January 09, 2016:
Returned to The Triskelion, Jemma recounts what happened and gets an interesting response from May
The Triskelion
Characters
![class="image1"](http://cmbeta.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images//class="image1"/medium.jpg)
NPCs: None.
Mentions:
Plot:
Mood Music: None.
Fade In…
After Deathstroke left, Jemma dressed as quickly as possible following his advise to heat her feet and placing heating pads in the boots (too big boots) before putting them on.
It hadn't taken long for a SHIELD detachment to get there, led by one Agent May, collecting her and bringing her back to the Triskelian.
Right now, a very wan Jemma is being ushered into the Medbay… there's no obvious injuries to be seen, just one very shaken biochemist taking a seat on the examination bed, submitting to one of the on duty doctors check over.
Poor Jemma. Rain does help in Medbay now and then, but she's carrying a pot of hot water, some teabags and tea with a few cups and treats. She was worried about the captured scientist, though she's only heard rumors and whispers.
In the entire SHIELD roster there are not many people who can do what Jericho can do with the speed that he can do it. So the versatile hacker has been called in on this one. It wasn't long after that call was made that Jemma was located so the one they call Aspect made his way down to the Triskelion to see what, exactly, had happened. He's shown in not long after Rain comes in, eyes gleaming fitfully.
Melinda May has stayed within arm's reach of Jemma since they tracked her down and is there now, standing behind and to one side of the biochemist with a non-expression that promises instant and decisive pain should anyone so much as say something to make Simmons wince.
"Bruising around the ribs." The doctor murmurs as the examination continues. Jemmas boots and socks are soon removed, revealing more bruises around her ankle and calf on her left leg… it looks like some form of chain had wrapped around it. The examination causes Jemma to wince a little before saying very quietly "Apart from when they took me, they didn't hurt me. I doubt the blood tests will reveal what type of toxin they used to tranq me, either, it wore off exceptionally quickly." Of course, getting her analytical mind working, keeps the Scientist from considering what might have happened.
As Jericho and Rain enter, Jemma's eyes fall on the teapot … clearly, Tea would help immensely. "I'm sorry, Agent May. I tried to not let them get me…. " On the floor at her feet, is the duffle bag … the bag with an awful lot of money in it. "They … were very well organised."
Rain looks to Jemma. "Captain and I thought this would be important." Captain has snuck in. "Yo," The cat offers. "Want a catloaf?" He asks. He seems willing to provide warms. Rain sets the tray on Jemma's stand beside her bed. "We brought earl grey and some others." She will pour a cup for Jemma, and anyone who asks. "That sounds kind of odd. I'm really sorry." She looks upset, frowning. She looks to the others, "I wish I had known sooner."
Jericho stops inside the door. He heard the 'they' which makes sense. The team of protectors Jemma has had clearly needs upgrading. It does occur to him briefly to wonder if Rain can scry for places Jemma's recently been as a way of narrowing down whom they're dealing with.
"So, someone want to explain what happened? So I know whose heads need ventilating?"
Melinda May has made a point of NOT starting to grill Jemma for information about her captors. "We'll get to that," she tells Jericho and watches the medic. Probably the only reason she's not out there hunting down the group that did this to Simmons is the need to find out what they wanted from her and how much they got.
The reports will show that the elapsed time between when Jemma set off her request for help to when her call was placed was little more than an hour. They'd taken her, questioned her and let go … in an amazingly quick time.
It just doesn't feel like that for Jemma.
"It happened very quickly, Rain." Jemma murmurs. The Doctor finally stepping back from her. "Dr Simmons is in shock, she's bruising to her ribs, left ankle and calf and around both wrists." A closer look will show where she was restrained … and struggled. "No Hypothermia, but she was clearly exposed to the cold … " the fact that Jemma's clothes are gone and she's wearing others, speaks volumes.
"Earl grey, please … " and yes, Captain can sit on her lap now the doctors gone. "There's money in the bag, Agent May. It can likely be traced." shaking her head to Jericho "I only ever saw three people in masks… They were well disguised." Which means she hadn't made Lux at all.
Rain is sympathetic. She nods to May and the others. Captain hops onto the bed to commence turning circles, kneading blankets and form CATLOAF for optimal petting. Rain will steep some Earl Grey for Jemma. "There's a few cookies and things, too." She looks to the others, seeing if they want a cup. Happily, it's only a few minutes to steep, so the bag is pulled and the cup offered over. "I was worried, so I am glad I get to see you," She offers quietly. "That sounds - odd."
Jericho knows that there's a timestamp on these kinds of things. The longer out from the incident, the more work it generally is to catch the purpetrators. So now he will actually ask. "Rain is there anything you can do to retrace her steps?" An idea of where she'd been would be a good thing to have. May can see to whatever changes in Jemma's security disposition they may need. Like a locator beacon.
"What'd they ask about and did any of them ever mention names?"
To May, that sounds suspiciously familiar. She's seen similar tactics before, somewhere, but it might take a bit for her to dredge that information out of her memory. In the meantime she has enough to focus on here, with assigning a new group of guardians to watch over Jemma and everything else that goes along with this kind of mess. "Trent, can you trace the money?" Because if anyone can do it faster than SHIELD's analysts, it's the hacker.
"Use the location service on my phone, Jericho… It's in the bag. They might have fried it though." Jemma hadn't let that thing go. Should Rain decide to retrace Jemma's steps, she'll find she'd left The Triskelion and taken a route towards Stark Tower. "They used a helicopter… " maybe there's some footage of what was in the air at the time - a TRUMP helicopter, sure but maybe that will give a clue.
"He, the man in the mask, wanted to know about the aliens… " Jemma shudders "… he didn't ask any questions. He said 'You're going to tell me about the aliens'… and then threatened to shoot an innocent when I said I didn't know."
Looking between May and Jericho, accepting the tea from Rain, Jemma shakes her head "He told me to describe his mask to you… that people would know who he was and how lucky I was to get out alive."
Rain is quiet, but she smiles as the tea is accepted. But as Jericho asks, Rain furrows her eyebrows. "I'm not sure. I've never tried that. I am willing to give it a shot," She offers. Captain will sit on or beside Jemma wehre she allows. Being a cat, he is soft. And also warm.
"Did he?" Someone with a well known mask? Jericho is already going through his internal dossiers and filtering out the maskless ones. And the female ones, since it's a 'he'. "And what did that that mask look like?"
If Rain can do some back tracking that'll help them immensely and the hacker gives the purple eyed gunwitch a nod. If Jemma's amenable, and May is, he thinks really all avenues should be exhausted.
"I'll look at the cash when we're done here but ten to one says that it traces to a numbered account in a tax haven nation." Meaning it'll be a dead end for immediate purposes but also that the account can be flagged and watched… if it indeed isn't already closed.
Melinda May looks at Jemma sharply at that. Now she's waiting for Jemma to describe that mask. Masks are distinctive. And it'll likely tell her immediately who the moron that did this is. She nods to Trent, knowing the money is very likely a dead end, but at this point she'll take any possible lead to track this person down.
Letting Captain settle beside her, Jemmas fingers dig into the cats fur, stroking him, letting some of her tension dissipate. Slowly she begins to describe the mask, the blank half and the other … "It was the blank side I got the best look at… it was all black." She murmurs.
On the phone that Jemma was given by Deathstroke, there's a single text message on it -You know how to reach me if you feel the need. Usual fees apply but at a discount. We may share an enemy.- Jemma hasn't seen this yet … she'd used the phone to call her backup and that was that.
Rain is quiet for a moment, but she nods at Jericho. "We'll see what we can do." She frowns at the description. Blank side? "Blank?" She seems uncertain.
For her part, she will be happy to just provide tea and morale. Captain doesn't seem bothered as Jemma's fingers dig into his fur. Humans love kitty fur, and kitty tummies are like dancing in the hair of an angel. Captain purrs as she strokes him. Will she get the whisker arch high score!?
The hacker blows out a long, low sigh. Blank and black on half of it. As Jemma continues her description and he sees that it's… someone with some connection to SHIELD that cinches it. "Did the mask look like this?" Jericho projects an image of Deathstroke from the first time they fought. It's a still, but very clear holoimage. "Is that the guy?" He also starts replaying a voice yelling "BRONSON!!!!!!". Man's voice is distinctive. If that's him… well… she'll know.
Melinda May goes very, very still when Jemma begins to describe the mask that's got a black side with no opening for the eye. And then Trent projects a picture of Deathstroke and she promptly turns and leaves the door. Yes, she knows exactly Deathstroke is, and she's very much DISPLEASED right now.
Jemmas hand stops on Captains back, her whole being freezes as Jericho displays that image. She pales, goes so very white … and then she hears the voice … and she starts to shake. "Yes… " she can barely be heard.
Mays abrupt departure gets a startled look from the biochem … "He said you'd know who he was … " she just hadn't expected that type of response.
Captain merps as the hand stops, concerned. Then he ahems. "Sorry, habit. Hey… it's alright. You're safe here. I'll stay asleep here." Wiggle, knead. Because you know, that's totally altruistic. Cats(TM). Rain blinks at the mask and voice. Intimidating dude. She is uneasy at his mere presence, shrinking back a bit.
"Anyone need more tea?" She asks quietly, duly unnerved. "I'm so sorry, Jemma."
Jericho shuts the images and recordings off. "Deathstroke. Elite mercenary of the 'if you have to ask, you can't afford him' kind. I've tangled with him once or twice before. And it usually hasn't ended well for me." Of course Jericho wasn't the one hunting that time. "I'll look into this. I can't say I think much of someone who kidnaps a SHIELD agent to interrogate her for classified information he's going to do God knows what with." And by look into it, he may mean 'through a scope.' Or 'through a drone'.