WALKING DISASTERS | Jack Thompson

10.

SERA RECOVERED HER NECKLACE and Peggy's watch from the trash on her way out from Roxxon, and when they went back to the offices, she ventured to the interrogation room and watched through the one-way glass as Jack and Dooley began their interrogation. There were a lot of things that Sera didn't agree with when watching interrogations, but she couldn't deny that the carrot and the stick play was a genius move.

It gave the criminals a sense of their situation, being allowed to choose whichever of the two they pleased. Should they take the carrot, they would be willing to spill whatever they knew and get off easy, but should they refuse to cooperate, that meant that the stick would come into play.

Dooley finished his speech and got up, taking the carrot with him as he left the room. Sera watched as Jack straightened his tie and picked up the stick, sitting down on the table like it was just an average day at work and he wasn't about to assault the man sitting before him.

"You can threaten me all you want," he said, and Sera had to admire his bravery. "But I'm not talking."

"I'm not here to make you talk, Miles," Jack replied, grabbing the man's hair. "I'm here to make you sing. You're gonna wanna bite down."

Dooley entered the room where Sera stood with Daniel and Peggy and watched as the man bit down on the stick and Jack proceeded to punch him multiple times across the face. Daniel turned to Dooley. "Hate to see what would've happened if you'd left the carrot."

"Carter, Stark, take off for the night," Dooley said. "A lady shouldn't be seeing this."

With a reluctant sigh, Peggy forced a small smile. "You boys play nice."

Sera walked out of the room and she and Peggy gathered their things before leaving for the night. They went to grab a spot of dinner from the L&L diner while they waited for Jarvis, and when they were standing on the street at the time he told them he would be there for, Sera realised that he was late.

"Come on, Mr Jarvis," Peggy sighed. "A penguin could get here faster."

A knock on the window behind them made Sera turn, finding Angie grinning at them. "I found one!"

"We're late for our appointment," Peggy replied.

"It has its own bathroom."

"I have no idea what you're saying."

"Don't make me come out there," Angie threatened.

Peggy headed back inside to talk to Angie while Sera waited on the street. A man walked past her and turned back to eye her up and down. "Well, hey there, sweetheart."

"Please remove yourself from my presence," Sera replied.

The man scowled. "No need to be rude."

"There is every need," Sera replied, as Jarvis pulled up outside. "Finally."

He honked the horn to summon Peggy and tried to get round to open the door for her. She was faster, calling, "Too late," as she opened the door and got into the car. Sera was already seated in the front seat, and as Peggy sat down in the back, Jarvis said, "Miss Carter."

"Mr Jarvis."

"Right, let's get going," Sera instructed. "I'm afraid Agent Thompson can be quite persuasive when he wants to be."

"Speaking from experience, Miss Stark?" Jarvis asked, a teasing edge to his tone.

"What are you suggesting, Ed?" Sera asked. "That I would fall for the ridiculous persuasions of Agent Thompson when I know for a fact that he is, as Peggy would say, an irritable wanker."

"Very nice choice of words," Peggy said. "And I agree."

"I'm not stupid enough to believe anything Jack Thompson says," Sera said. "And even if I was, I wouldn't let any of you know."

"Not even me?" Peggy asked.

"Not even you."

-

When they reached Cedar Grove, New Jersey, Sera got out of the car almost immediately. "I'm going to check the area."

"That's why we have binoculars," Peggy said.

"I know, but I'm hoping I get to punch something," Sera replied, heading off into the darkness.

She walked up to the house slowly, keeping her eyes out for anybody that may be guarding the house. She located the milk truck and pulled open the back door, hearing a noise from inside the house. Peggy joined her, and the two of them crept into the house, finding Sheldon McFee leaning on the mantlepiece, listening to the radio.

A floorboard creaked under Sera's foot and she rolled her eyes. "Typical."

McFee tried to swing at them with a gun, but Sera kicked it out of his hands as Peggy lunged forwards and punched the man in the face. After a few moments in which they fought with the man, Peggy finally managed to flip him onto a table and he lay unconscious on the floor.

"Is that all you've got?" she asked. "Hello? Mr McFee?"

"Why does this keep happening?" Sera sighed.

She could hear the radio playing in the background and made to turn it off as Peggy lifted McFee into a chair and handcuffed his hands behind his back.

"It's so hard getting straight answers out of people nowadays," Peggy said. "Whatever happened to a nice cup of tea and a civilised interrogation?"

Sera heard the door slam and made a break for the outside. Sitting in the milk truck was the same man that they had encountered a few nights previously, and without thinking, Sera pulled her gun and pointed it at him as he tried to start the engine.

"Get out," she demanded.

He held up his hands and Sera dragged him from the truck, slamming it up against it before holding her gun to his head. "Car trouble?"

Jarvis rounded the side of the car. "Nothing that can't be fixed."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Peggy asked, after rushing out of the house.

"Mr Stark asked me to help you, and so I have," Jarvis replied. "I sabotaged the motor."

"Move and I shoot," Sera told the man.

"I thought you'd be more impressed," Jarvis said.

"Well, I'm not," Peggy replied. "I told you we don't need your help."

"An ideal butler provides service without being asked."

"Ugh, put it back," Peggy said. "I need to drive this thing out of here."

"Won't be a moment."

Sera turned to the man. "Where are Stark's inventions?" she remembered that he couldn't talk and fished in his pocket for the speech synthesiser. "Talk. Now."

"I want protection."

"The SSR will take you in, provided that you say something interesting right bloody now," Sera replied.

"Psst," Jarvis hissed. "Ask him about Leviathan."

Sera sighed. "Who is Leviathan?"

"Not who. What," the man answered.

"Your employers?" Peggy asked. "So Leviathan sent you to rob Howard Stark's vault? And you double-crossed them? Well, that seems incredibly brave or incredibly stupid."

"Leviathan only wanted one thing from Howard Stark," the man said.

Jarvis slammed the hood of the car. "All finished."

"Well, fetch Mr McFee, we need to take him in too," Peggy instructed.

"What was the one thing?" Sera asked. "What was Leviathan after."

"I want protection."

"Then start talking," Sera demanded.

Jarvis ran back out of the house. "Bit of a snag, actually. I'm afraid Mr McFee has left the premises," he held up a shotgun. "I did find this."

"Hm, don't shoot yourself in the face," Peggy replied. "Get in the truck."