[Open] Some things lead you astray

[avengeme]

Who: Phil Coulson and you
When: May 19th, afternoon
Where: near the door to the downstairs stairwell
What: Recovery from death and sending out warnings
Warnings: Mentions of murder? More to be added

Having been missing since the end of arrival day, Coulson finally awakens again on the floor of the boiler room. It feels uncomfortable and it's enough to spur him to get out through the door and climb the stairs back to the lobby, where he stands, dazed.

There's terrible bruising on his temple and some more on his chest but those are hidden under his suit. You can catch him as he makes his way to his room (110), where he fumbles with his key. The first thing he does when the door opens is reach for his tablet to send out a message.

[Network audio message. Group locked to Antoine Triplett, Bucky Barnes, Clint Barton, Leo Fitz, Melinda May, Natasha Romanoff, Skye, Steve Rogers]

We have a situation. Meet me in the ballroom.

After that, he'll allow himself a minute to wash up quickly before he hurries back out the door to head for the ball room, stumbling a little on his way. He still hasn't eaten but that's not the most urgent thing on his mind right now. He'll also be a little jumpy, checking behind him every once in a while to make sure Rumlow isn't just around the corner. He already made his mistake the first time, he has no intention of getting killed again.

Once the people he's looking for have all gathered, he'll say simply.

"Brock Rumlow is here. He was the leader of Fury's STRIKE team and a member of HYDRA. He's dangerous and deadly. He killed me approximately..." he frowns down at the time on his tablet. "10 days ago, so retaliating the same way is obviously not going to fly." He leans heavily against a table. "We need a better solution and fast."


((OOC: feel free to threadjack and tag each other as needed. o/))

Comments

[avengeme]

God, he feels awful for this but he keeps his expression firm and admittedly cold. "Stay on the network for now. We need you there."

[triplett]

Trip had remained in ear shot. He wasn't Skye's keeper (and maybe after San Juan, she no longer viewed him as a friend--he couldn't blame her) but he cared. "Someone needs to watch his six if word gets out that he's back," he uttered with a nod to their boss before moving toward the group he'd been assigned to.

[vdova]

There's something underlying there. Natasha looks from Skye to Coulson and then back to Skye, but there's no point in pursuing it now. Coulson could just mean that Ward is particularly adept at using Skye's emotions against her. Coulson could mean a lot of things.

"No objections here," she finally replies after their exchange, gaze lingering on Skye a moment longer before she turns to Coulson.

"We'll use Skye's SHIELD encrypt to send you guys messages when we find things."

[starspangled]

Steve feel bad - he knows what it's like to want to help, to want to feel like you're pulling your own weight. He's been there. But he agrees with Coulson. He doesn't want to see her get hurt; he doesn't want her to hurt herself. And getting the word out is important.

He'll make it up to Skye later, if she's not still mad at him then. He looks up again, nodding to Bucky and Nat.

"Just a few rooms down from mine. Let's get going."

[avengeme]

Coulson nods in acknowledgement as he regards the team. "Be careful." He looks to Trip, glancing at Skye briefly for confirmation. "Ward's room is 315. Avoid a violent confrontation if possible."

[triplett]

"Yes, Sir." With May present, Trip wasn't sure how Ward or Agent 33 would react but if there were people who knew how to keep calm under pressure, it was the trio that Coulson sent. Trip took a last glance at Skye after eye-contact with his boss before heading out.

[hacker]

Locking eyes with Coulson, then Trip, Skye gives him a nod to affirm that Coulson's got the right room. She lingers, as the others trickle out, waiting for a one-on-one with the Director.

[avengeme]

Coulson loosely clasps his forearm as he leans against one of the tables stacked against the wall. There's a slump in his shoulders that show how tired he actually is but he's been Director a while. He's used to that. Sort of.

"You know I wasn't singling you out, right?"

[hacker]

"I get it," Skye concedes, tucking her hands into her pockets and shrugging her shoulders. A week ago, she couldn't do that without wincing, but it seems like she's getting better, despite the physical strain on her body from starvation and lack of sleep. "I'd be on the D.L. until I can actually control this even if I hadn't lost it before. I just don't want to see Ward get the chance to take that out on someone else again." Which really nags at the root of the problem: a large part of her feels responsibility for this. If Ward's with HYDRA, all of this is probably a result of her going after him.

[avengeme]

"We'll figure it out once I find Ward and talk to him. Who knows what Rumlow's said to him by now." Coulson doesn't blame Skye for it at all. Ward's Ward; he'll play his hand in the morally grey and evil corner whenever he feels like it, which makes him dangerous.

[hacker]

"About that," Skye remarks, a bit uneasily. "I don't think I have to be the one to point out that you came back. This isn't gonna be as simple as taking them out." Searching his eyes, she tries to figure out if he's already got that worked out, or if it's more of the 'coming soon, after Coulson talks to Ward.' She doesn't like the new terms of this game much, but it's hard to complain when it's likely the same tech that returned Trip to them.

[avengeme]

He does. Hearing her say that just succeeds in making him look more exhausted.

"I know. I'll figure something out." Whether it's a long-term imprisonment plan or something else. He'll come up with it.

[bettercallit]

Following the network message, Clint does as instructed and puts in an appearance in the ballroom. He keeps back, and to himself, not speaking out, but taking everything in as the debriefing goes on. The only interaction he makes is to not his acknowledgement at the team arrangement, knowing what his job is. And when it all comes to end, he leaves, all the more informed for it, and that much more alert to the situation that they appear to be in.