Welcome to New York

[agent_cupid]

Clint guided the Quinjet down onto the landing pad with careful hands and an alert eye. The aircraft prototype handled like nothing else, a joint project with tech from Wakanda and Stark Industries and Clint was still a little overly cautious when he was flying it. When anything with Stark was involved, he was half tempted to expect it to turn into a giant robot or worse, drop out of the sky with warning. Still, he pulled the landing off without a hitch, coming to rest smoothly outside SHIELD HQ as he flipped off the controls and cleared the last of the landing procedures with the pleasant female voice over his headset, who had laughingly returned his flirting and had him grinning as he moved back into the main body of the jet.

It was a strange sight, the two gods and two young women in the back of the jet. Thor was sitting on one of the benches – the place he’d been most comfortable for the flight – while Sif sat across from him, having watched the entire flight from the window with avid interest. Both Asgardians had been understandably wary about being transported in the jet – or metal wingless beast, as it had been originally dubbed - and Clint had had his hands full with talking Thor out of flying the entire way. Lucky Doctor Foster had backed him on that, but it had taken a taunting jibe from Sif to finally get the scowling thunder god on board. Clint was pretty sure he was the only one who’d seen the female warrior flash him a sly wink before following him inside. Clint was fairly certain she was his favorite person at the moment. He had not been looking forward to Fury’s lectures if they’d gotten back to New York just in time to field all the reported sightings across the country of a flying man.

“Welcome to HQ, kids,” Clint retorted with a cheerful grin, his hands propped easily on his hips as he came back. “Safe and sound and all in one piece. I’m sure the welcome party’s out there for you, but I need to get you up to the Director’s office before we wander off for more sightseeing.”

Since that was Clint’s favorite part, no matter how many glowers he got from Fury for stealing SHIELD assets out into the city at large. It wasn’t like he was going to lose them. Although, granted, he suspected keeping a leash on the Asgardians, Doctor Foster, and Darcy was going to be considerably more of a challenge than showing Bucky the sights had been.

Still, the thought had him grinning in anticipation as he hit the hatch that opened the hatch and let the landing ramp lower into the secured courtyard he’d landed them in.

Comments

[nick_fury]

Fury had been out on the rooftop even as the jet came down, sending the length of his coat (and possibly less qualified agents) flapping in the wind. He stood with his arms behind his back, hands folded together in a military posture associated with ease. Fury himself, however, gave no such impression. His muscles were taut, face set in an expression of determination. This wasn't the time for pissing contests with Stark, or mind games with new recruits. The people Clint brought in were currently SHIELD's best chance against their latest threat.

"I am. It's good to meet you, Thor Odinson." Despite the overwhelming strength he knew the god would possess, Fury offered his hand all the same. Superpowers still impressed, but like hell would the man let them intimidate. "And I'm definitely glad to hear that, since we've apparently gotten the attention of your little brother."

But Thor wasn't the only one coming off the jet, and Fury turned to Coulson next. "Before Agent Barton attempts one of his infamous kidnappings, I want everyone inside getting our facts straight before Loki decides he wants to play with us some more."

[taze_me_bro]

Well, Director Fury sure looked big and scary and in charge. Which could only mean one thing.

Darcy screwed her courage to the sticking point - not hard, since she only normally kept it slightly unscrewed - and then elbowed her way out from behind Thor and Clint so she could march right up to the man and poke him in the leather trench coat with every bit of anti-authoritarian-faced-with-The-Man rage she could muster.

"160 gig iPod classic. Black. Pony it up."

[phil_coulson]

Thor nodded grimly, reaching for Fury's hand. "Loki is..."

He didn't finish, a bemused expression stealing across his face as Darcy elbowed her way between them. His gaze shifted from Fury to Darcy, then back. "You have a quarrel with this man, Lady Darcy?"

Coulson had moved immediately at Fury's order, putting a few steps of distance between them, and unsurprisingly Darcy had seen it fit to do the opposite. As someone who had seen lesser agents nearly cry and wet themselves getting that close to Nick Fury, let alone standing between him and an extremely powerful extraterrestrial, Coulson had to admit, at least silently, that Darcy Lewis had more nerve than the entire pool of junior agents they'd recruited this year.

His expression entirely unchanged behind dark sunglasses, he reached into his jacket at the same time that Dr. Foster rushed forward to grab Darcy's arm none too gently. "Darcy. Is this reeeeally a good time?"

"I have to agree," Coulson interjected. "This isn't the time. But if it'll prevent any quarrel, I believe this is what you're looking for." He held an iPod between his thumb and index finger, making no move towards Darcy. "If that's all... Ms. Lewis, Dr. Foster, I'd like you to come with me. Barton, let's go."

[agent_cupid]

Barton's lips twitched as he tried his best to suppress a smile at the exchange. Especially since the sight of Darcy poking Fury in the chest with her demands was an image he was quite certain he was never gonna forget. He straightened, however, when Coulson called his name, snapping to attention. He lifted his hand in a lazy salute, bright gaze glinting with humor as he grinned at his handler. "Aye, sir."

Sif cast a glance at the unfamiliar men, wavering for a moment. But Clint Barton looked to be sticking close to Darcy and Jane so she took a step up behind Thor's shoulder, catching his gaze momentarily. If these people had news of Loki, she wanted to hear of it.

[nick_fury]

Even Fury was caught off guard by the young lady's accusation of pety theft, although good luck reading it on his face. He made a quick motion with his hand, no more than a downward turn of two fingers by his side. Yet the subtle motion called off long distance snipers, put in place by protocol for any such engagement. One angry twenty-something didn't merit a breakdown in SHIELD-Asgardian relations, or even the girl being tazed.

Luckily, Coulson produced the object in question. Always prepared; Fury had no doubt the man made an excellent Boy Scout back in the day. "Which should settle the matter for you two as well?" Fury gave Thor and the woman beside him (Sif, according to the reports) the courtesy of asking that as a question. Once Coulson called away his part of the group, the man nodded toward the two demi-gods. "If you'd follow me inside as well, we can continue our discussion."

[taze_me_bro]

Darcy accepted the iPod from Coulson with good grace. Which was to say, she flounced over to the man and snatched it from his hands, then snapped her gum for good measure. She even favored him with a narrow-eyed look, the sort she'd gotten from some of her stricter teachers on occasion. "I'm watching you, buddy," she informed him, waggling the iPod. "Don't fuck with me."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and went back to Jane, who grabbed her sleeve. "Hey, he was asking for it," she muttered at her boss.