2014-02-16 - Siberian Super Soldiers: An Early Morning Debriefing

There was work to be done. Much much work. The helicarrier was buzzing with activity even now, hours before the operation, to make sure everything would be in suitable order. Since the Deputy Director herself was going in that meant Hill was stepping up to help with the operations. Again. Currently she had set herself up in one of the briefing rooms using it as a temporary command-hub while waiting for the Deputy Director to come for the talk she had requested. Running over her datapad she checks the roster of agents currently about to go out again.

Deputy Director Romanova lets herself into the briefing room, carrying a datapad, but that is the only concession to bureaucracy in the woman's bearing today. Her normal skin-tight bodysuit has been overlayed, it seems, with a set of high-tech armor the likes of which SHIELD does not have, obviously designed for stealth and flexibility, catering to the woman's particular skill set, but still wrapping her in far more protection than she had before.

If the woman looked merely dangerous before, now she looks downright deadly. Her stings sit firmly on her wrists. She has guns in each of the built in thigh holsters, in a backdraw, thin but sturdy blades slipped into sheathes along the outside of her calves and forearms. Her gloves are similar to the ones she normally uses: sticky gripped; though the tips of the fingers gleam slightly where retractable short 'claws' can whip out during close-combat. http://imgur.com/FgMBtTI

Her expression is serious-- it's time for an operation, and whatever may be occurring in her personal life is irrelevant. Everything has been set aside for the good of the mission, as always.

Johnson steps into the briefing room a few moments after Natasha. She is wearing an all black suit; the sort of suit that SHIELD Agents wear when Fury doesn't want people to know SHIELD is completing an operation. She has one pistol in a holster, that's it, for now. She pauses, as she sees Natasha, and the young woman gives a second look at the non-regulation armor that Natasha is sporting. A speculative brow lifts. There's an entire discussion, in that brow lift - the same way that Fury can invoke. But, she says nothing. Instead, Daisy approaches Maria Hill, and sets a manila folder on her desk. "The information you required," she tells the woman. And, it must be sensitive, if Daisy's the one delivering it.

Agent Maria Hill looks up when Natasha steps in only to stare with a single eyebrow arching high. The woman regards her superior with a bemused expression. "Well. At least Stark gives more practical gifts than jewelry. There's coffee." It's a single statement as well as an offering since the pot on the nearby table was full and still steaming with the delicious smell of Arabica beans or some snooty coffee stuff. When Daisy comes in delivering the folder she accepts it with a nod. "Thank you. You wished to speak, Deputy Director Romanova?" The question hangs in the air leaving it open as to whether or not they should send Daisy packing. Though likely that wouldn't be the case.

A bland, emotionless expression is all the Regional Director receives in response to her comment. She gives Little Daisy a brief nod of acknowledgement, but does not shoo her away.

Yet.

"Yes, regarding the mission this evening. I trust everything previously arranged is underway?"

Johnson inclines her head to Hill, after the folder is passed over. Then, she steps to the side, so as to make a triangle of sorts between the three in the room. The better for her to view, and analyze. A glance to Maria, expectant of the older woman's answer.

"Everything is arranged and ahead of schedule. I'm monitoring the situation as we speak in case any adjustments are necessary," Hill concedes as she places her datapad down for now to reach instead for her cup of coffee that had been resting nearby. While she takes a sip she regards Natasha quietly waiting for the woman to speak. Something was up she could tell and given the recent revelations that Natasha knew more about their mission than she was letting on, she was expecting something more.

The Deputy Director stays standing for now. "What is spoken of here cannot leave the room. Period. I get your agreement, or you leave."

Daisy gives a brief nod to Natasha, after a moments consideration. "Very well," she concedes. Then, she folds her arms over her chest, her full attention given to the Deputy Director. Curious, and intensely watching for any tells, or indicators as this strange little revelation plays itself out.

Maria Hill places the coffee cup down again only to flick her fingertips over a keypad on her desk. There's the audible sound of the doors locking as well as a quiet shush of the air through the vents shifting to a quiet hum. "The room is secure. Feel free to speak openly, Deputy Director. You know I have the utmost discretion with matters." Of course she did.

"I do not know how the mission tonight will go forward," Natasha begins. "It could go smoothly. We could beat them to the location, get the serum, and get out without being detected. Or, and I suspect this more likely-- I am Russian after all, and we know that things go wrong in the worst possible ways-- it could be a firefight between us and the combined forces of HYDRA, AIM, and whatever additional men the Red Skull has brought in."

She looks at them both. "Whatever happens, we cannot allow the facility to be left intact. I will provide you both with a list of locations on the upper, ground floor where there are already charges set to blow." What? Already? ...the Russians must have, for whatever reason, planned for the contingency of burying the facility. "I will provide the locations, you two will make sure it happens. For pragmatism's sake, make sure any of the Avengers inside are out-- they have an annoying tendency to go back for anyone left behind, and once this facility is buried, I want ti to stay that way. But anyone else left inside?" She gives a cold shrug of indifference. "Not our problem."

Daisy does not look surprised. Perhaps Fury had already given her instructions to this end? Or maybe she was at least considering it. She points out to Natasha, "I do not need explosives to bury the facility." She looks to Hill, "I believe also we can make a contingency plan, if required, to ensure any Avengers remaining within the facility extract themselves, if it becomes necessary."

Here is where Daisy and Hill differ. Hill listens and takes mental notes about the situation only for her eyebrows to draw together at the end. When Daisy speaks she tips her head to the side considering it as well, then finally she looks back to Natasha with a stern frown.

"The Russians already have charges in place to destroy a training facility that has their store of Super Soldier Serum... Why? What else is in there, Natasha?"

Natasha's glare towards Daisy is sharp and final. "/No/. No quakes. The facility must be taken down through the explosives. We cannot risk the quake triggering something in the lower portions of the facilities." Whatever that something is.

Hill's question seems to touch on that. The Deputy Director had already planned on telling them both-- to ensure that things were taken care of. Otherwise, she would have blown them off already. She gives them both a level look.

"This was the original Red Room training facility," she answers simply. They cannot know the implications, not yet. But they will.

Daisy's brow lifts, measured. "And what is within the Red Room? You have stated the facility is on automatic lock-down. That the halls were purposefully built for tight corridors. That ," suggests Fury's protege, perhaps now proving why Fury has so much faith in her, "Implies you are trying to keep something -in-, rather than keeping someone out. What is in there, Deputy Director, that you do not wish to risk to a burial?"

"The original Red Room." And. There's an obvious and hanging there while Hill regards the pair. No quakes. Has to be bombs. Has to be destroyed utterly. A flash of light comes from the datapad in front of her drawing her gaze down to regard the update that had appeared to notify her. A single deep breath is taken only for her hand to lift rubbing thumb and forefinger over her eyes. "Deputy Director, I assure you I will do whatever is necessary to keep the situation under control. I can understand your need for discretion, and your desire to-- For god's sake just spit it out. I've got an operation to oversee and if I need to add any further contingencies into it, I'd like to have the time to do it right."

Natasha eyes Daisy, and then nods. Once. And regards Hill as well.

"The original Red Room program was shut down not long after I finished my training. Moved to a different facility, the training still difficult, but not the same. Agent C.A.T. went through the secondary program."

The Deputy Director sucks in a breath-- the only sign she is discomforted by this talk. "The original training facility included a portal directly to Limbo." Also known, more colloquially, as hell.

"I see." Daisy's expression downturns into a frown. "So when Director Fury asked you if there was anything else you were holding back, and you told him no, you were not entirely truthful." Still, she well knows what Limbo is. Her gaze resides on Natasha for a few moments longer, before sweeping to Hill. "I will ensure the explosives are set properly," she promises Hill. At least she understands, now, why she can't simply bring the entire facility down.

"Limbo. There's a portal to limbo. There's a portal to em-effing HELL and they sent you people through it. As training!?" Suddenly SO MUCH made sense to Hill. Again she pinches at the bridge of her nose uttering a string of curses beneath her breath. As mahy as could come out in a single breath and not all in english. "I need a drink." Alas, she was on duty. The hand drops again and she glares at both Daisy and Natasha. "Good. I'll assign you a few operatives to help place the charges and offer you cover in the process. And," her gaze sweeps back toward Natasha fixing on her. "I will do what's needed. But I /am/ going to make sure we get our people out of there first. Unless there is absolutely no other option. If I have to explain this to Director Fury, I am going to be very pissed. You better get yourself back, too."

"This information cannot be let out," the Deputy Director says coldly. "The fewer people who know, the less chance AIM or HYDRA find out the truth of the facility's training program. The idea of them, or Skull, having access to a portal to that realm-- unacceptable. The damage they could do with that is unfathomable."

She eyes Hill impassively. "I will secure the portal room myself. No one on the mission save ourselves and one other-- who will be covering my disappearance into the depths of the facility-- know, and I wish for it to remain this way. Keeping the portal out of the hands of anyone-- yes, that includes SHIELD-- is my top priority."

"Agreed," confirms Daisy, towards Hill's assessment, of both getting their people out, and - well, she's already not pleased. Another look is given to Natasha, and it is almost, not quite, the same look that Fury gave her at that meeting just a few days ago. Still, she nods once, finally speaking. "Make certain you do. And, make certain you get out." She does not look pleased, but there's little enough she can do about it, now. So, she is moving with the need of the mission, rather than fighting it.

"There are limits to what I consider an acceptable option for SHIELD to have in it's resources. This hits about every one of them. If any other nation found out we had access to a portal to Limbo, no PR in the universe could save us from the shit storm that would ensue," Hill gives a small shake of her head only to glance down to her datapad and flick her fingertips over it rapidly pulling up files. "I have two operatives specializing in demolitions. We can easily work this to be a cover story taking out the entire facility once it's cleared so that it appears to be an accidental explosion. I'll assign them to you, Johnson, and let them know it's a side op to assist with our cover story of an industrial accident taking out the building." A glance is flicked up to Natasha, "If that's suitable, Deputy Director?"

Natasha gives a sharp shake of her head. "I will do whatever I must to secure the portal," she says. "Do not wait on me to blow the facility. If it comes to a choice between completing the mission and retrieving me, the /mission/ is top priority." Her tone leaves no room for arguments. "And you will not allow Stark to do anything emotional and stupid if it comes to that." That's added as almost an afterthought. "...or Barton. Though I suspect he is more rational."

Hill's suggestion is met with a nod. "That is acceptable. We'll go with that."

"If Stark attempts to do anything irrational, I will handle him," Daisy assures both Hill, and Natasha, evenly. She gives a concise nod to Hill, then. "That is a good angle to work from, on both fronts. It will suffice." However, Natasha's statement does give her pause, as Daisy looks back towards the other woman. "The Avengers are aware this is our mission, and they will be taking their directives from us, yes?"

"Done. I'll brief them in a half hour," Hill advises as she quickly one-handed types a request to have them both in her office at that time frame. The mention of Tony earns a little look back to Natasha and the armor she's currently wearing. "Are you certain he hasn't built in any failsafes to that armor to ensure he can get you out if he choose? Stark's not necessarily known for playing by the book himself and you are currently wearing everything he is most skilled at."

"The Avengers know they are here to help-- I am the mission commander," Natasha states calmly. "And as for Stark... he was too happy to show me the capabilities of this armor this morning. I do not think he's capable of what you are considering-- and if he was, I would likely not mind, as long as the mission objective was completed first." She may be willing to sacrifice herself for the mission, but that doesn't mean she's suicidal. "He would not risk my life on some sort of foolish override."

"Knowing, and doing," points out Daisy pragmatically, "Are two different things. And Stark is not well known for taking orders." Still, Fury's the one that brought the Avengers in on this, and she'll not fight it anymore than pointing that out. She picks up the information in regards to the layout of the facility, and where the strategic explosives are located, studies it intently.

"The Avengers follow orders as well as a puppy being told not to fetch a ball. In this case though, given you are an Avenger as well, it may offer the leverage we need to actually get the job done without too much issue." That done she flicks the buttons on the desk again to unlock the doors and restore the airflow properly to the room without that little annoying white noise meant to drown out any bugs. "If we're done? I apparently have much more work to do now."