Hit With A Rejuv

August 10, 2016:

Jemma is gathering data on Bio-E and calls in two … muggles to test, along with Gabby. Things get interesting. (emits by Aspect)

The Triskelion - New York

Characters

NPCs: Gabrielle Trent, Agent Gorman

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

Enter Agent Gorman. He’s one of those types that people don’t really notice. Often he’s in the background in a tactical outfit or a suit and tie or a flight suit - whatever most of the rest of the people present are dressed in. He’d hardly be noteable at all but for the fact that he bears a striking resemblance to a certain well known actor, but he’s been with SHIELD for the better part of twenty years now. Long enough to have seen some things, and done some things.

And long enough to be one of the more senior agents left in the wake of SHIELD’s radical restructuring.

At the moment the Tom Selleck lookalike is moving through a row of cubicles. Like any office environment, SHIELD has whole floors of these damn things. They almost remind him of a kind of intermediate level dog maze. Finding people has been slightly challenging since the streamlining. So many familiar faces no longer in their places. Not that he’d be able to use many of them for what he’s presently trying to do. Now where is she…

Ah, there she is.

“Lewis.” How did that man get so close so quietly. “You’re fairly ordinary, right? Come with me. We’re needed in Simmons’ lab.”


Darcy starts faintly at the sounds of her name. But this point, she should be used to this, but she still jumps every time. She smiles at Magnum PI, taking back the tablet that the cubicle dweller she was delivering supplies to had ordered.

“Me? Ordinary? Sure. We’ll go with that. I mean, compared to others whom shall remain nameless, I guess I am,” Darcy prattles as she puts her tablet into its holder on her cart and pushing it along as she follows Gorman.

“She hasn’t ordered supplies recently. What’s going on?”


Jemma's quite amazed that Darcy is still doing stationery given the shortage of agents to do any investigations but then again, making sure the offices are supplied is probably a necessary thing. But still, with all that is going and how stretched the other agents are … well, she's got her own things to worry about.

When the two find her she's talking with Doctor Redgyve looking at samples in petrie dishes and the incubator and assessing numbers that are scrolling on the big screen above the conference table. "I don't know, Doctor. These samples just aren't stable enough to begin testing on anything more than rats. To move to the next phase of testing is a little premature don't you think?" Poor Darcy might just wonder what Gorman has tapped her for.

As they enter, the biochem acknowledges them with a nod and gestures them to come closer.

"If you say so, Doctor Simmons. I would recommend moving forward quickly though. We're so close to a breakthrough." Redgyve murmurs before nodding and moving back to his own worktable.

"Agent Gorman, Agent Lewis. Are you here to help with the testing I have?"


“Nothing that’s an emergency. How’s your 402 Echo certification coming?” Whether or not Darcy knows what a 402 Echo certification is would be an open question. It certainly sounds ‘tactical-y’ or maybe ‘field-y’. SHIELD’s big on cross training right now what with the shortage of qualified everything and rumored soon-to-be budget cuts. Doing more with less is the order of the day even as it applies to personnel.

Gorman pushes the door open to Jemma’s lab and nods in greeting. “Doctor Simmons. You asked for a ‘baseline’ Agent. I can’t think of anyone more baseline than Agent Lewis.” Which is to say she’s not a commando, a super soldier or a freak of science and/or nature unless one counts her propensity for sass.

“Your ‘Bio-Etheric’ scanning is non-invasive right? If it’s not we’ll need to get the waivers out.”


“Oh good. Glad to hear it’s not 9-1-1 yet,” Darcy retorts just before tilting her head at Gorman. “What’s 402 Echo certification? If it’s firearms, I’m working on it. If it’s hand to hand, again working on it. If it’s something super secret something, I have no idea. Unless that’s the right answer. It’s hard to tell with you some days.”

She walks into the lab with Gorman, pushing her cart to the wall to the side of the door, and when she’s called ‘baseline’ her hands go to her hips. Her eyes are a little open, and for a moment it appears as if she’d get all offended and say something about this, when she purses her lips and nods. Fair assessment.

“Wait… waivers? Jemma?”


"Oh good! Yes, Agent Lewis will be perfect." Jemma smiles a bit at Gorman and turns to her worktable to pick up a small rectangular device. "Non-invasive? This testing is, yes, but I suggest we get waivers signed as the next series of tests might be."

Is she trolling? Maybe. But then this is Jemma and she's fairly focussed on her work.

"Yes, waivers, Agent Lewis. Sometimes the testing we do … requires informed consent." Which is a nice way to say that things could go wrong and the subjects should know what they're getting into.

"What do either of you know of Bio-Etheric energy? I know I've discussed it before."


“Just what you’ve mentioned in your reports. Which I don’t read. Those go to medical and… well they used to go to Sci-Tech. Now they go to the Old Man.” Gorman doesn’t know that Jemma has left a lot out of those reports thanks to knowing ahead of time about the Daemonite infestation. He finds himself a chair and appropriates it while Darcy and Jemma work out whatever testing she’s got to do.

“Field First Aid, Agent Lewis. 402 Echo is the Field First Aid certification. Bleeding control, CPR, stuff like that. They teach you to use some of the life saving toys people like Jemma dream up.” Gorman assumes this research is related to something along those lines.

He’s got no idea.

The door opens again and a young woman in a light, long sleeved shirt and baseball cap comes in. She’s got brown hair and dark brown eyes and a vaguely middle eastern cast to her. She may look… passingly familiar to Darcy and definitely looks so to Jemma. She’s not a SHIELD agent.


Bio-Etheric… Ummm… I didn’t think I was going to be quizzed on this Um.. It’s.. something to do with …like… living stuff. And it’s energy?” Darcy bites at her lower lip, not at all sure what she’s talking about any more. “Seriously, ask me about astrophysics. I could BS my way through that.” She glances at gorman as he takes a sit, smiling softly.

“Oh, sure. That one. Band-aids, Clear-paddles, 30-2 push breaths. I’m still fuzzy on the rest of it,” is the reply given while her eyes flick toward the baseball cap gal. A brow quirks and Darcy glances at Jemma.

—-

"Sort of, yes." Jemma confirms to Darcy and looks at Gorman getting comfortable. "I'll need you too, Agent Gorman. Bio-E is an energy that it appears the human body generates. Exactly what it is, no one knows yet. It seems to be highest in people who we would class as 'survivors', those who have had traumatic experiences and survived. But that's as much conjecture as anything, which is where you two come in." Whilst she's talking, the little device is aimed at Darcy and used to 'scan' the new Agent. Sort of like a Tricorder, but much much smaller. Results start appearing on Jemmas' screens.

As Gabby enters, Jemma turns to greet the woman. "Hello Gabby. Do you remember Darcy, errr Agent Lewis? Agent Lewis, Agent Gorman, this is Ms Trent."

Darcy has seen Gabby before, when she was called to the safehouse a few weeks ago, just before she'd been promoted to field agent and sent to Turkey. Gorman won't recognise the woman, she's not featured in any of Jemma's reports and, for the most part, Jemma has kept Gabby away from SHIELD facilities.

"Thanks for agreeing to come in today, Gabby. I would like to take some more readings, if you don't mind and generally see how you're doing. I'll compare what I get from you with these others, see if we can work out what's going on."

Gorman gets a look from the biochem - it's his turn now.


Gorman sighs and rolls up his sleeve. That’s not necessary for this operation but he’s still not gotten quite what ‘Bio E’ is.

Darcy has… moderate levels of Bio-E. Jericho and Gabrielle almost top the charts. Darcy, though, isn’t on the bottom end. More above the middle, but not into the ‘huh, that’s weird’ range. That in itself might be just a little odd. Perhaps Darcy is hardier than anyone realized.

Gorman, when Jemma looks, has slightly more elevated levels but still nothing on the level of the Trent siblings.

“Sure Doc, whatever you’d like.” Gabby starts to roll up her sleeve as well knowing that Jemma will want a look at what’s beneath. And what’s beneath are silvery-grey ‘tattoos’ in what might be called a ‘celtic’ style. It’s a flowing, whirling organic pattern replete with triskelles and a few other motifs. Which might be interesting to one other person in the room.

“CPR Ratios?” Gabby looks at Darcy. “Are you going through a CPR course or something like that?”

“Something like that.” Gorman affirms. “Agent Lewis here is being caught up on all her field duty certifications. Which reminds me, some of the people were impressed with your… handling of the psychiatric battery, Agent Lewis. They’d like to put you through SERE, though that’d be voluntary on your part.”

SERE stands for Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape. It’s interrogation and torture resistance training.

It’s not pleasant. They break bones.

It’s not clear if Gorman is joking or not. Does Gorman joke? They do seem to like training Darcy.


“OH! Yeah! Hi. Sorry. Been a while. And there were trolls and ghosts, so.. My head’s ..yeah, well. Good to see you again,” Darcy says to Gabby when Jemma reminds her. She shuffles to stand a bit nervously for Jemma to scan her.

“Do I do anything?” she asks, well after Jemma’s done, not realizing that Jemma finished and was moving on until well, it was completely obvious to everyone. She smiles at Gabby, grateful for the chatter, but then Gorman answers for her, and Darcy just nods. A nod that slows to a stop and she looks at Gorman.

“Sere..? Me?” She looks about at the others, then back at Gorman. “I get to have a safe word, right? Maybe?” And then she laughs, rolling a shoulder. “Yeah, I guess. Whatever.”


Jemma gives Gorman a … patient look and simply turns the device on him. "I don't need to see your arm, Agent Gorman." she murmurs slightly distractedly as she reads the results from the scans.

"SERE? I've not done that…" Jemma looks to Darcy, mildly impressed. Of course, who would have thought the biochem would have found herself hunted and shot at by Psyborgs and Government Agents and then abducted by Deathstroke for information on the Daemonites. "What's this about a psychiatric battery?"

"And no, you don't need to do anything. This scan is already done." Canting her head as she checks both Agents readings. "I would like to do a blood draw though. Both of your readings are higher than the usual, but nothing off of the scales." With them both being in SHIELD that might be expected though.

"What I really need is someone who has a very low Bio E reading, so I can compare the differences - if there are any."

As Gabby rolls up her sleeves, Jemma smiles warmly. She knows how uncomfortable the young woman is with the traces. "How have things been, Gabby? Any more incidents?" she asks as she first scans the ER Nurses Bio-E readings and then examines the traces one more time.

She'll get to the blood draws in a moment.


“We’ll sign you up then.” Gorman rolls his sleeve down and peers over at Gabrielle for a moment before looking over to Jemma.

“Oh right. All of the agents being moved to field status are getting full psych evals.” Which explains why she hasn’t gotten one. Also SERE may have been an oversight on SHIELD’s part for Jemma but she may also be glad it was.

Again. Broken bones.

“No more incident’s doctor. I’m just wonder wh- woah. You okay?” Gabby had been talking normally to Jemma but then she looked at Darcy and her eyes went wide like she was looking at something above or behind the Sass Mastah.


Darcy leans a bit toward Gabby as the tattoos are shown. Her lips pulling into a smile.

“Whoa, sick ink, girl,” is said.

“I guess I’m not ticked in the head,” Darcy says after the distraction of the tattoos wears off and she focused back on Jemma and Gorman. “Which is really good news to me. I’d hate to be crazy. ..You haven’t done this sere thing? Damn. I was gonna ask you for pointers. Oh well. I’ll figure it out. Can’t be any worse than sitting in a room full of physicists.” Darcy has NO idea what she’s being signed up for, does she? Gabby looking ‘at her’ with wide eyes as Darcy head tilting.

“Umm.. yeees…? I mean.. I’m a bit hungry. Small breakfast, ready for lunch, but. I’m fine.”

—-

Jemma spent months lost in a portal … or through a portal more correctly. Not that anyone knows how long she spent there or what happened. But it might have negated the need for SERE training - you could call what she got "on the job training".
So yes, she's glad it was an oversight on SHIELDs part.

"It's likely an idea to give all existing agents another evaluation, Agent Gorman. Starting with those who worked closest with the affected divisions." Jemma considers that for a moment before giving her attention back to Gabby.

Seeing the ER Nurses reaction, the biochem turns to look where she's looking "What is it, Gabby?" Of course, she's got the Bio-E scanner out and moving take the woman's vitals. "What are you seeing?"


Gabby would be hard pressed to say what she’s seeing. It looks like someone turned Darcy and the air around her into a tie-dyed shirt. It’s a mass of swirling colors that has the ER nurse crossing the room and reaching to to ‘touch’ something about a foot to the left of Agent Lewis’ head…

And then that ‘sick ink’ lights up - all of it - and Darcy can see that it’s not just on her arms or shoulders. It’s on her chest. It’s down her back. It’s shining through the soft pants she’s got down to her calves. Glowing bright teal for an instant.

That’s when the good agent might feel something. A jolt. A sudden burst of vitality and joie de vivre, as if someone were playing Ode to Joy on Darcy’s personal soundtrack while a stadium of her biggest fans did the wave. From Gabrielle’s perspective it’s like she just touched something solid and felt a static shock, except the shock was going in the other direction - she was shocking the thing she touched. The dark haired women yelps and yanks her hand back as Gorman comes to his feet.

“Simmons?”

On Jemma’s instruments, Gabby’s Bio-E dips slightly but Darcy’s shoots rapidly through the roof before leveling out back to its baseline… albeit much more slowly.


Blinking, Darcy smiles warily as Gabby reaches out to her. There’s no trepidation. Gabby’s cool. Darcy’s not afraid. But then the tats light up and Darcy can not suppress the ooooo. Nor the way her eyes flick down to check out the glowing lines on Gabby’s body. It’s a good excuse, okay! And then ZAPPO!

Darcy gasps, then inhales deeply. A smile broadens across her face and she rolls her shoulders back.

“Whoa. Hello, Nurse! Gimma another shot of that!” Pause. “What WAS that? Can we do it again?”


Jemma watches the Bio-E readings dip and peak, respectively and moves next to Gabby, ready to grab the woman in case she feels faint. Admittedly, this time the traces haven't burnt off, but she doesn't think she's ever seen Gabby's traces just light up.

"Gabby? Agent Gorman, in my 'fridge back there are jars marked 'electrolytes'. Would you get one for me please?" Of course Jemma has no idea what either woman has experienced and now she's going to have to ask questions. Maybe both of them will cooperate and make this easier.

Somehow she doubts it. Gabby doesn't like talking about her experiences with the traces. Not that Jemma can blame her, but it's not helpful.

"Agent Lewis, are yo—-" the biochem peers at Darcy and sighs "Can you explain what it is just experienced?"

"Gabby. Can you tell me what happened? Are you hurt?"


Gabby’s shaking her hand like something bit it. “I… I don’t know.” She says in response to both Darcy and Jemma’s questions. “I saw something… like, someone had colored Agent Lewis and all the air around her. I just wanted to… put my hand through it. Try and figure out what I was seeing. The moment I did… Zap. Felt like I’d touched a doorknob in thunderstorm weather.”

Gorman tosses Gabby a packet of what looks like gatorade if gatorade were vaguely sinister with the SHIELD logo on it. Clearly the nurse has had these before and starts to open it up…

When the back of her hand catches fire.

Well okay the air over the back of her hand catches fire and Gabrielle lets out a startled squeak, slapping at the tongue of flame which gutters out in an instant. “What the hell?” All of her glow has faded except for the lines over her left arm.

“Uh, I’m not sure how to do it ag-”

That might have been a mistake. Just thinking about it makes the glow on her left forearm surge up to her shoulder and a flow of green light - and accompanying vitality - hits Darcy square in the chest. It’s… hard to tell because Darcy’s actually still young enough not to have much wear and tear on her body except from sports but a lot of that suddenly, simply isn’t there any more. Were she older, her skin might have tightened up a bit as well.

Gabby pulls her hand behind her and stuffs it in her back pocket. The arm is still glowing, but she’s not hitting Darcy with feel-goods anymore.


“I feel like a brand new penny, Doc.” Putting it into more words is hard when Darcy’s rolling her neck and her back and her hips.. “Ooh, my knee’s not aching.” A bounce on her toes. “Hey.. my ankle’s not either. That’s been complaining since Gotham U.” She’s trying to explain what she’s feeling, while reveling in it, when the next wash of good juju hits her. Her head drops back, lips pulling into a smile and parting slightly.

“Thank you ma’am, may I have another? Wow. Like a hundred Red Bulls… Monsters…. 5 hour energies… they got nothing on this. Whatever this this is.” Darcy opens her eyes and looks back at the gathered. “Seriously, this ride is awesome sauce.”


As Gabby's hand catches fire, Jemma yelps too and instinctively reaches to 'douse' the flame but the ER Nurse beats her to it.

Darcy's just volunteered herself for a physical, she simply doesn't know it yet. "I'll need you to head down to Med Bay, Agent Lewis, get them to do a full work up on you and soon. I'd like to get readings before the effects fade… if they do."

Given Darcy seems to be ok, more than ok really, Jemma's attention is fully on Gabby, eyes narrowing in thought. "Painted her in colour? Kind of like an … aura?" If Gabby is uncomfortable talking about her traces, Jemma is uncomfortable even positing something that sounds so … new agey. But it's the best she can come up with, without having seen what the nurse had seen.

"We'll come back to that, in a minute though. You did the thing again simply by thinking about what you did, didn't you? That's what it seemed like to me, anyways." She's watching the still glowing arm as the hand gets stuff in a pocket. "We're going to need to look at that hand and soon. See if the traces have remained or not."

Poor Gorman. Having to witness these things and not really a clue about much of it.


Apparently no one has a clue about what’s going on here except that it makes Darcy feel oh-so-good and it scares the crap out of Jemma. “More like a halo, or… sure aura’s a good word. Like what you see around the sun when there’s a total eclipse.”

Yes, Gabrielle does look uncomfortable describing it like that. Darcy at least gets a bit of a smile. At least she’s not hurt? That’s a good thing right?

“Uh, I guess I can stay a bit longer. I… need to… try to get ready for a night shift later…” She still has to make a living after all. Did Gabby flood Darcy with super-ethereal Red Bull just by thinking about it?

Maybe. Gabby has no idea. Right now she needs to go practice those calming meditation exercises she was being taught ‘cause seriously… she’s just a nurse.

The glow on her arm finally fades. “I uh… I need to… splash some water on my face.” Alone. “I’ll be… back…”

Gorman watches as the younger Trent slides out but elects not to escort her. Instead he looks to Darcy. “So, Medical then?”

He’ll expect to see a report on this later.

Or maybe not. They all go to the Old Man and who knows what Jemma puts on them.


“I have a coronosphere?” Darcy asks, following the conversation sort of. She had nodded about going to medical but the idea that she glowed like a star is super exciting. “Fucking bad ass. I’m a celestial body!” She fist pumps.

“I’ll head over right now, drop my cart off on the way. You coming after, Jem?” Darcy asks, talking a little faster than she does normally. Like, she’s almost hyper. Not really hyper, but that energized and nothing hurts sort of hyper. Let’s go skating!

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