I have to block out thoughts of you, so I don't lose my head, they crawl in like a cockroach...
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Kate leaned back in her chair, looking up at the Cabal agent skeptically, "No, but I'd love to hear a 'Thanks', or 'Good job' any minute now."
"Good job?" The Cabal agent blinked at her, "Keep smiling, you won't when Patterson gets in here and rips you a new one. He hates you freelancers, no loyalty, no respect for company conduct."
Kate kept smirking, bantering with the local color helped her ignore that twisted feeling in her stomach. Like she'd swallowed something angry and alive that was now squirming and clawing to escape. So she kept up the casual act, lounging and spinning in the office chair, looking defiantly up at the man attempting to intimidate her with sheer size.
"Look, tough guy, you want to bitch? Tell me what I screwed up so spectacularly that brought the wrath of the big boss down on me."
The cabal agent scowled darkly, and began ticking the offenses off on his fingers like an irritated schoolmarm. "Selling out our secrets to Helen Magnus and the Sanctuary network, to start. Revealing the existence and location of the Hydra was NOT in your instructions."
"Uh, but it was part of my cover", Kate snapped back, "Look, I had to get those saps to trust me, and dangling something that juicy in front of them? Hook line and sinker, baby."
"...You ALSO let two powerful abnormals infiltrate this base, where they could have stolen valuable intelligence..."
"Once again, COVER, look, I could have left them in the parking lot but I didn't expect your boys to be able to handle the job", she parried with a wide armed gesture at the various goons in the room.
"...Speaking of our guards, there are six of them in the infirmary, one with his knee blown open who's pointing the finger at YOU..."
"How many times do I need to define 'undercover' to you people?" Kate snapped, like somehow simplifying the motives behind her actions would make them make any more sense. "I did the job, I HANDED you two of the Sanctuary's heaviest hitters, and my cover is still solid enough to head back for round two. You boss can whine about my methods until Satan iceskates to work, but guess what? He can take it up with Dana Whitcomb, because she hired me."
That seemed to leave the Cabal operative silent, or at least passive enough to let it slide for the time being.
"So how long am I stuck here?" Kate started up again, taking a sip of the Pepsi she'd been given, but even that didn't calm that queasy feeling she was trying to chalk up to something totally inoccous like a mild concussion. It wasn't that the thought of her entire operation made her sick, clearly. "Because, chances are, the Doc is probably rallying the troops to march on this joint, and for all intensive purposes, I should probably be stuffed in VampBoy's trunk or something when they do. That is, if you don't think you guys blowing my cover will piss off your boss or anything."
The Cabal agent who'd been berating her hesitated, and Kate jumped back in, "So why don't you go find him, and tell him if he's got a bone to pick, he can do it himself."
The Cabal agent glared at her, but knew better than to risk Patterson's wrath simply to mess with one of their freelance operatives, and he left the room swiftly. Kate hopped up straight in her chair, swiveling it around to face one of the security screens. "So", she said, something morbid swirling within in her that urged her on, to view the consequences of her actions for one, instead of taking the money and turning her back. Just this once. "Can any of you boys show me the catch of the day?"
The two guards in the room, looked at each other for a moment, before one stepped forward and fiddled with the keys until a video feed popped up on the screen. It was one of the secure labs, and even expecting it, Kate had to hide a wince as she looked at the grainy image in front of her.
Long minutes seemed to pass, and she made herself watch until she couldn't anymore. Eyes snapping away from the screen, she hopped up and stretched. Smiling sweetly at the guard beside her, "You guys got a bathroom?"
Kate leaned back in her chair, looking up at the Cabal agent skeptically, "No, but I'd love to hear a 'Thanks', or 'Good job' any minute now."
"Good job?" The Cabal agent blinked at her, "Keep smiling, you won't when Patterson gets in here and rips you a new one. He hates you freelancers, no loyalty, no respect for company conduct."
Kate kept smirking, bantering with the local color helped her ignore that twisted feeling in her stomach. Like she'd swallowed something angry and alive that was now squirming and clawing to escape. So she kept up the casual act, lounging and spinning in the office chair, looking defiantly up at the man attempting to intimidate her with sheer size.
"Look, tough guy, you want to bitch? Tell me what I screwed up so spectacularly that brought the wrath of the big boss down on me."
The cabal agent scowled darkly, and began ticking the offenses off on his fingers like an irritated schoolmarm. "Selling out our secrets to Helen Magnus and the Sanctuary network, to start. Revealing the existence and location of the Hydra was NOT in your instructions."
"Uh, but it was part of my cover", Kate snapped back, "Look, I had to get those saps to trust me, and dangling something that juicy in front of them? Hook line and sinker, baby."
"...You ALSO let two powerful abnormals infiltrate this base, where they could have stolen valuable intelligence..."
"Once again, COVER, look, I could have left them in the parking lot but I didn't expect your boys to be able to handle the job", she parried with a wide armed gesture at the various goons in the room.
"...Speaking of our guards, there are six of them in the infirmary, one with his knee blown open who's pointing the finger at YOU..."
"How many times do I need to define 'undercover' to you people?" Kate snapped, like somehow simplifying the motives behind her actions would make them make any more sense. "I did the job, I HANDED you two of the Sanctuary's heaviest hitters, and my cover is still solid enough to head back for round two. You boss can whine about my methods until Satan iceskates to work, but guess what? He can take it up with Dana Whitcomb, because she hired me."
That seemed to leave the Cabal operative silent, or at least passive enough to let it slide for the time being.
"So how long am I stuck here?" Kate started up again, taking a sip of the Pepsi she'd been given, but even that didn't calm that queasy feeling she was trying to chalk up to something totally inoccous like a mild concussion. It wasn't that the thought of her entire operation made her sick, clearly. "Because, chances are, the Doc is probably rallying the troops to march on this joint, and for all intensive purposes, I should probably be stuffed in VampBoy's trunk or something when they do. That is, if you don't think you guys blowing my cover will piss off your boss or anything."
The Cabal agent who'd been berating her hesitated, and Kate jumped back in, "So why don't you go find him, and tell him if he's got a bone to pick, he can do it himself."
The Cabal agent glared at her, but knew better than to risk Patterson's wrath simply to mess with one of their freelance operatives, and he left the room swiftly. Kate hopped up straight in her chair, swiveling it around to face one of the security screens. "So", she said, something morbid swirling within in her that urged her on, to view the consequences of her actions for one, instead of taking the money and turning her back. Just this once. "Can any of you boys show me the catch of the day?"
The two guards in the room, looked at each other for a moment, before one stepped forward and fiddled with the keys until a video feed popped up on the screen. It was one of the secure labs, and even expecting it, Kate had to hide a wince as she looked at the grainy image in front of her.
Long minutes seemed to pass, and she made herself watch until she couldn't anymore. Eyes snapping away from the screen, she hopped up and stretched. Smiling sweetly at the guard beside her, "You guys got a bathroom?"