Daemon:Novad

[antivillain]

[Several things have become instantly clear about Clint—to himself, to his daemon, and quite possibly, in a moment, to whoever receives the transmission. First: he prefers thinking as a team activity. Second: he thrives (and secretly likes) when it challenges him. Third: he likes getting outside intended boundaries. Bonus fourth for those with the inside knowledge to recognize the daemon's smoky female voice: he misses his old partner.

The transmission begins as Voice, and has two of them. First, Clint:]

Will you just transmit what I tell you to?

[Second: the daemon.]

{ The point of this is to communicate with others. No one's going to know what you're saying. }

Let me worry about that, will you? It's a different point.

{ Okay, okay. Which do you want to start with. }

Text.

{ Fine. }

[Transmission switches abruptly to Text. Which scrolls itself out with almost reluctant and/or sarcastic slowness.]

9.24-24.9.22 / 9 / 9.9-9-24.24-22

[Everything not banter is a S.H.I.E.L.D. recognition tactic. This one: standard alphanumeric conversion (9-14 / 1 / 2-1-20-5) expressed in Roman numerals (IX-XIV / I / II-I-XX-V transcribed I.X-X.I.V / I / I.I-I-X.X-V) themselves alphanumerically converted (9.24-24.9.22 / 9 / 9.9-9-24.24-22), whose translation was a falconry reference re: restraint. Simultaneously a status update, an identification, and a request for extraction.

Probably in response to non-transmitted exchange, feed switches back to Voice]

Ври, да помни.

[Said by him. A commandment of Fury's in Nat's language. Lie, but remember.]

Video now, please.

{ Yes, sir. }

Don't call me that.

{ Yes, armcandy. }

Ugh.

[Video activates in time to catch the end of Clint rolling his eyes. He adjusts to look down the barrel, out at whoever may be receiving, and offer the slightest of not-really-happy smiles.]

'We defy augury.'

[A temporospatial reference in hopes of synchronization/orientation, for whoever might recognize it; and yeah, a bit of cheek, even if you don't. That one's for Coulson.

… who, multidimensions notwithstanding, 's not going to be answering … … …

Shake it off, man.

Though the feed remains video, the female voice remains off-camera—since she is the camera:]

{ So the idea is that anyone who can possibly understand any of that will present themselves back as countersign—? }

Could you not share our secrets?

{ You haven't confided any yet. Except some of what you said when you were still half conscious, and then in denial, and then angry, which— }

O-kay. Sign off, computer.

{ Not a computer. }

Sign off, ma'am.

{ Not a ma'am. }

Sign off, dammit.

[Novad signs off.]

Comments

[antivillain]

[Clint's hands balled into fists and collided gently with his own temples.]

Done with you. We defeated you. It's over.

[dothelokimotion]

[ What is even happening right now. ]

I do not believe that is in dispute. Especially since it's been six years since then.

[antivillain]

…

…

…

The fuck are you talking about?

[Steve, he said a bad language word.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ What did he do to deserve this. ]

It has been six years since my attempted takeover of Earth. I returned to Asgard and have . . . moved on from such pursuits.

[antivillain]

Why should I believe anything you say.

[Other than… he already did.

…because the worst thing about being brainwashed by Loki was that he hadn't felt enslaved. He'd felt fully willing and convinced of everything he was doing. In perfect alignment with Loki's ideas, but his own decisions. Which made sense: Loki hadn't used them as mindless drones. He'd made full use of Barton's and Selvig's own skillsets and initiative. And they'd sure used them.

It had felt like he was in control of himself. Just with a different set of convictions and priorities. And, primarily, coldly, a whole lot less he'd cared about.

Which was so much worse.


No matter how unthinkably literal, "[a] god made me do it" was still a lame ass excuse.



So Clint felt none of that now.

Which made him know, on some level, that this was real, and that Loki wasn't in his head.

Which didn't mean he trusted Loki. But it undermined the theory that Loki could be behind all of this.


But the question stood. Not to get a grip on Clint's reality. In his answer, to see what Loki's might currently be.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki shrugs. Having Barton's countenance isn't on the top of his list. It doesn't bother him if people see the worst of him (Though odd to see it now. Loki feels like a different person, the kind of person Barton still expects to find but has long died). It would be nice in a neat way, to have that finality to a story.

But stories aren't always neat. ]

I think you would know what a lie from me sounds like.

But do as you please.

[antivillain]

[Clint frowned at nothing for a while. Then straightened up, crossed his arms over his chest, and met the feed eyeline again.]

Six years?

[dothelokimotion]

Six years.

No doubt Stark and Thor will collaborate this fact.

[antivillain]

Those two here too, huh? Anybody else I know?

And what's been going on for six years?

[If he gets Loki's account, he can compare Thor's and Stark's afterward. …Actually, given the difference in perspectives and understandings of how reality worked, he probably should get independent accounts from all three…]

[dothelokimotion]

Why would I know what takes place on Earth?

[ Loki stopped caring once he left. ]

My business is with Asgard and Thor alone.

[antivillain]

And he lets you? have business with him?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki bristles at that, despite himself. ]

Thor is my brother. Our bonds are stronger than one failed attempt at domination.

[antivillain]

And successful attempts at mass murder and enslaving.

[Knows this is a stupid impulse to indulge. But getting a negative reaction out of Loki does feel grimly satisfying. Not that he should expect recognition let alone remorse or anything here. But fuck it. You violated me and made me kill for you, slimebastard.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Without missing a beat. ]

Then I would fit right in with SHIELD.