Eye of the Storm

Marvel OC. HYDRA Agent. Muse and mun are 18+. Hover for links.

[agentsterling]

Sterling’s blood ran cold in his veins and he turned quickly to look at the stranger. No casual happenstance meeting. His fingers touched where a side arm would be. What did he have at his disposal? So far, a cigarette. One could do damage with that. His mind raced, calculating escape routes and nearby impromptu weapons. Racing. Static. Clock the hours. Racing. Static. 

"Funny, I’d say that was a little invasive…" He spoke softly in return. 

[virulentmirage]

She can hear his mind racing. The adrenaline kicked in, but she was still standing calmly beside him. He's looking for a way to leave, but she's looked ready to pursue him. It's in her eyes now.

"It is, a little. I think I've asked worse before." A curt smile lifted on her lips. His mind isn't half as insecure as it was before, but she still pries, trying to weasel her way in. That's her gift, after all, and if she can slip into his head and keep him from running, it was all the easier for her.

[agentsterling]

"Naturally, it depends on what it is but, sure. Try me." He said with a small shrug, trying not to blow cigarette smoke her way. 

[virulentmirage]

"It's nothing too invasive, really." She mimicked his shrug. The question's flattened out by a lingering coolness to her voice as she added, "I was just wondering if you had honestly thought that HYDRA would never look you again, Erikson."

[agentsterling]

"Ah. So that big rush of work when you get back from time off. Gotcha. I’ve experienced that way too much in the last 2 years."

"I’m Erikson, by the way. It’s nice to meet you." She was a quiet stranger but a polite one from what he could tell. Just vague small talk with a stranger was nice sometimes. 

[virulentmirage]

"Mhmm. Spend a couple of years at a place, and they still don't cut you any slack after your time off."

"Phoebe. It's nice to meet you, too." He was polite. Truly, he didn't look like the type to be able to get in and out of the walls of HYDRA without getting caught, but wasn't that the point? People trusted those that followed orders or didn't look too far out of place. "May I ask you something?"

[agentsterling]

"Rough month. Personal stuff, you know? Does gum up the works a bit. I’m not looking forward to this week at all." He slipped the cigarette to his mouth and soon following his lighter. The soothing scent of the lit roll was enough to calm him some. He pictured his mother at her desk working through bills and trying to figure out how she was going to afford rent that month. Same scent. Same brand. 

"You doing alright?" He asked, not wanting to be rude and unloading vague problems without offering to let her do the same. 

[virulentmirage]

"I understand. I'm sure you can get past it." The smell of the cigarette wafted her way, and she fingered her own pack in her purse. Instead of reaching for it, though, she took out a stick of gum, crumpling the wrapper as she put the green piece in her mouth. His question was answered with a light raise of a shoulder and a nod.

"It's as good of a Monday as I can get. Recently finished some vacation time, and now I'm pulling more hours at work. It could be worse." 

[agentsterling]

"That is entirely accurate, actually. It’d… probably help. Yeah. Good idea." Sterling nodded, took a deep breath through his nose, coughed once more to clear his thoughts than his throat, and reached in his pocket for a carton. Marlboro Menthol 100s. His signature smokes. "Been preoccupied today. You smoke?"

[virulentmirage]

"Mhmm." She watched him reach for a carton before looking back out to the street. His thoughts weren't particularly as open as they were before, but she didn't mind the distance between her and them right now. There wasn't any reason for her to want to get sucked into the draft of whatever his trauma was. "Preoccupied and it's barely Monday? That must make the workday worse. --I do, a little."

[agentsterling]

"Hmm?"

"Sorry. Did you um… You say something? I must have spaced out." Sterling rubbed his face. Tired. Anxious. The crack Merc made in his sanity slowly expanding the closer that day came and all he could do was slap a bandaid on it and hope for the best. 

Static.

You know they aren’t going to find your body, right?

[virulentmirage]

"I said, 'you look like you need a smoke'."

Phoebe clasped her hands together in front of her. His head space was a decent playing field. He wasn't all there. She'd read bits and pieces of Sterling's troubles from Cecelia; a history with HYDRA. While Phoebe didn't know much about it, she could connect some of the dots. He was closing in on an anniversary.

[agentsterling]

Two days.

Two days.

Two days.

Two days.

Two days.

Two days.

Clock the hours.

drip drip drip

Two days.

Static.

[virulentmirage]

His thoughts emit like a loop.

She's not trying to listen; they're the kind of thoughts that'll suck a telepath in. Over, and over, and over again. Trauma or something similar. Maddening.

"You look like you need a smoke," she drops in, but she doesn't even know if he's in the right state of mind to notice her. Phoebe won't try to snap him out of his thought process. She just tests to see if he's paying any attention.

[movieandtvgifs]

[bloodshxd]

              at that, his eyes light up and he offers               her another one of his signature grins.               usually, he’s the only one with fancy tricks               so he’s more than prepared to be amazed.

                   〝oh, do you now? i don’t suppose                         you’d like to show me?〞

[virulentmirage]

          she gives him an inquisitive look before           something of a coy smile slips across           her lips. phoebe doesn't ask him if she           can do it, rather entering as gently as           possible. her voice is as casual in his           mind as it was when she'd spoken.

               it's less of a show and more                 of a tell, quite honestly.

[bloodshxd]

              he’s glad he’s getting a positive response.               maybe she’s not much of a talker but at least               she isn’t telling him to fuck off. of course,               phoenix takes it as a cue to keep talking.

                     〝so, my new friend, phoebe,                           what did you think about my little magic trick?〞

[virulentmirage]

          she smiled as he asked,           unsure if she was more           amused by the question           or his quickness in calling           her a friend.

               "I liked it. fire is a nice                 little thing to have. --I have                 magic tricks of my own, too."

[viritias-archive]

          well, this situation could of turned out a lot           better, but, hey!  —   it didn’t.            and now poor dumbass is stuck with a body at his feet.           fun times.     even more fun now that someone is           watching him kneel over said body.      oh. fuck.

                “t-this is not what i-it looks like, uhm—-                   h-he was unconscious w-when i found him.”

[virulentmirage]

          jesus, this wasn't what she was expecting to           come into. hell, no one was even supposed           to be in this dump.

               "oh, shit--"

          everything pointed to this kid being some sort           of culprit, but the woman clad in a gucci dress           shouldn't be so calm about this type of scene.           she feigned panic instead, concern and horror           beginning to settle across her face.

               "oh, god, oh-- god.                 is he-- is he dead?"

[twistdmentality]

[wordsnquotes]

Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth.  (via wordsnquotes)

[bloodshxd]

                  he takes it with a dazzling grin, or at least,                   that’s what he’s convinced it is. mimicking                   his previous actions, he lights the smoke                   and takes a quick puff.

                       〝our names are almost the same.〞

[virulentmirage]

     phoebe smirked, nodding along      as he made his observation.

          "they are."

[bloodshxd]

               he grins at her, plucking the smoke from                 her fingers. he won’t deny being a show-                off, of course. he lights up the cigarette                and laughs.

                     〝i prefer phoenix. and what do i                           call you, hm?〞

[virulentmirage]

     she plucked the cigarette from his fingers,      taking a drag before she handed him another.           one for him.

                "phoebe."

[bloodshxd]

                          lighter. sure. he has a lighter.                            but then again, he is a lighter.                            so he grins, flicking his index                            finger upwards— a flame igniting                           from the tip.

                                    〝will this do?〞

[virulentmirage]

     she looked up at him, her current      air of disapproval simmering down      when she noted the flame. well,      that was interesting.

          "show off," she scoffed, but      moved to pull out a cigarette      from her purse anyway.

          "want one?"

[virulentmirage]

     "Unless you have a lighter or a match,           I'm really not interested in talking."