Masking My Life

Chapter Twelve~Stealing A Womens Life Work

Cars, pick-ups, and S.U.V.'s all are parked around the crater, the sound of a party coming from within. It looks like the whole town has turned out. Locals sit on lounge chairs, drink beer from coolers, laugh, and talk.

We watch the center of the crater, where large men have formed a line to take a turn with the mysterious object. One of the struggles and fails to lift it. As he gives up, the next man steps up and takes his turn, straining from the effort. Other Townies snap pictures of the scene with their cell phones.

Cars pull up behind Coulson and me. The dust picks up I put my hat on, I wore comfortable clothes, just black workout pants, with a white tee and a Stark Expo sweatshirt tied around my waist.

"You call me down to New Mexico for a Hammer in the ground?" I ask.

"We think it's more than that; it's got a signal," says Coulson.

"Like a satellite?"

"Maybe, did you run that list of people who might know about this on the plane?" I nod, taking out my phone, looking at it. "Yeah, Jane Foster and Dr. Eric Selvig, they're in the town not far."

Coulson nods, smiling, "Okay, let's go." he and I walk back to the car and get in "Why did you wanna know?"

"Probable cause."

Huh?

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"Coulson, you can't do this to these people?!" I say following him around the building as S.H.E.I.L.D. agents haul equipment out of the lab and load it into waiting vans. Other Agents strip all the equipment from inside a Pinzgauer and cart it away. Still, others emerge from a trailer, arms loaded with scientific instruments and documents.

"What the hell is going on here?!" asked a voice.

The Agents ignore her as Agent Coulson, and I approach the women, Jane Foster, Dr. Eric Selvig, and another woman. "Ms. Foster, I'm Agent Coulson, with S.H.I.E.L.D." says Coulson.

I look over at Selvig. His eyes widen a little recognizing the name of the organization. His face grows wary. "I don't care who you work for, you can't do this!"

"Jane. This is more serious than you realize. Let it go." says Selvig. "Let it go?! This is my life!" "We're here investigating a security threat. We need to appropriate your equipment and all your atmospheric data," says Coulson walking over to a van. I roll my eyes "By "appropriate," you mean "steal?" I ask.

Instead of answering, Coulson gives Jane a check. "This should more than compensate you for your trouble." I put a hand on my face, "Oh my god!" Jane throws the check to the ground without looking at it. "I can't just pick up replacements from RadioShack! I made most of that equipment myself!"

"Then I'm sure you can do it again," says Coulson. "And I'm sure I can sue you for violating my constitutional rights!" shouts Jane, man; this is hard to watch, "We're the good guys, Ms. Foster," says Coulson. He tries to walk away, but Jane blocks his path. She is entirely herself, fueled by outrage.

I like this woman, I walk behind Coulson and face her. "So are we! We're on the verge of understanding something extraordinary." Jane holds up her notebook. "Everything I know about this phenomenon is in this lab and in this book, and no one has the right to take it from me." Coulson gestures to a nearby agent, who promptly plucks the notebook out of Jane's hands and adds it to the pile he's carrying.

W.O.W.!!!! I am stunned. "Thank you for your cooperation," says Coulson. He gets into a car and turns to me, "Coming or you gonna hang around to cushion the blow?" I nod, "Cushion the blow, you're doing the wrong thing Coulson give Jane back her work."

He shakes his head, "Can't, and I better see you at the base by sunset." The cars and trucks pull away.

"How do you know my name?" asked Jane, I turn back around "Oh yeah sorry about all of this I had no idea they were gonna take away your work when I made a list and I-"

"What list?" asked the other women.

I rub my forehead with my hand, "Boy um, the list I made of people who are a scientist for theses thingsssss." Jane looks at me, anger in her eyes. "This is your fault!!!!" I hold up my hands "Okay this.....yeah this is my fault I'm so sorry, you know last night flew to Stark Expo, destroy a few drones, Hammer got arrested finally-"

"Hammer? Justin Hammer?" ask Dr. Selvig, I nod and point at him "Yeah, that's the guy, like I was saying drones, Vanko, Expo, lots of crazy shit.........God, I'm starting to sound like Tony." I say, running a hand through my hair.

"Tony? Like Tony Stark?" ask the other women, I point at her as well. "Yeah, him." the three look at me like I was insane. "You're crazy! let's go." says Jane the three starts walking away, I pull on one of my gloves "You know I'm also authorized to code 2 55." I say and hold out my hand, aiming at a rock just in front of them.

"Oh yeah, and whats that!" shouts Jane.

BOOM!!!

The crumbles of the rockfall as the three turn back to me, I put my hand down "It means till sundown I have to look after you all." I say, walking over, the women grab my hand, looking at it. "Wow, you did that!" I take my hand back "Yes, Tony made it for me." Selvig looks at me, "You really do know Tony Stark."

I roll my eyes, "Yes...I live with him, Jane; I'm really sorry about your work. I'm gonna go and swing by the base, I'm gonna try to convince Coulson to give it back." I say, sitting down and slipping on boots pulling my sweatshirt on.

"The base? That crash site is six miles away.....your gonna walk six miles?" asked Jane hands on her hips. I laugh, standing some people just can't take the hint, "No, I'm gonna fly." I click my heels together and start hovering, "Cya soon!" I shout and fly off into the sunset.