Quoted By:
Somewhere amidst the chaos, you forced your way through the mad scramble that was the rapid mobilization of S.H.I.E.L.D., and fell in step beside Hill. Curiously, no one stopped you. Maybe it was because they saw that you were here to help, or maybe it was because they were too busy to bother with you. You liked to think that it was a decent mix of both.
<span class="mu-b">“What is it, Huntsman?”</span>
A thank you would be nice, but you recognized that this was a stressful situation, and there wasn’t always time for niceties.
<span class="mu-r">“If you haven’t considered it already, I think you should try teaming up with Sable International. They’ve been fighting Doom and Arcade the entire time that you were stuck in the sky, and I think they’d appreciate some help.”</span>
Hill slowed her pace slightly and turned deep blue eyes on you. She gave you a look that was somewhere between suspicious and curious.
<span class="mu-b">“And what exactly is your connection to Sable International?”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“Do you want to interrogate me, or do you want me to get you Sablinova’s number?”</span>
She turned to face forward again, handing out fresh orders to a techie that stopped to give her a brief update on the Helicarrier’s repair status.
<span class="mu-b">“I can get that myself.”</span>
You shrugged and skipped a couple of steps until you were walking backwards in front of her.
<span class="mu-r">“You can do that, sure. But do you seriously think she would immediately pick up a call from an unknown number during all this?”</span>
You said, spreading your arms wide to gesture to, well…everything.
Hill bit her lip as she stopped to take in the scenery. With a nod and a quiet sigh, she accepted your argument.
<span class="mu-b">“Fine. I’ll talk to her.”</span>
She said, holding her hand out to a passing agent. He stopped dead in his tracks, nervously patting himself down until he managed to fumble a pen and paper into Hill’s hands.
You glanced between the two, and then stared in confusion at the many pockets that adorned the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director’s belt.
<span class="mu-r">“How do you have <span class="mu-i">that</span> many pockets, but not a single pen?”</span>
The look she gave you made it clear that this was a common issue that she hoped to address someday.
<span class="mu-b">“Shut up. They’re more valuable than gold around here. I bet you don’t even have one in there.”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“I might.”</span>
You said, a little too quickly, and not very convincingly. You were suddenly becoming very self-conscious about the contents of your utility belt. Nonetheless, you quickly scribbled Sable’s number and handed it to Hill. She snatched it away, and you had half a mind to demand that she utter a few magic words before you gave it to her, but once again, you acknowledged that tensions were rather high at the moment.
<span class="mu-b">“I’ll try to reach out.”</span>
She waved the paper around and made a show of stowing it away in her belt, along with the pen she just took. Thinking that she would walk away after that, you started to turn away, but she continued talking.
(Cont.)
