Episode 12: Secrets and Misdirections
[SHIELD IN HOUSE SURVEILLANCE FILES: 03052017]
Loc: Office of Agent Carter, NYC SAFEHOUSE Madison/59th
Peggy: Good evening Grant! My apologies for not getting back sooner. Some of the other agents and I went out for brunch and a bit of discussion after the briefing.
Steve: Hi Maggie! How was the briefing?
Peggy: Good. I’ll finally be getting out in the field Wednesday. I’m quite looking forward to it! Granted it’s just undercover rally security, but it’s a chance to get out there and help.
Steve: Sounds like an easy milk run, and you ARE a big help, no matter what Fury has you doing.
Peggy: <grimaces> Ugh, please don’t use that phrase, Grant. The last time I was on a ‘milk run’ I ended up in a knife fight atop a moving dairy truck filled with Nitramene bombs.
Steve: Ouch! Sounds like you’ve got some experience out in the field already! Hopefully it won’t be that exciting, lol. Oh! I was finally thinking about a screen name for my acct. SGR1918 just seems kinda plain, almost like a bot. What do you think of ‘Nomad’?
Peggy: Nomad sounds like a lone wolf vigilante, wandering with no home. Doesn’t suit you. You have a home, you have friends, and you have the Resistance. Makes me picture a battle scarred, scruffy old man with a beard, wielding a cricket bat on a beat up, broken down old motorbike.
Steve: Hmm, I didn’t think of it that way. What’s wrong with scruffy guys on bikes?
Peggy: Haha, nothing, but it just doesn’t strike me as YOU. Though I admit, I’m quite fond of motorbikes, lol. You must have had a nickname in the 107th. EVERYONE in the Commandos had a nickname. That’s where I got ‘MissUnionJack’
Steve: <thinking to self> Crap, I can’t use Captain America. For one thing, she won’t believe me, and for another, I’m still technically a wanted fugitive. Not much of a symbol of inspiration there <typing> Um, most of the guys usually just called me ‘Cap’ because of my rank. Once in awhile when they thought they were being funny, they’d call me ‘Spangles’ -please don’t ask. Tony used to call me The Old Man, but, I don’t know, it doesn’t feel right when anyone else calls me that.
Peggy: <giggles> ‘Spangles’? Now THAT is a story I’m going to NEED to hear one of these days. This friend of yours, Tony, is he the one you had the falling out with?
Steve: <looks at the screen, sighing> Yeah, it got pretty ugly. I’d rather not talk about it if you don’t mind, Maggie.
Peggy: Oh, I’m sorry Grant, I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject. We’ll just keep working on your screen name then. Hmm, what about The Patriot?
Steve: I think there’s already someone out there called that right now.
Peggy: Well, what motivates you, Grant? What inspires you? What makes you want to protect this country?
Steve: <pondering> The people, the values, the flag and everything it stands for. Everything America SHOULD and COULD be.
Peggy: Ha! That’s it! What do you think of ‘Stars&Stripes’
Steve: That’s really good, Mags! I like it!
Peggy: Good, I’m glad I could help. 🙂
Steve: We make a pretty good team. 😉
Peggy: <smiles to herself> Yes, it seems we do. It’s nice to find someone you can work well with and enjoy their company too. Speaking of being part of a team, are you still thinking about re-joining SHIELD?
Steve: <stares at the screen intensely for a few minutes> It’s an idea that’s growing on me. Seems like Nick has things back on track, working for the greater good.
Peggy: <sees her chance to dig for info> You mentioned that before, about SHIELD being ‘back on track’. What happened? I heard talk of a Hydra operative infiltrating SHIELD, how did he ever manage that?
Steve: <angry and sad, remembering> Which one? I mean, when the helicarriers fell on DC, most of STRIKE and a lot of Command had been compromised by Hydra. Pierce and Zola recruited a lot of bad apples, and killed some damn good agents.
Peggy: <shocked and confused> Falling helicarriers? What in the world are you talking about, Grant? You’re telling me Hydra wormed its way into the heart of SHIELD? Why wasn’t Zola still locked up in the Rat?
Steve: <brow furrowed, suspicious> Maggie, HOW do you NOT know about any of this? It was all over the news when it happened.
Peggy: <realizing she’s been kept in the dark about a major historical event> Well, I really didn’t pay much attention to the news when I was younger. When Nick recruited me a few months ago, he skipped me past the history class at the Academy.
Steve: <not buying it> Maggie….. that only happened 3years ago.
Peggy: <scrambling> Oh! I wasn’t even in the country at that time, I had quite a bit going on, and I must have missed it.
Steve: <pondering, trying to puzzle it out> Mags, you couldn’t have missed it anywhere on the planet….. unless….. you’re not originally from around here, are you?
Peggy: <stares at the screen, unsure what to say>
Steve: …..Maggie, are you an alien? I’ve heard about people and creatures coming through strange portals recently.
Peggy: <breathes a sigh of relief, thinking to herself> Ok, ok, I can work with this. <begins to spin and side step> I’m not lying to him, I’m just not going to correct him. <typing> Oh, no, um, I’m not an alien, but I guess you could say that I’m an ‘out of town guest’.
Steve: <relaxes a bit> Well, geez. Why didn’t you say so sooner. No wonder you had no clue when I was talking about classic rock music the other day. You’re not the first ‘out of towner’ I’ve met. Heck, I’ve gone drinking with Thor.
Peggy: <mumbling aloud> Good Lord Margaret, you’re bloody damn lucky he bought it! <typing> Haha! Yes, I’ve heard he’s quite an impressive fellow. Perhaps you could introduce me sometime.
Steve: <slightly jealous> Well…. he’s not around often, and when he is, there’s usually something big and bad going on.
Peggy: Oh! Well, in that case, I almost hope not to get the chance to meet him after all. Though with the way things are going, sometimes it feels like big and bad may be just around the corner.
Steve: <yawns> I really hope you’re wrong, Maggie. Still, with the news you keep sending me, I really can’t wait to get home and be more involved.
Peggy: The more good people we get involved, the better. <looks at the clock> Grant, I’m keeping you up again, aren’t I?
Steve: <yawns again> Our talks are worth losing a little sleep over.
Peggy: Go to bed ‘Spangles’ lol. You’re no good to anyone if you’re exhausted.
Steve: <shaking his head, laughing> I should never have told you that. Good night ‘MissUnionJack’. <mumbling to himself> I’m so going to regret telling her that.
[SHIELD IN HOUSE SURVEILLANCE FILES: 03062017]
Loc: Office of Director Fury, NYC SAFEHOUSE Madison/59th
Maria: <glares at Nick and Phil> Steve Rogers is one of Carter’s Resistance recruits.
Nick: <matter of factly> AND?
Phil: <nods> We’re well aware.
Maria: So, whose brilliant idea was that?
Phil: It was a joint decision. I admit, we didn’t know Romanoff had encouraged him to join the Resistance, but once we found out, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity. When he created his account, it red flagged in the system immediately. We deliberated what to do with it.
Nick: Rogers is an asset we need. But he’s stubborn. He wasn’t about to listen to one of us. He needed a gentle nudge or two in the right direction. Carter’s got the kind of personality that motivates people. We pointed him her way on purpose.
Maria: <growling> So, you’re using Carter, to manipulate Rogers. Was this the plan the whole time?
Phil: <puts hands up defensively> Peggy was already here. It was just luck that we had her working with recruits and he signed up. So we took advantage of it.
Nick: This administration and it’s connections to Russia and Hydra is a bad situation that’s going to get worse, before we can make it better. We need all the help we can get.
Maria: How much help do you think they’ll be when they figure it all out? Stark already found out, Carter’s getting more curious by the day, and I guarantee Rogers knows something weird is up. This isn’t a battle plan, it’s a goddamn house of cards!
Nick: YOUR job is to worry about Carter. We’ve got her security clearances locked to keep her from searching for anything regarding Rogers and any other information we don’t want her taking back to 1949. You just need to keep her focused on the Resistance.
Maria: What happens when the Accords are rescinded and Steve wants to come home to meet her? He’s already promised to take her out for shawarma when he gets back.
Nick: <looks to Phil, sarcastically> Now my feelings are hurt. WE never get invited for shawarma. <Phil smirks, trying not to laugh>
Phil: We already have plans to keep them separated and occupied. Daisy’s been counterhacking and has narrowed down locations on some Hydra botfarms in Russia. Cap will be too busy shutting them down to worry about missing date night.
Maria: So you ARE planning a more hands on approach to dealing with Hydra. Are we re-assembling the Avengers? Given the events of last year, CAN they be re-assembled? They were always a powder keg, but now…..
Phil: With these portals opening around the world, both sides are gaining powerful allies. We’re working on something BIGGER than just our Avengers.
Maria: As volatile as the Avengers can be, you want to build something BIGGER? Are you OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MINDS?
Nick: Desperate times call for desperate measures. Dealing with Loki looks like a walk in the park compared to that orange faced shitgibbon.
Maria: And Carter and Rogers? Just two more pawns on the chessboard?
Phil: Believe me, I don’t like keeping them separated any more than you do, Maria. But I’d like to think that in our place, they’d do whatever was necessary. More than anyone, they understand about making sacrifices for the greater good.
Maria: This is a dangerous game you boys are playing. If it blows up on us…..
Notes From Peg’s Desk
Ok, so somehow I got my days confused, and thought this episode was due a day before it actually was. Since I already had it mostly finished, I decided what the heck, we’ll just go with it.
As for tonight’s episode, it seems that Peg’s been kept in the dark about some big things. Her conversation with Steve seems to only left her with more questions. Not to mention, now Steve’s left wondering exactly who she really is. Is Maria right? Will all of Fury and Coulson’s manipulations and secrets end up in disaster?
Friday(yes, actual Friday) we finally get out in the field with Peg and the rest of the women of SHIELD for undercover security at an International Women’s Day event. What could possibly go wrong?
Hope you enjoyed tonight’s episode, see you Friday! Peggy
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