The Avenger's Soul

The Asset (Part 2)

"I read your posts. We think very much alike, more freedom of information, less government infringing on everyone's rights, I'm a fan," Quinn said, raising his brows when I told him that I wasn't involved with The Rising Tide as closely as he had thought.

"That explains the invite. This is a tough party to get into!" I said.

"Not as hard to get into as the encrypted back channel you contacted us through to request the invite."

I laughed, feeling a sense of pride.

"You have got to show me how you did that, I mean, if you sign on," he continued.

I looked to the others, then back to him. This totally threw me off.

"Sign what, now?"

"I've been known to turn a few black hats into white hats. Not just for vulnerability analysis, but for very creative thinking." I stared at him.

"A-Are you offering me a job?" I had definitely not been expecting that!

"Well I didn't invite you here for your pretty face, doll. I didn't know you had a pretty face. Yes, I want to hire you - before The Rising Tide or someone else snatches you up!"

He walked away from the group, leaving me looking shocked. My earpiece crackled and I heard May's voice.

"That seemed to go well."

"Yeah, it did."

Once again, I turned my back to the other people standing there, feeling slightly uncomfortable in such a large crowd.

I took another drink as the people at the party started to clap. Quinn had gone up to a platform in order to address them all.

I tuned him out as he welcomed his shareholders and started talking about how government agencies were guilty of halting the development of new technology for everyone but themselves.

I looked around making sure that everyone was watching Quinn before I began to move away towards the house.

I entered and headed down a hallway, looking for a signal for the compact Fitz had given me. I stopped outside a set of double doors but when I pushed on them, they wouldn't open.

"It's locked, but there's no lock!" I exclaimed. If it hadn't been for the open hallway that I knew was behind me, I would have been sent into a panic, flashing back to all the times Hydra had kept me imprisoned in rooms that only opened from the outside. I shivered, despite the warm weather.

"Eh, check for a keypad," I heard Fitz suggest through my earpiece.

I leaned to the left side of the door, then the right, looking.

"Nothing. I can't see any keypad for me to hack."

"Wait, you can hack a keypad?" Fitz asked in surprise.

"Of course! But I can't find one!"

"Is there a reception desk?" May cut in.

I glanced to my right and saw a small desk set up in the hallway. I walked towards it.

"Okay, yeah," I told them when I got to the desk. But what was I supposed to be looking for? I had never seen a set up like this at any of the Hydra bases I had been kept at! Damnit! I can't fail my first real assignment! I had thought I would be able to do this easily, but forgotten to take into account how little I still knew about the world outside of Hydra! Was I becoming like Ward? Thinking that I was better than I actually was?

I got to the desk, looking down at it glumly. "Well, now what do I do?"

"What are you trying to do?" I barely caught myself in time to not jump as I looked over to see Quinn staring at me. I slowly set down my glass and stared at the desk.