Summer paused, one hand on the edge of the room, looking at Nero. “I worked that cleanup too. And the battle,” she told him quietly. It still wasn’t a pleasant memory. “As for my empathy, right now I’m only reading what you’re openly sharing. For all that you control your face very well.” She gazed at him for another moment, assessing for real this time. “I think we’ll be meeting again. But thank you for now. Abby is here. I won’t take up any more of your time.”
He cleared his throat, setting a grim tone to his voice. “I’d be surprised if you hadn’t, ma’am.” It had been a first, seeing just how vast this organisation’s branches reached out. Openly sharing? Taking a deep breath, he tried not ‘share’ the tiredness and stress he felt growing each day, and now he had to guard himself even more from people like her. Great. “I wouldn’t be good at my job if I couldn’t. But I’ll take that as a compliment.” The corner of his lips twitched. “You’re welcome, ma’am. Enjoy your work out. And I’m sure we will meet again. Until then…” A polite nod of the head and he started making his way back to the office.
“I didn’t catch your name,” Summer called after him. “And I’m not a ‘ma’am.’ Only Summer.” She sighed, jerking the door open, and wondered if Abby could tell her any more about whoever that was. Maybe it was just a SHIELD thing, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something festering down in there.
“I mean you’re very curious, and being very laconic, and I’m telling you, it’s okay to ask me any of the things stirring up that curiosity,” Summer told him, tone light but a little serious. “That must have been before I met him. Can you talk about it, or is it classified?” She noticed the sign, finally, indicating their location, and whacked herself in the head. “I think I walked past here twice earlier.”
He tilted his head a little confused. “I think you’re mistaking my so called curiosity. I don’t really care. I mean I wonder about things of course, but in the end, I don’t really have any interest in getting to know the facts unless I ask directly.” He shrugged. “And I’d appreciate it if you could turn your ‘feelings-radar’ down a notch. I’m not really here for you to get to know my true self.” And Stark, “It was the New York incident. Stark Tower. I was assigned to clean up afterwards.” He walked past two doors, and then stepped outside a large entrance that emitted sounds of people training. “It’s quite common. This place is pretty big. But here are the training rooms.” He indicated with a hand. Was Abby here to meet her or would the young woman be fine on her own?
Summer paused, one hand on the edge of the room, looking at Nero. “I worked that cleanup too. And the battle,” she told him quietly. It still wasn’t a pleasant memory. “As for my empathy, right now I’m only reading what you’re openly sharing. For all that you control your face very well.” She gazed at him for another moment, assessing for real this time. “I think we’ll be meeting again. But thank you for now. Abby is here. I won’t take up any more of your time.”
Once again her lips twitched, trying to hide her amusement. Did he realise how open his emotions were? He did a very skilled job at keeping them off his face, though; kudos for that. “Stark. We’re … ” Summer hesitated. What word could she possibly use for their complicated relationship? “… friends. You know,” she cocked an eyebrow up at Nero, “you can just ask straight out. I don’t mind.”
He blinked at her. Ask what straight out? “I’m…not sure what you’re referring to.” What was happening. “Friends, allright. I was confused about which Tony you meant. But Stark it is. I’ve heard of him.” He nodded politely, finding the right hallway to the training rooms. “Gave me quite the assignment last summer.”
“I mean you’re very curious, and being very laconic, and I’m telling you, it’s okay to ask me any of the things stirring up that curiosity,” Summer told him, tone light but a little serious. “That must have been before I met him. Can you talk about it, or is it classified?” She noticed the sign, finally, indicating their location, and whacked herself in the head. “I think I walked past here twice earlier.”
“That’s one way to put it, I suppose. I didn’t think about it that way. It’s mostly a favour for Abby, really. Well, and Tony, I suppose.”
Oh? A favour for Abby? What did she need an empath for – something else than training? “Tony?” Tony who? Did Nero look like he knew everyone and everything? If so, maybe he should take that as a compliment.
Once again her lips twitched, trying to hide her amusement. Did he realise how open his emotions were? He did a very skilled job at keeping them off his face, though; kudos for that. “Stark. We’re … ” Summer hesitated. What word could she possibly use for their complicated relationship? “… friends. You know,” she cocked an eyebrow up at Nero, “you can just ask straight out. I don’t mind.”
“I’ve got a pretty good range,” she explained. “And I’ve got a secondary skill that allows me to fly, so basically I can do search by opening up my range and listening for people, for specific emotions. It’s not fun, but it’s necessary. And then I’m small, agile, and I have that secondary ability, so I can do rescue.” Summer chuckled a bit. “I had a roof fall on me in the aftermath of Sandy, though. Hospitalised for two weeks.”
“Ah. That’s impressive.” And she was just letting it all out there. Well, some people were comfortable with revealing their skills and whatnot, sure this was a safe place. Sandy? “So… You’re getting back into gear from your break?”
“That’s one way to put it, I suppose. I didn’t think about it that way. It’s mostly a favour for Abby, really. Well, and Tony, I suppose.”
“Thank you,” she said, surprised. Her lips twitched, hiding a twisted smile as he reacted to the word ‘empath’. “For me, it took a couple years, but I was pretty young and teenage hormones can interfere. Abby’s got a lot of groundwork already, so I don’t know that it will take too long for her.”
He nodded. “Yeah, sure.” The pains of growing up and having a power to deal with, well, that must’ve been fantastic. Abby has empathy too? Yet another person to stay away from then. “If you don’t mind me asking, how do you use empathy out in the field?”
“I’ve got a pretty good range,” she explained. “And I’ve got a secondary skill that allows me to fly, so basically I can do search by opening up my range and listening for people, for specific emotions. It’s not fun, but it’s necessary. And then I’m small, agile, and I have that secondary ability, so I can do rescue.” Summer chuckled a bit. “I had a roof fall on me in the aftermath of Sandy, though. Hospitalised for two weeks.”
“Oh, I’m SAR normally, but I’m an empath, so I’m going to work with Abby on shielding. So usually it’s pretty quiet for me — another reason why I got lost today.” She grinned easily up at him.
Indeed, eventful. “You do good work up there.” An empath? Meaning… she could sense feelings. Great. He would need to stay well away from her then. Coming to the end of the hallway, he headed for the stairs. “Sounds pretty interesting. How long does that usually take to master?”
“Thank you,” she said, surprised. Her lips twitched, hiding a twisted smile as he reacted to the word ‘empath’. “For me, it took a couple years, but I was pretty young and teenage hormones can interfere. Abby’s got a lot of groundwork already, so I don’t know that it will take too long for her.”
“Not exactly. I’m a contractor, normally, and I don’t come here that often.” Summer led the way out of the room and then stood back to let him precede her. Politely she ignored the spike of emotion when he’d recognised Abby’s name, though she wondered if her dark-haired friend knew she had an admirer besides Steve.
A contractor? “Then you must have a pretty eventful life, for a contractor I mean.” He had no idea what that entailed, but he wasn’t going to ask. One thing he learned from this place is that people liked their secrets to remain so. He walked down the corridor, passing offices and busy agents. “What sort of training do you do?”
“Oh, I’m SAR normally, but I’m an empath, so I’m going to work with Abby on shielding. So usually it’s pretty quiet for me — another reason why I got lost today.” She grinned easily up at him.
“I’m looking for Abby Logan. Telepath?” Summer sighed, starting to wonder if she’d even get there before Abby decided she’d been stood up and just left. “Never mind. Can you just, I don’t know, escort me to the training rooms?”
Abby Logan.
Telepath. Oh. “Yeah, yeah I know who you mean. Sorry, my mind wandered off-” Violet eyes. “Um, yes. Of course, let me show you the way,” He walked around the desk and gestured for her to lead the way out the door into the halls. “Are you new here?” He knew how confusing that could be.
“Not exactly. I’m a contractor, normally, and I don’t come here that often.” Summer led the way out of the room and then stood back to let him precede her. Politely she ignored the spike of emotion when he’d recognised Abby’s name, though she wondered if her dark-haired friend knew she had an admirer besides Steve.
“I mean I’m trying to get to the training rooms to meet up with Abby, and I’m lost!” Summer raised her eyebrows a little, essaying a self-deprecatory smile.
A slight tilt to the head indicated he had no idea who she was talking about. Abby. Abby who? “Your friend, she’s an Agent?” He hoped so. “Well this is a big place- I’m sorry, who are you?”
“I’m looking for Abby Logan. Telepath?” Summer sighed, starting to wonder if she’d even get there before Abby decided she’d been stood up and just left. “Never mind. Can you just, I don’t know, escort me to the training rooms?”