Issue 1 Downtime

In the early afternoon, a nondescript black helicopter landed on the lawn of the Braddock Estate. A young blonde in a SHIELD uniform stepped out. She waved her hand and the helicopter took off without her.

Smiling a bit, Nina started walking towards the mansion.

Ryan fell in casually beside his sometimes-partner, keeping his voice low. "Well well. Hello, Agent Madaraki. Something brewing?"

Nina sniffs the air, looking thoughtful, "I'm not sure. I don't smell anything. It would be nice though, I could use some coffee."

"Y'know, I've always wondered, how well does the 'no one can tell if I'm serious or being a wiseass' thing work for you in the field?"

"Well, it makes being interrogated a bit difficult," Nina says smiling at Ryan, "It's good to see you again, Ryan. I missed you."

Ryan gave her a lopsided grin. "I missed you too. Somehow I don't think that's why you're back now, though."

"As nice as it'd be to just be back to see you, reminisce about old times..." Nina lets that sentiment linger a bit, "I'm actually here because SHIELD received some intel on a local terrorist cell that some of your students have been butting heads with. I'm assigned as the liaison with the University until further notice."

"Terrorist ce- hate to break it to you, but I've met one of them. They're about half street gang, half adolescent cry for attention. He's said something that makes it look like they've got something brewing, but I'd only give it about sixty percent that it's any worse than trying to incite a riot." He hesitated. "Still, they put one kid in the hospital, so I wouldn't mind seeing them get smacked the hell down."

Nina hands Ryan a file, inside are some schematics for some very dangerous and advanced looking explosives, "Well, you better get out the juice boxes, 'cause someone decided to put on their big boy pants."

"At least that's what the Director said," Nina says.

Ryan looked over the papers, scowling. "You know, if he'd briefed me on this, say, maybe last week, I could have gotten a jump on some of this."

"And if I had twelve-inch dick, I'd be in the porno business," Nina says, "...I think he's rubbing off on me a little."

"Did you question the victim yet?"

"You could be in the porno business anyway and you damn well know it," Ryan said, smirking. "No, haven't had a chance yet. Little more complicated doing that when everyone just thinks you're an ex-X-Man."

"Wouldn't that just make you a man?" Nina asks.

"You already knew that part, though," Ryan countered.

"Mr. Gabriel, are you suggesting our relationship has been anything other than strictly professional?"

"Professional? I don't remember either of us paying for what we did. Not that that's a profession that god and country condone..."

Nina laughs, "God, I missed you. It would've been nice to have you around during the Fury Wars."

"....Someone uploaded a hunter-killer virus into a bunch of LMD's. We were clearing out Nick Fury's for a week."

"Wish I had been there. I just got done being Kevin for a goddamn week. By the way, Loki? Totally on my shit list."

"Yeah, because he's usually so universally adored," Nina teases, "Okay, we should keep focused. For now at least. What do you have for me on this Brotherhood thing?"

"From all evidence, a bunch of C-list underprivileged kids that one of the girls here 'wisely' set up as a cell so she could keep an eye on them and play off their whole anti-establishment rage bullshit. It didn't go too well. We've got one of them in holding, and another one's in the local ICU."

"They have a lover's spat or something?" Nina asks.

"Doubt it. Seems like more of a 'turn on the less radical one' issue than anything else. Standard bullshit... we're all race traitors, they're the big tough mighty mutants. The little prick actually thought he could fight me and get out of here. It looked like he was about to cry when I fought back better than he did."

Nina snort, "Yeah, this is going to be a fun one, isn't it?"

"Mmm, I don't know. He did say something that made me think they had something planned, and a bomb like this would fit the bill. I put in a call for a telepath to read him, but a real SHIELD interrogation would do it too."

"Just by myself?" Nina asks, "SHIELD procedure is for interrogations to be done in pairs."

"Then why didn't Fury send someone else?" Ryan said with a smirk.

"I'm sure that I have no idea," Nina says in a not very convincing tone.