he didn’t look arrogant. He looked sweet, hopeful, friendly, and perhaps just a little bit awkward, realizing that he was asking quite a bit, wanting to join this woman at her table.
Jamie was weaving one very, very large web, but he knew he had to take care with every single strand.
Sharon gave him a small shake of her head, "I'm sorry, I must've had you mistaken for someone else." She gave the stranger a polite smile as he spoke. "By all means." The blonde spoke with poise as she pointed to the chair across from her, letting him know that he could sit if he pleased. Taking her phone from the table, she placed it back into her pocket. The constant buzzing being muffled in her jacket. "Irish, I am guessing? What brings you to New York?" She could tell by the accent that he wasn't native to the states. She knew she was prying into the man's business, but Sharon had a distinct quality of being untrusting of people. Even common civilians, like the one in front of her.
Growing up with S.H.I.E.L.D. constantly being a part of her life, Sharon always looked for ulterior motives in everyone she met. It was part of the reason she was such a good agent. She tended to be suspicious of the most common normalities. Innocent until proven guilty? For her it had always been quite the opposite way around. And while she had no reason to mistrust this man, who only wanted a place to sit, she also had no reason to trust him.
She continued to smile, though. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."
Breath of Life (Sharon & Shae)
The brunette scowled and accepted the sunglasses, begrudgingly placing them over her eyes and getting to work. A thanks was murmured later, like an afterthought. She made a disgruntled sound in the back of her throat, muffled slightly by the flashlight in her teeth and the direction she was facing, but Sharon would hear it all the same. Shae realized after a few moments of her own angry rattling that Thirteen was playing her. Because of course she was- she knew that the brunette’s anger was like an infected wound; leave it alone and it would only get worse, so it had to be bled in order for it to dissipate quickly. Only Sharon would likely be able to get away with this, Betsy on a good day, and Flash probably never. She hissed out a breath that may as well have been smoke for all the fire in her belly. “Gee, thanks, Share. What am I gonna do with a bunch of old, dried up animal corpses?”
She wrinkled her nose, but the expression was more for herself than Sharon. She’d never admit that she was inwardly pleased that the woman had thought to bring her anything at all, even if it were a bunch of shitty ocean rejects. Eyes narrowed behind the sunglasses and she peered into the electrical box. A bunch of wires were frayed and detached from their ports- when was the last time this’d been serviced? Never, most likely. “Not much,” she replied, her tone almost normal while she was distracted by the intricate internal of the box. She’d placed the screwdriver between her teeth as well, looking almost comical while both hands reached inside to wrap tape around some of the more damaged wires. The brunette worked in silence for several long moments, finally removing the tools and standing, huffing out an annoyed sigh. She looked up at the camera above Sharon- its light had begun to blink again, but there was a rebooting process that she’d have to go through as well.
“This is a giant pain in the ass. I have a whole grid like this just out.” The words were directed at the blonde’s back. She threw up her hands in frustration and let them slap against her outer thighs. Once the box was closed and settled, she began tossing her instruments back in the bag. “One down… who knows how many more to go,” she grumbled, swiping at her forehead with the back of her wrist. It was one of those disgusting days in the city where it got so hot that you didn’t even want to move, let alone be out in it. “If you seriously got me seashells, Thirteen, I’m going to kill you with them,” she said, her face deadpan but the tone of her voice just shy of dangerous- she was teasing, of course.
Sharon continued to stand guard, watching as people passed without saying anything. The day didn't have many passerby's in this area of the city, but she had a keen feeling that Shae already knew that. Plus, the agent didn't mind standing guard for her friend, if it mean that the tension between them would be semi-deminished by the time the day was over. She should've called the other woman- she knew that. But, even if she did, for as long as she was gone, this would have still happened. Tem being on the outs. She knew Shae was a hard one to gain the trust of, even harder to break down her walls. And once you were in, if you betrayed it even in the slightest, it was hard to gain your way back. Luckily for her, this wasn't the first time they had been through something like this and she was sure it wouldn't be the last.
At the current moment, she wished she had worn something lighter. As sweat began to prickle it's way down her forehead, she knew that the jeans and jacket she was wearing were both bad ideas. But, the weather in New York was always unpredictable. It could be scorching hot one day, slightly chilly the next. She cringed when Shae spoke of how many boxes there were left to repair. Who knew how long they would be stuck out here? None of it really mattered in the long run, though. Once the boxes were fixed, Sharon hoped her brunette friend would relax a little more.
"Well, I didn't bring you seashells. So, killing me won't be necessary." She let out a low chuckle as she spoke, not doubting the fact that Shae might actually become violent if Sharon pulled out a bag of fossils. "I did get you something, though. How does an old bottle of scotch sound?" She knew Shae might respond better to the actual gift. If there was one thing the blonde knew about the other agent, it was that she could drink almost anyone under the table.
Breath of Life (Sharon & Shae)
“Well I’m glad you had a damn good time,” Shae spat, moving through the door and onto the sidewalk, shouldering the bag full of tools and tech while she pushed against a businessman on his cellphone who was weaving through foot traffic like a drunkard. She scowled, though he hadn’t really earned the expression- it was all Sharon’s. They continued to walk, ducking beneath scaffolding that’d been erected near a building whose exterior was under construction. There was always construction going on in the city- it was like a creature, living and breathing. The buildings were its skin, and it was always preening, renewing its exterior day in and day out. Shae rolled her eyes when she stepped into the shadow. They walked briskly, two women that were far more dangerous than they could ever appear.
She didn’t speak while beneath the shoddy wood construct. Sound carried in tunnels and she didn’t want to broadcast their friendship’s woes to all who were in it with them. Strangers, sure, but you never knew who was listening. The sudden sunlight was bright and she squinted, reaching for her sunglasses but finding her pocket empty. “Damn,” she cursed, shoving her hand into the recess in frustration. Sharon spoke again and she scowled harder. “Yeah, well, I’ve been busy. Not all of us can afford to take time off,” she snapped, even though she knew that of the two of them Sharon was the one who worked the hardest. In all honesty, she felt a little bad. It wouldn’t have been hard for her to pick up the phone and call Sharon. But she had a bad habit of holding grudges. She’d taken the blonde’s sudden evacuation of the city without notice as a personal attack.
They crossed the street, darting across the striped crosswalk while heat shimmered off of it in gentle waves. She held up a hand at the corner where a faded green electrical box sat next to a mailbox. “Keep watch.” A screwdriver appeared from the bag and she began removing screws that held the metal door in place. Above them was a camera, a red light blinking within its lens like a small, silent cry for help. “So,” she began, prying off the door and peeking inside. The agent fished around in her bag for a moment, pulling out a small LED flashlight. “How was it, then? Meet some mysterious island man while you were there? Sip Malibu on the beach and go out dancing at night?” she rattled off bitterly, realizing how awful she sounded. Shae jammed the flashlight between her teeth to stop the cascade of hateful words. She busied herself with inspecting the connections inside the box.
By the squint in Shae's eyes, Sharon could tell that the sudden appearance of the bright sun was bothering her. When the woman reached for sunglasses that were not there, Sharon shoved her hands into her own pockets. Pulling out a pair of tinted glasses and handing them to Shae without saying a word. Sharon didn't need them after all, she had grown quite accustomed to the sunlight in her time away. The hostile snarks were still cascading from the brunette's mouth and she figured it best to let the woman continue to rattle on. It was needed. The tension and the snide remarks.
Turning her back to Shae, Sharon did exactly as she was instructed. Keeping watch. "You know me so well." She called loud enough that Shae could hear her, but still keeping her back turned. "You forgot the shopping, though." She knew she was baiting the other woman. It would have been best to keep her own mouth shut, but she couldn't resist. Bantering with Shae had always been one of her favorite pastimes. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about you. I picked you up some seashells from the beach. I figured since you couldn't go, I'd bring you something back." That was a lie. She hadn't brought back seashells. Not for her or anyone else. But, she hand;t lied about one thing. She had brought something back for Shae. An old bottle of scotch that she had bribed a bartender from the island to give her. But, she would wait to hand it over to the other woman until thing were at least a little less rocky between them.
"How much did I miss while I was gone?" She had read the files, she knew most of it already, but some details were always left out. In this city things were always happening, always changing. People might stay the same, but every so often they changed, too. At the drop of a hat, this city always managed to find it's way into some chaotic situation. Whether it be an alien parasite tormenting the civilians, a psycho taking over S.H.I.E.L.D., or even a chemical release threatening mutant's powers. Something was always bound to happen in New York.
Things They Say ((Open))
Sharon knew that her return had caused quite a buzz around headquarters, even in the brief moments she was there. She had already received several messages asking if she was home and where she had been. But, she really didn't feel like answering anyone. She still hadn't been to her apartment - or more importantly, her office. After running around with Shae trying to fix the comms mishap in Queens, Sharon had opted to go to Lola's. A caffeinated beverage was far more important than anything on her agenda at the moment.
She sat inside, watching as the civilians of the city strolled in and out, not bothering her in the least. They didn't know Sharon Carter. They didn't care where Agent 13 had been for the last few months and it was a glorious feeling. Luckily, she had already spent time with the person she had been most worried and happy to see. Figuring it best to get herself settled back in to New York and knowing that the best place to do that would be getting a coffee. Actually getting back to work could wait until another day.
The blonde agent sighed before putting the porcelain mug to her lips once more, letting the warm liquid fill her mouth. She held in her other hand the daily newspaper, though not really reading, more skimming. Feeling another vibration from her cellphone that was in her pocket, Sharon sat the newspaper down and pulled it out. Another message. One from an agent that she wasn't sure why was texting her. Seething at the phone she placed it on the table with force. Didn't they have work to do? Work that didn't involve bothering her? Her momentary distraction caused her to miss the person walking towards her table. At least until, she was staring at a pair of shoes in front of her vision. Lifting her gaze, a smirk crossed her lips. "Didn't expect to be seeing you here."
Breath of Life (Sharon & Shae)
She’d seen her coming. The blonde wasn’t hard to recognize- not because of her hair, there were plenty of blondes at S.H.I.E.L.D.; no, it was her specific gait that caught Shae’s attention on one of her many monitors. But she was busy- an entire section of her feeds were offline due to a grid outage in Queens and she had a feeling it’d be a manual fix. She’d been in the office all night fussing over it and had just now decided that she needed to pack up and get going before the city began its perpetual summertime melt. Sharon had been gone for god knows how long- left without a trace without any notation by Fury on any of the books she had clearance for. That’d left her irritated, but the fact that the blonde hadn’t told her had made her more than upset. The brunette stood and began throwing various tools into her bag from their places around the room.
Nichols flinched silently from the corner, even though he had large headphones on. She often suspected that he wasn’t really listening to anything at all- he just wore them to keep her off of his back. It usually worked. She picked up the bag by its handles, moving up behind her assistant and hooking a finger round the band of his headphones, pulling them down quite suddenly onto his neck. “I’m going out to look at this shit show. Keep doing what you’re doing and run another test in about an hour. I’ll call you after that.” The tousle-headed boy squeaked and nodded, fingers still flying over his keyboard without missing a single line of code. He amazed her sometimes, but she might not ever say that aloud.
Shae was already at the door when it opened and she nearly cursed under her breath at the sight of her friend. “No, I did not,” she replied succinctly, stepping around the blonde and into the hallway. Time was of the essence and she’d really rather not fight with Agent 13 in front of Nichols. She paused, looking her over. “You’re tan. Have fun? Drink a lot of fruity cocktails for me?” she sneered. “I’ve got shit to do today, Thirteen. I don’t have time to play catch up about your latest S.H.I.E.L.D.-funded vacation. Wish I had such a privilege, but I probably won’t ever.” She set off at a brisk pace down the hallway, knowing that Sharon would follow. The brunette shot a look over her shoulder, brows still knit in the center of her face in a series of wrinkles. “I said I’m busy. Unless you’re gonna come along with me and watch for cops while I fix a few boxes. I really hate when they ask me questions.”
Inviting- if that was what you could call it- Sharon along was as close to forgiveness as she’d get right now. If she’d had more time she’d be perfectly happy to hash it out right then and there, but fighting with one of her best friends because of her own jealousy wasn’t high on the agenda at the moment. They’d made it to the front door. “If you don’t want to come we’ll have to talk some other time. Maybe I’ll call you, maybe I won’t. Do you even have a phone anymore? God knows you haven’t used it,” she snapped, resting her back on the glass panel before pushing it open, lifting her brows in question.
A slight smile fell on the agent's lips as Shae brushed past her and out of the door. She definitely hadn't changed at all. If Sharon hadn't been expecting the hostility, she might be worried. But, she had known that seeing Shae again would most likely be one of the hardest things she had to do. That was why she had come to her first. Get the argument out of the way, so they could move past it. It was what they had always done. Mostly after anytime that Sharon had disappeared.
Following Shae down the hallway, as Shae would undoubtedly already know, Sharon shook her head. "The cocktails were great. The weather was even nicer. Thanks for asking." She knew it probably wasn't best to snark back at the other agent knowing the mood she must be in, but she couldn't help it. "I truly wish you could have came." Even though she said it to push the brunette's buttons, she did mean it. If there was a way she could have taken Shae with her, she would have done it in a heartbeat. Shae was her closest friend, had been for a long time.
She continued to walk beside Shae, rolling her shoulders as she did. The plane ride had been less than comfortable and she hadn't yet been home, but that would wait. "Oh, I'll come. I have so many details about my trip that I would love to share." She rolled her eyes, making sure to keep her voice low enough for only Shae to hear. "Phone is still on. Funny thing though, I never received a call from you on it." Placing blame wasn't really the mature thing to do, but it was all she could think of at the moment. It was true, Shae hadn't tried to get ahold of her while she was away, but she hadn't expected her to, either. Sharon was the one who'd left, it was her responsibility. She thought back to the many nights she had thought about calling, but she never could press the little phone button next to Shae's name. She had been forced to go and it wasn't a conversation she'd wanted to have over the phone.
That is the first time I have ever heard the words “glad to be back” and “in New York” used in the same sentence. It’s good to have you back, Sharon.
I have to admit, I never actually thought those words would come out of my mouth. Thanks, Grace. I missed you while I was gone.
Breath of Life (Sharon & Shae)
The streets of New York hadn't changed a bit since she'd been gone. Covered in dirt, grime, and trash in some spots. Nicely polished sidewalk in others. As she walked by the coffee store she had been into so many times, she thought about stopping, but shook her head. She had somewhere to be, someone she needed to see. Someone that she had missed dearly while she had been away.
The vacation had been an ordered one. That was something not many people knew. Some might have guessed. The infamous Agent 13 taking a vacation in the Caribbean on her own accord? Not a chance. Others must have thought it was an undercover op. But, she knew why she was sent away. She had got too caught up in her work, had let it get to her. Fury had noticed and normally, he would have just let the agent go. But, this was her. And he wouldn't just throw her to the wind. So, he had told her to go somewhere. He didn't care where, but somewhere that didn't involve her being in New York. Or being at work. She hadn't told anyone before she had left, not even the person she was headed to see.
No one knew she was back either, except Fury, of course. He had sent her a text letting her know she could return to work. Though, he had done it in his own way. Sending a text that simply said Code Black. As if she was supposed to know what that had meant. She had taken a redeye flight back, had tried to reach Fury several times. But, nothing. Of course. She had caught up on most of the files during the flight and nothing struck her as odd or as something that was "code black". She didn't let it get to her, though. It could be just Fury's own little way of telling her to come home.
Making her way through S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, she didn't give any indication that she heard the whispers and stares. She kept her head straight and stood tall. People would always gossip. She didn't even stop by her own office. The one that she knew was still there because when she had gone Fury had promised her that this "vacation" didn't mean she was being demoted. It was simply just that. A vacation.
Standing outside the door of her destination, Sharon took a deep breath. She could count the times she had been nervous in her entire life on one hand and this was one of them. She raised her arm and knocked on the door. Not waiting for an answer, she twisted the knob and pushed gently. "Miss me, Wiley?"
My vacation was wonderful, but I am glad to be back in New York.
