The Art of War

Sadie Watkins Age: 27 HYDRA Agent "Never attack to soon or the enemy will come back stronger."

[dfincher]

[artisxpugnae]

favorite holiday?

“Favorite Holiday, eh… Good question. I’m willing to bet that most say Christmas or Valentines day. Hell even Easter for all the sweets but my personal favorite happens to be All Hallows Eve. Ah yes, Halloween… the one night of the year when the veil is thinnest and the pickings are easier to con. I used to make money on Halloween, good money by making the most out of the holiday. With a nice smile and a skimpy outfit and I would take them for all they were worth. This one year,  I dressed as a Gypsy and offered readings for a price, of course. The money was good I used cards or read the palms of those poor drunken saps that simply wished for a happy ending. They never saw me coming. Other times I would… well… lets just say most of my income was made on this night and I do have wonderful memories that I actually treasure and bother remembering from time to time. Not to mention its easier to blend into the crowd when everyone appears to be something that goes bump in the night.”

[bottleofpxin-deactivated2016021]

[insp.]

[wolfofthe141-archive]

Now the dark begins to rise Save your breath, it’s far from over Leave the lost and dead behind Now’s your chance to run for cover I don’t want to change the world I just wanna leave it colder Light the fuse and burn it up Take the path that leads to nowhere All is lost again But I’m not giving in I will not bow I will not break I will shut the world away I will not fall I will not fade I will take your breath away

“I Will Not Bow” - Breaking Benjamin

[artisxpugnae]

Chasing the Fight {Sadie + Pietro}

[maverxck]

Pietro could practically hear the girl thinking, he was so aware of his surroundings in that moment. She was sure to be formulating an escape plan, dreaming up a million ways of incapacitating him and running, or calling backup, or something similar. He could not let her do that - it put him in jeopardy. He did not wish to be captured today.The darkness, at least, bought him some time. He could always just run away if things started to go south, he told himself.

He almost laughed aloud at her retort - it was so awfully mundane, so desperate. She was trying to stall, trying to buy time to think, he was sure of it. He could feel her shaking, taking it as a sign of fear - real, this time, and unadulterated. “Do not spout your philosophical bullshit at me.” He sneered, shaking his head. He had no time nor patience for games of the mind - if there was to be conflict, it would be violence, and he had no plans emerging anywhere but on the top in that scenario.

He could see her facade change, melt away into thin air - proud of this ability, a small smirk settled on his face. He listened to her rant, an air of dissection and thinking about him as he processed what she said, before setting his face into neutral and replying. “I do not care about what they may or may not have done to you. I do not care for any of these organisations. I will not be anyone’s pawn.” He spoke slowly, carefully, his accent lilting in every word he spoke. “You have not answered my question: who is it you work for?” He asked, eyes narrowing, wishing to know who this new player in the political chessboard was - wanting to know who would be hunting him next.

[artisxpugnae]

Sadie remained in her spot, face once more tilting as her eyes gazed at nothing in particular. Fear had a way of making people react, fight or flight. Those were normal human instincts yet she had imagined he would have been a flight risk more so than a fighter but apparently she’d been wrong. The way he spoke, and kept a steady grip on her making her feel as though he were a wounded animal, putting up a final fight before the curtain fell and his life ended with a rather painful howl. 

Philosophical bullshit... the words didn't sting, they simply told her how to properly respond. Straight and to the point. She was learning, studying her opponent with every word he dared to speak. And should she play her cards right, she’d leave this place unharmed and with plenty to report back to her commander. Patience wasn't the man’s strong suit, this she could tell by his actions alone. Mentally kicking herself for not bothering to properly read his file. Organizations... pawn... pieces of a chess board... check... she thought, doing her best not to smirk at the revelations. His actions were based on fear, and fear was easily exploited if worked right. 

“You speak from experience I imagine.” the brunette stated, hating the fact that she shivered involuntarily, only this time she knew it was due to the cold. Shouldn't have worn a dress after all, she added in her mind simply listening as his tone shifted and changed from dangerous to the calmness of thinking you had the upper hand. “What does it matter who I work for when my own blind curiosity lead me to this predicament... to you?” it wasn't the completely  false, after all she’d been told to hunt, to study,  but never engage and it wasn't entirely her fault he had spotted her due to her lack of decorum or so she thought. 

[tasersandpolitics]

Cringe-worthy || Open

[tasersandpolitics]

“Not when we’re the ones who made the mess.” 

“Worse than piles and piles of Lucky Charm marshmallows? It was only a cool idea when I was a kid.”

[artisxpugnae]

“Well I can give you that one, lucky charms, really? But look she’s almost done... see? She didn't need us after all...”

[tasersandpolitics]

Cringe-worthy || Open

[tasersandpolitics]

Yeah, at least there’s that. Still kinda feel bad, though…those corn flakes don’t look easy to clean. How are you totally okay with this?

[artisxpugnae]

“I’ve been a waitress, sometimes its good for us to do things on our own.” she shrugged, sipping her drink. “I’ve seen worse?”

[tasersandpolitics]

Cringe-worthy || Open

[tasersandpolitics]

Yeah…we should probably help. I mean, that is a lot of cereal.

[artisxpugnae]

“Hey at least there’s no milk involved. Will you look at that, she already got a broom... oh well...”

[tasersandpolitics]

Cringe-worthy || Open

Someday we’re gonna look back at this and laugh, right?

[artisxpugnae]

“Well I’m already laughing but the poor girl has to clean that mess up now...”

[coral]

Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas, In Country Sleep, and Other Poems (via feellng)

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Make Mistakes || Ginny & Sadie

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Ginny gave a tiny nod, wincing at the sharp, cool metal at her neck. She opened the door to her apartment again and stepped inside slowly. Nymeria hurried to the door and started growling, ears flat back and hunched. Ginny opened and closed her mouth a few times before she could manage a few words.

“Nymeria, go to bed,” she said quietly and the dog immediately straightened up and turned tail to go into their bedroom. It was a phrase Ginny had never thought she’d say, but Viktor insisted on installing a panic button that would reach him (and if not him, then Tony and Steve) in their bedroom and teaching both dogs a phrase that could go undetected by an intruder. Both dogs knew that “Go to bed” meant “press the button”.

Ginny could feel her heartbeat racing and she knew she wasn’t far from panicking. Her fingers were tingling and she felt sick. “Please…. can I sit down? I haven’t- I haven’t been feeling well lately…”The last thing she wanted was to pass out and accidentally get her throat sliced.

[artisxpugnae]

A few steps and she was inside, the apartment rather light and airy, something she had not expected from an agent of Shield. Her foot raised then, kicking the door closed as a dog came into view. She ignored it, after all she may be Hydra but she was not about to kill a defenseless animal now was she. The girl remained stiff in her arms, Sadie half tempted to simply begin her questioning then and there when once again the girl spoke, making her arch a single eyebrow in response. 

With a final thought she let the girl go, leaning against a wall, hand at the ready in case she needed to shoot her. “The fun hasn’t even started yet, wouldn’t want you to miss it.” the smirk clear in her features as she eyed her. “You’re not pregnant, are you?” she added for good measure, not really wanting that type of mark on her ledger. 

Shaking her head she stood there, looking past the girl towards the bedroom where the dog slept. “Look, I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t like doing this... I don’t want to hurt you but I have a job to do and rather than get cancelled I am here. So, we can do this the easy way and I’ll be out of your life forever, alright.” Sadie smiled, blue eyes staring into fearful hues, wondering if her little speech would make things move along that much quicker. 

[iamdespair]

my beginning and my end

[artisxpugnae]

Chasing the Fight {Sadie + Pietro}

[maverxck]

The notion that he may have just been being paranoid never once crossed Pietro’s mind. He was beyond the point of caring if he were wrong: he was sick of being followed, preyed on, hunted, manipulated wherever he went. This was simply the proverbial straw to break his camel’s back. He dragged the girl back a little, deeper into the shadows, not wanting to cause mayhem if someone saw them. The bright chaos of the street, wherein lay the freedom to lose the girl in the crowds if he so wished. But, he realized, the only way to stop being the prey was to become the predator.

He loosened his grip on her slightly, a sign that he was not intending to harm her - not yet, at least. He could feel her trembling, but skepticism ruled his life, and his face curled into a sneer. “I do not want your money.” He spat, shaking his head. “I am not some lowly mugger. If I wanted to steal from you, I would have stolen from you and left by now.” His voice was laced with smug contempt. He continued to scowl down at her, not buying her act.

His anger deepened at that. “Do not lie to me. I know what a lost person looks like. You are not lost.” Pietro couldn’t help his self-righteousness - he was simply pissed off at the lack of peace in his life. He had been promised safety, and he may have felt a lot of things, but safe was not one of them. “Who do you work for, huh? SHIELD? Hydra? The mutants?” He questioned, truly angry now. “No, it does not matter. You tell your boss I am not interested, whoever they are.”

[artisxpugnae]

Panic, had she remained the girl she had been raised to be. The weak link among her household. The one she was sure her parents had never wanted then maybe she would have panicked, much like she did that first night alone all those years ago but now, now her training was helping her cope, keeping her cool while appearing as fragile as any other flower in a field. He dragged her back, shadows closing in around her, hands gripping at her sides as once more she gulped. She couldn't appear fearless now, even if contingency plans were difficult to hatch considering the man’s abilities. 

He was fast... or so she’d heard, so fast it had been difficult to even catch glimpse of him at full speed. She could always surprise him, move her head back and bash his nose but chances are any surprise attack on him would only help to make things worse for her in the long run. The almost painful grip on her loosened, yet Sadie did not move, letting him have control of the situation would serve her best, after all she was ever the survivor. 

His anger continued to escalate and soon she was painfully aware that lying would only serve to anger him even more in the end. Once again she gulped, letting a single slow breath leave her at his tone. The warmth from his body almost burning her as the wrath continued to rise and the venom continued to burst from his lips. “You would be surprised, seeing as all people are lost in their own way.” she still shook, the fear growing due to what the brunette now considered erratic reactions. 

His inquiries continued, yet she should have been able to keep up her facade. She could have continued pretending she was a lost wandering girl with no real connection to anyone other than herself. Yet, his mention of Shield had her whistling a different tune. “SHIELD?” she muttered scoffing quite visibly at the word. “Shield were the ones to toss me to the wolves...” Sadie tilted her head, actually daring to try and look at him. She was usually a lot more persuasive when looking at people face to face. “You are right, they do not matter and to them neither do I. I’m just canon fodder. As for my boss, whoever they are, they don’t even know I’m here.”

[artisxpugnae]

Chasing the Fight {Sadie + Pietro}

[maverxck]

Pietro had been walking the streets so long it was beginning to become as mindlessly boring as sitting in his apartment doing nothing. At least outside he didn’t feel as though he was being studied all the time. Out there it was more a feeling of being hunted. Ironically, it comforted him. He was accustomed to being prey, he knew how to identify his tail and lose them. Being studied, being unable to escape the hidden cameras in his apartment? Not as easy to deal with - at least, it wasn’t for Pietro. He hadn’t seen his sister in a few days, and he was on edge. He needed to run. But running was far too conspicuous.

Instead, he was meandering through Chinatown, intrigued by the contrasting areas of the city, the sights and smells new to him - entrancing, even. He probably stuck out like a sore thumb in this area - his white hair, athletic clothing, and doe-eyed wonder so different to the chaos and bustle of the stalls surrounding him. Inconspicuousness had slipped from his grasp too easily. When he came to his senses, he was sure to give himself a lecture. For now, however, he was enraptured in a totally new experience - one he found himself enjoying.

He came back to himself suddenly, his instinct and fear of being searched for raising hairs on the back of his neck. The crowds jostled around him as his head darted from side to side, looking for his predator. Unable to see into the shadows, he sped away, behind a cart, trying to formulate a plan, when the slightest of movements - or rather the lack thereof - caught his attention. His face curling into a sneer, he slunk through the shadows towards the figure. “Move and you are dead.” He said from behind her. “Why are you following me?”

[artisxpugnae]

Her steps were relatively quiet, yet she hadn't been trying to be stealthy, not by a long shot. Sadie had continued to move, actually getting a tip from one of her contacts telling her to head into Chinatown. The noises, the bustling people, the eternal lights and the scents were coming back to her as though a memory wished to make itself known. She remembered Chinatown, remembered having come here once with her brother’s only to have them lose her in the crowd. It would be the last time they actually saw her, for quite the long time. 

They turned down an alley, the noise still quite heavy in her ears as she lost sight of him. Tall, light hair and surrounded by those of Asian decent this should have been a piece of cake to keep track of  unless she’d spooked him. Everything told her to to either turn and walk away from this or to simply continue walking, not blow her cover and leave things as they were. Her hesitation would be her downfall for soon she felt it, that instinct in the back of her neck that told her to run. 

The voice came from behind making her gulp slightly, the anger quite clear as he spoke. Sadie kept her hands to her side, hearing her heart pounding loud in her chest. The brunette trembled slightly, if she was to look like the damsel in distress all her responses had to be perfect. “I-I don’t have any m-m-money p-please don’t hurt me.” she uttered, knowing full well her voice came out higher than the norm. At his next question she stiffened once more, hoping it simply appeared to be fear rather than training. “I wasn't... following you. I... I was just lost...”

[artisxpugnae]

How do you like your steak cooked?

“Steak, that’s such a perfect question. I like my steak medium rare and a little on the bloody side. I like it juicy and with lots of flavor paired up with a nice little red blend wine from Portugal.”

[iphigenia-sharpe-blog]

Make Mistakes || Ginny & Sadie

Ginny’d had a fairly good morning. She woke up later than she’d expected, but enough to get a full night’s sleep to regain her energy that she’d spent working on the new Avengers uniforms. She’d awoken with a smile on her face, and Nymeria curled up on her stomach. After a long, leisurely walk with Nymeria, she showered and got ready for a half-day at work.

She’d barely gotten out of the door when a hand closed around her mouth and a knife pressed against her neck from behind. Fuck. A woman’s voice spoke up in her ear. Ginny couldn’t hear what she was saying over the pounding in her ears. But she could guess the general gist of it. Listen and do whatever she said. And not die.

[artisxpugnae]

Her instructions were simple, get the Shield agent, question her and then get out. There was no denying she never enjoyed torturing people but she would do what she must else she’d get her ass handed to her and as always in a scenario where she had to pick between her and anyone else, her skin would always come first. 

Sadie had arrived rather early, considered wearing a mask but actually forgoing it for easier access to the building. Up a flight of stairs and then came the wait. She knew the girls schedule by memory, as though it was as important to learn it as the very air she breathed. The door opened then, and in a single swift motion she’d moved upon her, holding the knife lightly at her throat. 

“Why don’t we head back inside for a nice chat and I’ll see to it you live to see the next dawn.” her voice was cold, dark... so unlike her usual stealthy self. Sadie walked forward then, forcing the slightly smaller girl to follow suit or so she hoped as the door still remained open and the hallways quite bare for anyone to see. 

[artisxpugnae]

Chasing the Fight {Sadie + Pietro}

New York, the big apple... the city that never sleeps much like Sadie since having come here to town. Once more she was on a mission and one she knew she could not fail. She wore a light knit dress, so tight that made people turn their gaze and stare. Her shoes were comfortable enough, no heels but some boots she could conceal a small weapon in if need be. No purse on her person either, cash neatly stacked away in her undergarments and a holster on her upper thigh carrying a small caliber weapon finished off the ensemble. 

She knew she had to blend in, knew she had to look the part of civilian in order for her mission to be a success. She had been caught only once, and the agent in question had eventually let her go. She was still relatively incognito, her real name not even a whisper in anyone’s ears. 

She walked then, heels clicking on the floor as she made her way down back alleys looking very much like the lost damsel in probable distress. She’d been tracking a few people, her mission simply to watch but never to make contact and yet here she was, hiding in plain sight and a lot more curious about her target than she should be. No footsteps were heard, other than her own as a light wind picked up. The night was cool and far too silent for her liking, making her doubt herself as Sadie wondered if she had actually made a mistake in thinking she could ever truly track them either of her targets down.