#thirtean

[romanva]

SHIELD's been compromised. you said so yourself. ( ft. @thirtean, @wils0ns, @tahitiwoke )

[tahitiwoke]

[ THE FOLLOWING IS A CONTINUATION OF PREVIOUS TESTIMONY. ]

TESTIMONY OF PHILLIP J. COULSON AND NATASHA ROMANOVA BEFORE THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE REGARDING AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE INFILTRATION BY THE ORGANISATION KNOWN AS 'HYDRA'.

DATED 24TH NOVEMBER 2015. THIS TRANSCRIPT CONTAINS EDITS FOR REDACTED INFORMATION & FOR BREVITY. SEE ANNEXES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

CHAIRMAN: SENATOR CATHERINE DURANT

VICE CHAIRMAN: SENATOR MICHAEL KERN

EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR: SENATOR WALTER RUSSELL

KERN: This is a pretty damning report, Director. You disobeyed direct orders, against intervention policy and you got an American asset killed, with no real discernible results as to our own humint interests. Is it fair to say this was a failed mission? COULSON: Depends on your definition of failure. KERN: What's your definition, then? COULSON: Our orders would have left fifteen innocent children to burn to death. We went back to save them and we did. I'd say that was a success. KERN: At the loss of a highly cooperative, highly important American asset. COULSON: In my professional opinion at the time, it was a drop in the bucket in comparison to what we already had gathered during our time in [REDACTED]. KERN: In your professional opinion? Or someone else's? COULSON: What's that supposed to mean? KERN: Have you considered the possibility Agent Romanova was running a honeytrap? COULSON: That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say and I watch a lot of C-SPAN. DURANT: The Director is reminded he is under oath and that this is a Senate hearing, you are to behave with better conduct or you will be held. KERN: Director, has it occurred to you that having an infamous Russian spy working with top level security clearance at, arguably, one of the least regulated branches of American Intelligence might look bad when you are under investigation for being compromised from the inside? COULSON: At the advice of my attorney, I invoke the fifth amendment. KERN: How are we to trust the decisions you have made during your time as a handler and as the Director of SHIELD if you won't give us a straight answer regarding your involvement with foreign agents. COULSON: She's not a foreign agent, she's an Avenger. She's put herself on the line day in and day out to save not just my life, not just the lives of the American people, but your life too. If it weren't for her, there would be a lot more flags folded on mantlepieces. So, let's just keep that in mind before you go Yosemite fuckin' Sam. KERN: Director you will watch your tone in this court. [ EXCERPT CONTINUES AT 02HRS 08MINS. ] DURANT: At what point would recruitment become a counterintelligence threat to our country? COULSON: Senator, that's difficult to answer in the abstract. When a foreign power is using coercion or some sort of pressure to try and co-opt an American, especially a government official, to act on its behalf, that’s a serious concern regardless of who is on what side of the aisle. DURANT: So any document detailing specific claims against an individual or individuals regarding their involvement in this matter would have to be verified independently, is that correct? COULSON: Yes. If it's a credible allegation, we would be in contact with the C.I.A. or the the Department of Homeland Security. DURANT: How often have you had to do that? COULSON: Never. DURANT: You have never had a single concern raised regarding the involvement of an agent in counter intelligence recruitment? COULSON: Not independently checked by an outside organisation, no. DURANT: What about Sharon Carter? COULSON: Agent Carter was never co-opted or coerced by a foreign power. That's the basis of an investigation. DURANT: Have you ever had an intimate relationship with Agent Carter? COULSON: I invoke the fifth amendment. DURANT: Phil, I'm starting to see a pattern. You've got an Air Force Colonel who you left to rot in a gulag. You've got a Russian Black Widow on one shoulder and ex-communicated black ops specialist on the other who is now on the run after being accused of treason. You're at the helm of a ship overrun by Neo-Nazi's and the most you have to say is that you invoke the fifth. COULSON: I have served this country - DURANT: And we thank you for that service, but it does not make you immune to reproach or questioning. [OFF MIKE.] DURANT: Alright, we'll take a break there. This committee will reconvene with the Director at 09:30 hours. [ TESTIMONY CONTINUES AT ANNEX B. ]

[vlyuvdova]

it isn’t extravagant,  hardly outfitted with anything beyond the bare essentials for communications and medical equipment,  but it’s large,  and it’s enough.  the seven of them,  fugitive and free alike,  sit beneath the industrial lights at a shared table as if preparing for war.

maria hill opens the tactical laptop as she moves to sit beside a still - injured fury.  “ without their targeting blades,  they’re flying blind,  but carter can only hold onto the data that romanova retrieved for so long before they do something more drastic with their suspicions. ”  maria pauses,  shifting around screen to present a map with four location pins gleam red.  “ they have bases scattered across the globe.  we currently only know of these,  located near pakistan,  oman,  madripoor,  and india.  there’s an oil rig about thirty miles off the coast of oman that’s housing one of the three back-up navigation blades for the insight helicarriers.  if we get our hands on it,  it’ll make finding the other bases and the other blades a hell of a lot easier. ”

“ we’ll need to split off, ”  natasha begins,  leaning forward to better study the map before shooting a glance to sharon and phil.  “ how much time do we have before they start exploring more options to get their tracking intel? ”

@tahitiwoke & @thirtean & @shieldsoldier & @wils0ns

[tahitiwoke]

@vlyuvdova / @knxckhisassout / @thirtean [ NOTE: THE FOLLOWING TESTIMONIES ARE ONLY EXTRACTS. ]

TESTIMONY OF PHILLIP J. COULSON AND NATASHA ROMANOVA BEFORE THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE REGARDING AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE INFILTRATION BY THE ORGANISATION KNOWN AS 'HYDRA'. DATED 24TH NOVEMBER 2015. THIS TRANSCRIPT CONTAINS EDITS FOR REDACTED INFORMATION & FOR BREVITY. SEE ANNEXES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. CHAIRMAN: SENATOR CATHERINE DURANT VICE CHAIRMAN: SENATOR MICHAEL KERN EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR: SENATOR WALTER RUSSELL

DURANT: I’d like to call this hearing to order. Director Coulson, I appreciate your willingness to appear before the committee today, and more importantly, I thank you for your dedicated service and leadership during your time within the Department of Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Your appearance today speaks to the trust you have built over the years, and I’m looking forward to a very open and candid discussion today. The director has been very gracious with his time, but the vice chairman and I have worked out a very specific timeline for his commitment to be on the Hill, so we will do everything we can to meet that agreement. COULSON: Thank you, Senators, so do I. [SENATOR DURANT'S OPENING STATEMENT, THE VICE CHAIRMAN'S OPENING STATEMENT AND THE SWEARING UNDER OATH IS DETAILED ELSEWHERE IN THIS REPORT. DIRECTOR COULSON'S WRITTEN STATEMENT CAN BE FOUND IN ANNEX H. THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT IS FROM 01HRS 38 MINS.]

DURANT: Director, allegations have been swirling in the press for the last several weeks, and today is your opportunity to set the record straight. I have read your initial statement with keen interest, but I would like to ask - did you have any suspicions whatsoever about the possibility of a leak within SHIELD? COULSON: At the advice of my attorney, I invoke the fifth amendment. DURANT: You're saying you will not state one way or another whether you were aware of any secret operation to undermine SHIELD? COULSON: At the advice of my attorney, I invoke the fifth amendment. DURANT: Phil, how long have you worked for SHIELD? COULSON: Eighteen years. DURANT: And in that time, how many agents have you acted as a handler for? COULSON: Seven. DURANT: One of which being Air Force Colonel Carol Danvers? COULSON: Yes. DURANT: Did the two of you have an intimate relationship? COULSON: [NO REPLY] DURANT: Phil? COULSON: Forgive me, Senator, but I'm unsure of the relevance of that question. DURANT: Let me rephrase the question: during your time as Counter Intelligence General Counsel, also known colloquially as an Asset Handler, did you ever have an intimate relationship with Colonel Danvers? COULSON: [OFF MIKE.] COULSON: Yes. DURANT: For how long were the two of you involved? COULSON: That's not relevant. DURANT: It certainly speaks to your conduct. COULSON: My conduct is not the purpose of this Committee... DURANT: Correct, Phil, the purpose of this Committee is to investigate the infiltration of a largely unregulated and often overlooked branch of American Intelligence - of which you have been a part of, as you said, for almost two decades. Your conduct is exactly relevant to this investigation and to this committee. COULSON: Eight years. DURANT: During your time as Counter Intelligence General Counsel, did you ever have an intimate relationship with Natasha Romanova? COULSON: No. DURANT: You are under oath, Phillip. COULSON: During my time as Counter Intelligence General Counsel, I never had an intimate relationship with Natasha Romanova. DURANT: What about as Intelligence Command Chief of Operations? COULSON: At the advice of my attorney, I invoke the fifth amendment. DURANT: Are you familiar with Operation: Infinite Reach? COULSON: At the advice of my attorney, I invoke the fifth amendment. DURANT: That's alright, I can refresh the committee's memory. [ THIS SUBSECTION HAS BEEN REDACTED DUE TO ONGOING SECURITY OPERATIONS WITHIN NAMED COUNTRIES. TESTIMONY CONTINUES AT 01HRS 56MINS. VICE CHAIR KERN TAKES OVER. REPORT CONTINUES HERE. ]

[tahitiwoke]

THIS ISN'T FREEDOM. IT'S FEAR. / feat. @vlyuvdova @thirtean @mknbrd

[tahitiwoke]

@thirtean

" well, hey, if you're that hard up, i'd be happy to add you to the roster. i'm always on the lookout for fresh talent. " he winks, exaggerated, cheerful in that he isn't the one running point on the issue in madripoor; though he does spare a glance to the insanely tall fuck me heels and mentally pours one out for her date. sorry pal, you miss out tonight, maybe call her tomorrow night.

he leans back against a locker and scratches at his beard in thought. " you know, it's not too late to salvage your evening. i can call may or abi or even earl, if i get desperate. "

[wid0wd-archived]

i want what i asked for. nothing less.

"don't we all," dull, unimpressed, there are more pressing matters at hands which need all of natasha's focus. "i'm just asking you a favour," how the mighty have fallen - sharon is a friend, someone who's stuck in natasha's inner circle no matter what bad and good goes between them. doesn't change how humiliating it feels deep down having to beg ask for help. "and i'll owe you one of course, you know me," trusted, reliable ... what happened in shelbyville is nothing but a little smidge in the sea of red that stains her reputation - a total set up she could have never avoided because victor von doom just wanted events to unfold like that. "i know you said no funny business, but i need you to the team just this once," and then hopefully they can all get to go back to their homes and put this story behind. "if we play our cards right, this ends in wakanda. say yes and i'll send you those coordinates for the warehouse."

[vlyuvdova]

truthfully, she cannot imagine sharon carter of all people calling the shots at langley, not because of sheer capability ( never that ), but because of the kinds of shots she'd have to make. sure, sharon could do anything she wanted to, anything she put her mind to, but they both know being part of the CIA isn't exactly on her christmas wishlist. the carter name has followed her from the start of her career, but natasha knows she's so much more than what she can do. the job isn't just SHIELD, the job is people, the job is protection, the job is being good and doing what's right. if anyone can do the work to keep SHIELD good and right and accountable, it's always been sharon.

" worst comes to worst, i'll finally not have to worry about the CIA having a target on my back everywhere i go. " between binders of months' worth of medical files, paperwork, taking care of the human embodiment of bobbi's magnum opus, and now a wedding to plan on top of it all, it isn't any surprise that the only times they've been able to see each other is the odd visit and coffee run. so this? this is nice. " but i don't think we'll have to worry about that. phil can say he's ready to take back the chair as much as he wants, but i know he's not. you shouldn't wait around for him to try."

natasha takes her own bite, smiling around it as she mirror's sharon's change in position. " you want to know the funniest thing? i really, really missed you, too. "

@thirtean ( cont. )