Registered To A Deal (Open)

[baronzemo]

The large Hellicarrier flew rather soft this day. Going on a regular pattern perhaps. Yet really he had no idea where he'd end up. Only he'd be inside that large machine. Baron Zemo appeared in a small flash in one of several hallways before looking around. SHIELD was a big budget mistake if ever there was one. Last he knew they had an aged man with one eye wandering around these parts.

Zemo slowly walked the halls debating how he should do this. Yes, he could probably forcefully get the information. That would be so, so useful wouldn't it? Being a criminal to SHIELD after this long. Yet Zemo felt such a manner was not really the best option. He needed a bit something more neutral. The best he can figure was find out who the boss of the carrier was, most likely Fury... that'd work out so bloody well. Yet seeing a few new faces from old SHIELD folks he had to admit perhaps things were different?

Not that important really. Zemo stopped as two men (after passing a good few actually) seemed to inquire his business. Zemo bowed his head, "Actually I'm looking for the main office of whoever is in charge. I wish to talk to them about something." Of course the two weren't exactly sure how else to handle this. One asked for his clearance and Zemo just chuckled, "Technically I have no clearance. Again, just..."

The two drew their guns. Zemo frowned under his hood... right, might as well play along.

He was taken to what he assumed to be the brig. To await talks. Of course he sat there eying his sword, gun and they even took his belt... silly men. Luckily, he still had the Moonstones. Which at this time were 'missing' from his attire. In truth he had them very close. Close to the heart as it were. For now he just awaits someone, anyone, to explain his situation.

"Do I even get a phone call?" The two seemed to shift their glances. "A joke, boys. A joke. Lord what fine men this organization has to offer..."

[Sage]

Having been alerted to the presence of a stranger aboard the Helicarrier long before Zemo was stopped and asked for his clearance. Sage had been delayed by the arrival of Spider-Girl before she had been able to leave her office and make her way down to the holding facilities. She really was not in the mood for this sort of meeting but her capacity as director demanded that she met with their trespasser and dealt with him appropriately. As she entered the Holding Facilities she could see that Zemo had been stripped of all weapons but she knew from experience that he would not be completely unarmed. People like him rarely were.

"Stand Down Agents I will deal with this trespasser myself" Startled by the presence of the Director they turned taking their weapons off Zemo and nodding at her request. They would not question for they had heard stories of what happened to those who questioned any orders given by the new director. "Return to your duties" She added watching as they left her and the man alone before turning to the man and adjusting the sling which her her arm in place for her busted collarbone to repair. "State your business and i suggest you do not lie for i will know, i always know" she said her eyes narrowing as she glared at the man. Of course she knew who he was after having studied all the SHIELD files on wanted felons and super powered beings, but she would act dumb for now and see what lies he wished to feed her.

[baronzemo]

Zemo was just waiting about. Til, someone did arrive. A woman no less. Zemo looked as she was telling the men to leave and obviously, she's someone of importance. Perhaps an aid to Fury? Hmm, interesting. Zemo stood and did a bow of respect before saying, "A pleasure to meet you. Well, slightly?" he rolled his eyes to the cage. "Yes, well this is a military base isn't it? What I was doing here. That's simple my dear I was trying to meet with the leader of this base. Seems a lot of new faces around here. You must either be having problems or the past couple of years I was away things changed drastically, no?"

To that statement the Baron actually stood and looked at Sage a bit. "In fact you're a new face. So allow me to introduce myself. I am Helmut Zemo, the Baron Zemo. Former leader of the Thunderbolts though at the moment I'd say such a thing is to not brag." The baron sighed crossing his arms. "Oh, I'd love to kiss your hand and be truly curt. Yet within my confines that's a bit difficult. So be assured my respects of you are quite high. Obviously, you're the one to talk to here. Though... last I was here, the man Nick Fury was in charge. Good man whom helped me on occassion though detested my guts for a long, long history of former transgressions."

"Hmm... now what else? Oh yes. That little bit." Zemo flipped his wrist arms still crossed. To just be dismissive of the question on why he was here. "I wanted to try and take a look at that thing you all call the 'registration act' or what not. I'm curious about it. When I was away there was not even talk about such things. I'm curious about who all is in the database. Especially, should I think of re-creating the Thunderbolts." A smile under his hood. True it was most what he said. Nothing to say or imply otherwise. At this time, Zemo was pretty hopeful the anti-telepathic crown he wore would do its job. Then again so long he thought only about the current and not the later of his plans where would he be in danger? Zemo only thought about one thing. How to convince this woman to let him see the names. Perhaps offering something of his in return. His services? His knowledge or the like?

"If you wish I'll be more than happy to offer my services on anything you might like. Maybe help training some of your people as I'm rather gifted in the arts of combat, or other means. As well a masterful tactician. So any of these skills I'd hope to be of aid to you. As well my expertise with machines. I only ask you consider my proposal, mi lady." Then he bowed again, stepped back and awaited her word on his. Maybe she'll ask him to help with something simple. Perhaps... not. Either way getting a look at the lists of registered mutants, metas and other peoples would all be useful.

[Sage]

"Nick Fury is Dead and I am the new Director of SHIELD and things work differently now around here" she replied coldly her eyes boring into his "I do not accept your explanation as to why you are aboard my carrier, there are ways of contacting SHIELD without turning up unannounced and frankly when one does such a thing you have to wonder at the underlying motives they have" There were no lies in what she said, it was all fact, anyone they had previously caught trespassing aboard the Helicarrier had been up to no good.

"I do not care if Nick detested you or if you were his best friend in the whole wide world, as for having access to the registration files i cannot grant you that however i will give you an option you should consider very carefully" she paused for a moment her mind logging into the security systems "You either leave my craft with an escort of agents on the next transport or i will have you detained here until i can arrange for you to be transported to the raft for breaking and entering a secure government facility...take your pick"

She did not bother to even consider his proposal, such things were below a woman like Sage and his suggestion that he could help with machinery had irked her a little, after all was she not one of the best in her field at dealing with all things technological. She knew of this mans past and although she herself was known to dabble with people of a dubious nature Zemo was one she would not liaise with unless it came to bringing him down for a crime.

[baronzemo]

Zemo looked at the woman with a bit of a shocked look. She had not one interest in his proposal. He didn't offend with most his words. In fact he need not really care if he did! Somehow, she just devoted herself to a fact of distaste. To having not one little sliver of wonder how he got here or why he chose to not just go directly to other places.

"Very well." Zemo took her words in swiftly. Then he said, "I'll leave immediately. When you and your people are willing to let me leave. I'll also say my apologies for causing such a situation. I'll be sure to never come here with intent of talking to you ever again. For if you have so little respect of my actions surely requesting your help to protect this world would all be pointless."

Indeed it was. She had a sense of duty. One he had to ignore. One he had no interest in trying to manipulate. However, Zemo asked something he had to know. "Who gave you that mark on your face?" It wasn't some brandishing mark. Then he asked something else, "Is it because of your injuries you choose to dismiss me? Or was it just my person? If so I'd like to ask perhaps we meet on a better, mutual place instead of here. Obviously you‘re not beyond great deeds to be the administrator here. As well not too bad the mind, from how you speak."

Zemo leaves her from sight and began straightening the bed. His back to her as he bent over replacing the sheets once more. Shuffling the surface so it was flat. "Oh, and I need to tell you I don't have any idea how bloody else to contact SHIELD. This was my best idea at a drop of the half. For the most part I didn’t think it so brazen to come aboard and ask to talk to the one in charge.” He turned back with a chuckle in his throat. “Which I did and I am proud to have done. Though the meeting could have gone a little better, no?”

Zemo turned back to the bed and finished flattening it out. Standing and rubbing the back of his neck. There was a lot of animosity here. He sensed it. Yet was it all his doing? Most likely. Yet maybe it was a bit something else? In a silent huff. The Baron looked at Sage with a frightfully serious scowl. Zemo closed his eyes and slowly slumped his shoulders back, however. His arms hang loosely, as he begs her to, "Please, forgive me." he showed sympathy, he showed sadness, "I understand fully your wish to ignore me. I'll leave immediately with your escort. Simply take me outside I can transport myself without any hassle. Or, least say it would be acceptable I leave. I'll await your word."

Truthfully though. He could have left any time. His ease to give in was not much what the man was like this. In fact even she may know that he only took this as a side-road. As well another realization that he had no allies here. SHIELD was as guilty as The Avengers. Yet one thing was true about them, more than any other. SHIELD was blindly controlled under the will of a government. They acted on the wish to protect the power of that government, and at cost of those persons. Zemo could relate such mentality yet in the end that was something of a true enemy. The eventual disposal would be a later event. He still needed to do a lot. Today being the first day back it was… understandable. He made a mistake. Yet he would not forgive himself. He could easily suffer no more for this time.

Again, he took notice of Sage. Her demeanor… her attitude. What if it really was not all at him? ”Tell me Administrator of SHIELD? Is there something else troubling you? You seem stiff, torn and all but calculated for the best interrogation. What could put a woman obviously more collected on such edge? If it is not too much to ask?” He was now going to try and pull something else. Instead of trying to get what he wanted. What if he can get what she wanted? An outside party whom had no connection to her. It was strange, but some humans find confiding in others outside of their collectives to be easier than one’s own self. Zemo was not her friend nor her ally. Yet he was an outsider. She might talk to him. Yet, not all too likely. Still he was going to try and wiggle in a little. Should he find a means to just get her to open up a little.

This was especially effective as he's 'trapped'. Sage may feel she had power over him. The entire Hellicarrier was a good start. Belief she had control over the man in a controlled environment. There was nothing to fear from Zemo so long he's in a cell. So much like many bond villains, or cheesy frankenstein films the master may confide in the lesser, all in sense of lording power over their subbordinate.

[Sage]

“Respect is something that must be earned, I do not give it easily and when people appear aboard a craft I control without the appropriate authorization and with a sub standard excuse for their presence I most certainly will not grant them respect” It was the truth, very few people that she dealt with on a daily basis had Sage’s respect but those that did had worked damned hard to earn it. “At this current time there are many marks on my face and if you wish to know about a particular one you will have to be more specific” Now she was just being evasive for she knew he meant the scarring under her eyes and not just the superficial cuts that marked her.

“My injuries have nothing to do with the issue of dismissal, I simply do not like trespassers as I have already stated, If there was a mutual place you wished to meet it can be arranged however if the aim of that meeting is to gain information on the registration files you will be disappointed once more as I cannot grant you access to them and that is not just solely my decision to make” She paused for a moment studying the man “In future if you have a message to relay to SHIELD you can approach a government office and they will contact me and make me aware of your requirement to meet, other than that if we need to talk I will contact you” She chose to ignore his comment about how the meeting could have gone a little better, perhaps it would have had she not known about his past, had she not been injured and had she been in the mood to entertain frivolous conversation.

“You will leave when your escort arrives to take you to the transport, not before and you will not receive your weaponry back until your feet are upon the earth once more” She replied sending a mental communication out to the Westin agents to report to the holding facilities and escort their guest back to New York. It would be a matter of moments before the agents reported and soon enough this man would be out of her hair and she could focus upon more urgent matters.

“It is Director, not administrator and even if there was something troubling me I would not share it with you Zemo, my business is mine and mine alone”

[baronzemo]

"Director." He stated a moment. Then a bow, he respectfully noted, "Director of SHIELD, Sage. I appologize for that too then. I did not know. As for your wishes I'm happy to do so. When on soil native to your own I'll humbly take my belongings and be gone. I've not a reason to cause you trouble more than I have." Heh, with a chuckle. "I'm probably keeping you from a number of important matters. This is embarassing and just shameful of me. I'll regret this later. Yet, I learned a lot. From now on I'll contact the government branches. Are there any in particular I should contact?"

In any case it was something he'd take care of. Then he was a bit directed on her again. He was looking at her face. "Do you have anyone with the power to heal injuries?" it was a stupid question they have medics... but... "I mean do you have talented individuals that can? Or not? You should not walk about with that mark. It will give way to a lot of inquiry. Yet, not important really. Just... I suppose I'm old fashioned it is never good of a man to ignore a woman's injuries." Zemo felt it's best to not dwell on this. "I'm not interested in those files any longer. Least, not for now. It's best I do things the old fashioned way."

That means steal. He could try that another time. Yes-sir... another time. Trust is more important. Zemo was looking at her while leaning on his hips. Seems she's tired. Maybe she is stressed? He can't seem to get her to just say why. Yet, he can try one more trick. "It's hard trying to keep super beings under control. Heh, imagine having no real super powers. Other than your intelligence and skills with military." He closed his eyes, "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to say it's the common thing. I suppose you have the same boat powers or no?" Zemo pulled up his mask then and held his crown in place. The only thing keeping psychics from reading his mind. Least, it should. Zemo's face was horribly burned. Truth be told he looked worse than Deadpool. Well... maybe not that bad. Yet he looked pretty crappy. "Word of advice. Careful who you try to save my dear. You're a leader. It's good to know your partners limits."

Zemo rolled his mask down again and sighed. Playing some of the sympathy card. He sat down and slumped a bit. "Saving the world. That's all I wanted. True, the means didn't justify the ends. Yet it was all truly a dream of peace. Just a realistic one too. Damn Captain America. He, of all people." A shrug, the Baron turned to Sage. She's maybe looking to leave. Probably wished she could. "You are more than welcome to go. I'll stay here till you need me. Less, you like my company?"

Heh, he laughed. Shrugging even. "I can't imagine why. I look like the phantom of the opera. Perhaps a little less handsome. Only part his face was disfigured." He then was just trying to do anything to drag out this talk. To kind of build a bond. Maybe not apparent like most. It sounded only like the rantings and need for attention of any lonely person. "How did you become the Director of SHIELD? After Mr. Fury? I am still so confused how much has changed while I hid away after my shameful incident." again directing to his face. A great cover story for his work.

[Zephyr - Adam Westin]

Six o clock!

Zephyr leapt to the side at his sister's mental warning, a sudden blast of wind accelerating his movements, and he just barely managed to avoid the energy blast that sliced through the air he'd just been occupying. He twisted as he did, using the air pressure he'd accelerated himself with to wrap around and then release a crescent shaped blast of extremely high-pressure air to blast the Doombot in half. Apparently the recent U.N. meeting had given the person who programmed the training sims ideas, because this particular sim was a Latverian invasion theme. Also, it wasn't a whole lot of fun, the person who'd coded it had done so with the usual sadism drill instructors tended to hold for their trainees.

He and Dryad had been through basic, so that wasn't unfamiliar, but now they were slated to be part of Sage's new, specialized black-ops team, and he had an idea that she was the sadistic programmer behind the battalion of robots he and his twin sister had been dumped in the middle of.

Thanks sis - give me some shrapnel, will ya?

On it.

Dryad, just a few feet to his side, dropped to a knee and slammed her palm into the rock. Her slight frame - Adam might have called her 'willowy' if he'd been inclined to being poetic just then - gave the impression of frailty, but when she pushed, the earth itself moved, and usually in a big way. Thousands of jagged shards of rock burst from the ground at her command, flying up as if blown in an explosion. She could have thrown them herself, but there was something special about debris in a tornado, and the clouds above them swirled dangerously as Adam worked his own particular brand of destruction.

The funnel cloud slammed into the ground with the twins as its epicenter, and drew the rock shards into its incredible winds, turning a 'natural' phenomenon that was dangerous enough on its own into a sandblaster from hell, with 'sand' bits the size of grapefruits. The tornado drew itself up tighter, drawing the hapless robots in with it, then seemed to explode as Adam released his hold on the air currents, sending the shredded 'bots and bits of stone flying, mostly into the bots that had escaped the suction, wreaking even more havoc in the process.

Now that we have some breathing room... he muttered, drawing his hands back as air shimmered again with the effect of extreme high pressure, building again at his call even as rocks and metal rained all around them, but somehow never touched either twin.

... We let the rest of them have it. Adele finished, pulling a small vine from the bag at her side and holding it out at length. The vine burst outward with massive, impossible growth speed, digging into the ground and racing for the targets, where it would ensnare and immobilize them while tiny creeper tendrils dug into the complex circuitry and destroyed the bots from the inside.

Or would have, if the simulation hadn't suddenly frozen, and the imaginary reality shattered around them, leaving them both standing in what was more or less an empty room, with rather battered walls... not everything had been imaginary after all. They exchanged confused looks, but the speaker on the wall from the control room came on first.

"Director is calling for one of you to come escort a prisoner off the 'carrier."

"Gotcha" Adam called back, then glanced over at his sister.

You go, I'll clean up.

Thanks, sis. He kissed her cheek, then turned and jogged for the exit.

---------------------------------------

It took him a couple minutes to swap his sim gear for the standard jumpsuit and equipment, and he was still checking his pistol and the like when he got on the elevator to head down to the holding cells. He didn't need it, generally, but it was poor form to just give anyone that information - someone who was worried about you pulling a gun was less likely to think you might have a power that was more useful than one, after all. By the time the elevator doors slid open, he was just pushing a hand back through his hair before stepping out and walking the short distance to the cell where the call had come from.

He ignored - or at least appeared to ignore - Zemo, and snapped a smart salute to Sage. "Agent Zephyr, as ordered, Director." He didn't hold a stiff military stance, having to allow someone to stand at ease was a time-waster, he was sure, where Sage was concerned, so he lowered his hand and glanced towards the man in the hood for just a moment. So that was the man he was supposed to escort out... former Thunderbolts if he recalled his files correctly. And dangerous enough BEFORE he'd gotten his hands on a Moonstone. Lovely. The only good news was that, because of his stint on the Thunderbolts, SHIELD had good data on him... which would have helped Sage plenty, but helped Adam Westin, a.k.a. Zephyr, who lacked her cyberpathy abilities, not at all. He'd not had time to study every dossier in the files, after all...

[nimrod]

Somewhere among the talk. A message was heard. It sounds a bit rough but this message went across all the channels. Sage got it directly though as she's the one called.


"Sage... we... have a problem... in the mess hall." the agent was coughing and sounds of blood, perhaps bone broken implied the worst. "I think you better come see..."

[Sage]

Rolling her eyes behind her glasses Sage this time did not grace the Baron with a reply to any of his questions, instead she stood in silence just observing the man and waiting for the agent she had called for to report for duty. Even on a day where she was not battered and bruised she would not have put up with this mindless chatter and bombarding of questions...No she would have done something to shut him up by now but given the state she was in she would not risk doing herself any further injury for now no matter how tempting it was.

When Zephyr eventually reported to the holding cells and was stood in front of her Sage moved "Escort our guest back to..." she was cut off as a communication came through her headpiece. Frowning she quickly finished what she had been saying "...to New York...there are other matters i need to attend to" With that she turned on her heel and began to exit the cell as fast as she could given that he legs were still stiff and bruised.

[baronzemo]

Zemo smiled a bit seeing there is but another issue. "What a shame. I did enjoy her time here." Zemo sighed and asked, "Let me out lad? I'm interested in leaving as soon as... oh, forget it..."

Suddenly, Zemo dissapeared in but a flash. Appearing again outside the bars with the man. He turned to his belongings and began retrieving them. "I'm going to have to do something about your director. She's so high strung. She needs many a relaxing, refined thing to pull her away from this horrid, horrid place. After all why should she be all alone with so many things to bother her?"

Zemo was pulling on his belt when he happlessly dropped it. Bah! What a clumsy fellow! Pulling it up and wrapping it around his arm the man crossed his form with his limbs. To then ask, "Oh, what was your name again?" He pulled out his hand and offered it kindly. "I, am Baron Zemo, once of course well known fellow. Good to meet you!"

Probably Zephyr would not offer his hand. No matter. Zemo was just using this as a decoy... for he'd already done something else. From one of the small pockets in his belt he let go a small device the size of a mere fly. It flew off and toward the nearest air-duct. As it went about it followed every sound. Connected to the crown atop the man's head. Zemo happily awaited to track down Sage and see just what he can find out about this disturbance going on down the road.

To give back a bit of precaution. Zemo stood sternly, "Oh! I forget! Here!" He threw the belt over his shoulder and lifted up his sword. "I'm in your custody. What shall we do my good man?"

[Zephyr - Adam Westin]

"Yes, maam." he said, nodding to her at her order. Simple enough... not that he cared for the idea of spending too much time with this guy.... He was an easygoing sort, but hell... Adam watched Sage go, nodding a little bit, and let out a light breath. Great... more issues. He

"Is that so?" Adam said, lifting a brow slightly and seeming unperturbed by his comments about the director. In truth, he was more than just a little bit irritated by that... sure, Sage was hard as hell to work for, but she did her job damn well and she didn't let anyone pull one over on her people... that was enough for him. She wasn't supposed to be his friend, after all...

"I think she does alright." was his sole reply, though, and he shrugged his shoulders a little bit. He wasn't entirely surprised when the man teleported out of his cage - he did remember at least that much of the info on the Moonstone, back on the dossier. It was capable of far more than that too, after all... with his sister he wouldn't have worried nearly as much, but without her.... oh well. They had to operate separately from time to time.

"Agent Zephyr." he said suddenly though, smiling amiably - which was a distinct switch from her earlier dubious expression, but somehow it seemed perfectly natural and easy despite being entirely false. It just so happened he was something of a master when it came to making insincerity seem sincere, and he took the man's hand firmly, giving it a shake. At the same time, though, he felt the tiny device pass through the air near him. He felt the air currents around himself at all times, mostly unconsciously, but he could certainly feel the fly-sized robot and the beat of it's wings... suddenly there was a gust of wind that came from the air ducts, knocking the little robot away - and a light snapping sound. Invisibly, some of that air concentrated into tiny, scalpel-sharp blades that sliced the little thing's wings off, and Zephyr caught it in his free hand as it fell.

"You dropped this, my good man." he said, mimicking Zemo's accent perfectly while still smiling, and he turned Zemo's hand as he finished shaking it, placed the little thing in his hand.He then took both of his away, gesturing for the lift. "Shall we get you off the carrier, Baron? You can keep the sword."

[baronzemo]

There was a pause after his device was destroyed. A raised of the brow and he took the fly spy crushing it. "Well, aren't we gifted?" He was angered, greatly. For to have something so pointlessly removed from play. He turned up to the man showing his distaste. Easily stepping back to the side of this agent and motioning him along.

"I'm in your custody agent and as such you should lead. Do not worry I've no reason to stay other than to have found out what sent your director in such a fuss." He watched the man as he shook his hand where once his device was. Destrying that somewhat made his desire to learn the situation a bit pointless.

A man that controlled wind? Seems interesting but also troubling now. Was that the extent of their members now? Mutants, meta-humans and the such? He now recalled how a long time back the idea of allowing meta-beings into SHIELD was unheard of. How the world changes.

Looking at his newest friend... and annoyance. Zemo glared down to his belt as he adjusts it. "And by all means, Agent. Please me with as charming a personality you have. Obviously, your commander has been training you all so well in the aspect of overconfident and otherwise rude mannerism, speech and fractured expressions. Good for your low-brow conversations?" Zemo smirked as each time he's said the word Agent. It was to be as insulting as possible. In the end, this man wasn't an agent. It was something in his demeanor again that was effected by a plan foiled within a second. A show-off freak that had to ruin a perfectly good 'let's see what's going on' plan. Zemo would hold this grudge for a good, long time.

Yet there was more to every side of Zemo. He was again after information. A younger cadet, a lesser and perhaps more foolish member. He felt it was reasonable to coax him emotionally. Rattle the cages and fork out some information.

"I will say this much. At least when she did it. She earned my respect. You seem like the kind of lesser that has yet to really find his place. Tell me... how far are you really in the organization? Just a rookie, probably...?" Ever calculating. He used what emotional imbalance he had on the man. It's always wise to strike the nerve of people. If Zephyr was so distant and uncaring to the act of this duty. What about trying to make it seem so lowly? Get him to just express his distaste. As well talk about how long he's been here. See how long he took to get where he is. "Oh! I bet you're fresh out of the academy, a month I'd suspect?"

It was also fun pushing a man that generally was ordered to remove Zemo himself. Get him off the ship but not really an order to harm. He was just enjoying the open-endedness of this request. If Zemo was fortunate he can hit a chord and get Zephyr to try and harm him. Oh, what fun that would be. Hehe...

[Zephyr - Adam Westin]

"Gifted?" Adam said, looking thoughtful for a few moments, then he shrugged. "Well, I tested well in school, but they say that sort of thing can be misleading." He smiled easily, apparently not touched by the Baron's anger in the slightest. The man had tried to use a spying device on a SHIELD helicarrier. Sure, that was harmless. He should totally have just let that pass, so the man could look in on classified doings and the like. Yeah right... if Zemo had gotten away with that, Sage would have had his head. He wasn't about to tempt that kind of anger...

"And that's perfectly alright, I can lead, but I'm sure you knew the way, and I thought it might soothe your ego a bit to at least retain the illusion that you were still in control of this situation, Baron." He took the lead as the man gestured, shrugging his shoulders a little bit. "As for where the Director has gone, well I'd say that's her business, and certainly none of yours. I apologize for any rudeness, but I think spying on someone else's business is equally as rude, wouldn't you?" He looked at the man, lifting a brow slightly, an easy grin on his lips. It was an ironic statement, for someone who worked for an espionage agency, but at this point he was just enjoying pushing buttons. Besides, agents tended to talk in such terms... politeness and the like, and all the while trying to find a way to put a knife in the other's back. He kept an eye on Zemo out of the corner of his eye, but mostly he 'watched' by sensing the air currents around the man. Anything he did disturbed the air, which meant if he tried to release any other little toys, Zephyr would be just as ready for that as he was the first time.

He stepped into one of the lifts, waiting for Zemo to enter before he punched in the destination, spending just a moment to consider it - the codes for the various destinations changed almost constantly as a security measure. He was fairly used to it by now, but it never hurt to spend a second or two checking yourself, lest you wind up somewhere... unintended. Zemo was still prodding him for information, though, and he looked back over to the man, lifting a brow slightly in polite curiosity, his face saying exactly what he wanted it to, and exactly what Zemo was expecting - the polite, none-too bright rookie.

Never mind that Adam Westin had spent the better part of his life before he'd ever even thought about joining shield playing people, running con games, lying, and in other general sorts of dishonesty. Baron Zemo had caught himself trying to play a player... Adam would have a nice laugh about it later.

"Six weeks, actually." he said, just a slight edge of perfectly understated irritation in his voice, a slight tightening of the skin around his eyes, the classic, subtle signs that someone's verbal barb had hit it's mark. "And I'm far enough that the Director thinks I can take care of you." A little indignation, more arrogance, but lightly applied, wouldn't hurt either. There was no outward sign of his deception - by all accounts, Zemo had hit dead on the mark. Both angry at the man's condescension, but trying to do his job properly and present the confidence he was supposed to project as an agent.

Smoke signals, of course. Though not too much - true he'd only been with SHIELD for barely a year, but he was also part of Sage's personal team... and while she rode them hard, they were also some of the very best... which was something Zephyr had no intention of letting on. Zemo could suspect whatever he wanted, and maybe the man would even be able to tell Adam was playing him, but he would get no useful information from that, other than learning that Agent Zephyr was apparently slick enough to recognize an attempt to get a rise out of it when he saw one, and to strike back in kind. Interesting, but hardly useful. Plus, Zephyr enjoyed the game at least as much as Zemo did... one reason he'd taken a job with SHIELD was to be able to play it legally, and contribute to world safety at the same time. What could be better?

[baronzemo]

A part of him wanted to toy the boy along. Yet he had no real reason. Then he looked him over rather scrutinizing. It took some time, yet he found something. "Tell me are you an only child?" He smiled a bit. He liked this. There was something in how he stood. There was the overprotective stance of a brotherly person. "Did she become S.H.I.E.L.D. as well?"

Yet it did not really matter. He only was killing his time. Boredom took Zemo. He sighed before long and just walked with Zephyr. "What you did to my spy drone was rather impressive. Although very irritating. I was a hero for a time lad. In fact I'm not really a villain. Just trying to figure out what happened the last three years. Unlike you, I was not suitable for protecting anything after the last few years."

Zemo turned toward a wall. There he raised a brow. "You need to repair that..."

He walked off leaving it as that. Whatever that meant. Then he started slowly to hum something. It was a german nursery rhyme. Something about the Sandman, maybe romanian? In any case he hummed it about and went off following his new friend. Though, Zemo admits to Zephyr, "If something beant on destroying the world fell just now. I would fight to stop it. Does that make me a hero, or just a man that fights for what he believes?" He looked to Zephyr and shrugged, "Why does the mind ask so many things when bored? There, is a million dollar question to be answered!"