Summary:In the aftermath of the cyberattack on the Triskelion, Agents gather. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The alarms went off not long ago and The Triskelion went into lock down. The information that has come to hand is a major cyberattack was launched. On New York and SHIELD, as well as other government agencies and commercial entities.
But SHIELD has been hit and one of the servers has been found to be infected with nanites.
Jemma Simmons was quarantined when the hack went down, given it's already been established that someone or something has been able to use her systems to get access to data.
The biochem is standing just inside the Computer Room, while techs go through the data and find out just how bad the exploit has been.
At the first signal something is going down, Clint Barton had stepped out of his cubicle office that he shared with Groucho, frowning as he looked over his shoulder. "Hang tight here, you hear screaming you hunker down behind the desk."
To which his officemate scowls, "Like hell, Barton." There's a ka-click as he draws his sidearm and chambers a round. "You do what you gotta, I'll secure the floor and the arms closet."
Looking back at the fellow he shares an office with, Clint quirks an eyebrow with a wry smile, "Alright man, alright. Be careful." A look up and down, "Or should I say good hunting."
That said he had rushed on out of the room, heading down the hallway. The armory would be sealed. He had his required sidearm. But if this was an actual thing then he'd need… the bow he left out in the range. Sometimes being lazy pays off. It was there that he went, busting through the double doors quickly and then taking the collapsible bow in hand, slinging the quiver over his shoulder. He left just as quickly, moving past the staff that were there, and heading down towards the labs. Since if anything was going down some of the more sensitive bits were down there.
When he arrived, half-jogging down the hallway and got within view that was when the lockdown all clear came and the lights shifted back. So that he was approaching the doors to the lab in that instant and he arrives just in time to say, "Ain't that the thing."
Frowning at a case come recently across his desk from over in the Disaster Zone, Steve flips the printed piece of paper to reveal further information. Yes, the entire report is somewhere within the coded files of the Triskelion's server, but the Captain has been a believer in hard-copies in his own filing cabinets since —
The claxons go off and he looks up with a sharp, silent inhale. It's not like a bombing raid back in the war, but he immediately throws down the file to his desk before whipping around to the door of his office. The shield stashed to one side is snatched up, an extension of his body at this point.
In the hallway, heads are peeking out and the majority of them look to him in his deep-green button-down and tan slacks. "Stick to your offices, we'll have further orders soon," he says over the moderate-loud blaring. A gesture of a settling palm towards the length of the hallway indicates to be calm and collected. He walks towards the main exit into the hub and finds the door bolted down.
Hmm. Wonderful.
Pulling his keycard from his shirt pocket, Steve tries swiping it. With his level of access, he can override it and steps through. Immediately, he too heads for the labs — if there's trouble, it's either headed there or started there.
The Captain arrives shortly after Clint, coming around the corner to hear him comment. "What thing's the thing?" His jog slows to a halt beside the archer, a concerned frown on his face.
"I understand that, Mister London but we need you to look anyway. You were cleared by Agent Barton and May's investigation and we're only asking you to look at non critical systems." Someone is saying as two more people approach the lab.
"Air gap the critical ones if you haven't already. I'll take a look, when all the credentials have gone through. In the mean time I'm cleared for the lab systems so I'll start there- Oh! Hey. Clint. Steve"
Jeriah nods as another agent moves off in a different direction. "I just heard that someone tried to hack SHIELD in a big, big way. I guess the labs are a priority to secure? Is the door unlocked or do they still have it closed off?"
Agent May was tapped to assist with physical building perimeter security when the lockdown occurred, and is just now getting to check in with the Computer Room and the agents working to figure out the cause. She arrives a moment after Barton and Rogers do, but unlike the men she doesn't immediately speak up. Instead, she just raises an eyebrow at their nonsensical conversation and continues on through to zero in on Jemma.
She'll (privately) admit that most of the computer things are quickly exceeding her ability to keep up with them, but that's why there are others to do that. She's here to get the doors open and make sure only the correct people are allowed through.
Are the doors closed off still?
"Someone needs to check Simmons out. We're not allowing her access to anything till that's done." That's to Jeriah's back as he starts to move off.
Jemma just sighs, looking defeated. It's going to be like this till they work out what's happening with her.
"Hello Agents Roger, Barton and May." She finally greets them. "Long story short, someone DDoS'd New York and used the confusion to hack the Triskelion. They might have hacked elsewhere but we've closed down external comms until we're sure we're clear."
Air gapping in the biggest way possible.
The incident had taken minutes and the rooms and labs are unlocked.
Giving Jemma a nod, Clint listens at her brief and nods, grimacing at the situation. Tech isn't his forte in this capacity, but there are folks here to handle that.
Rounding back, Clint greets Jeriah and Steve with a nod. Then espies May beyond them and lifts a hand in greeting. He turns back and murmurs, "We hold here until we need to redeploy." Or if someone with enough rank or brass to their name makes the call.
He stays near the door, near the hallway. Cover, long sight lines. Of course that's the spot where he 'perches'. "Always a relief when Cap is around though. Just do what he's doing or wait for him to tell you to do otherwise." Clint's flow chart of operational actions is rather stream-lined in that regard.
"Clint's got an eye on things," Steve confirms as to the archer, looking back to the others from initially eyeing the archer's set-up. The Captain eyes the labs and thins his lips. "'m not qualified to be looking around in the systems. I can get around the Internet just fine, but 'm no hacker. If Nat wasn't off-site, I'd call her in."
His eyes flick to May and Jeriah in particular. "No report of anyone physically present on-site? All of this from off the grounds of the building?"
"Not that they've told me but I'm not priority for that kind of information. Clint, could you help me with Jemma?" He's already getting a cord to hook her up to a system that can analyze her logs but he needs someone like Clint or May or Cap to verify that she wasn't in some way responsible.
"Have a seat Jemma. Let me plug you in and we'll take a look at what we've got here."
Protocol, not that Jeriah will know it, is to sweep the area for physical infiltrators as well and the Lab has a number of hidey holes in it that COULD be used to stash someone. The fact that Jemma is at least for the moment suspect means that all of those hidey holes probably SHOULD be checked by May and Rogers.
With a nod to Jemma as she explains the situation, May hopefully clarifies things a bit for Steve. "From what I've gathered, remote attacks are more dangerous than physically present ones."
She didn't miss that comment aimed at Jeriah's back, and she mentally notes the agent that said it.
"Rogers, assist with Simmons, I'll start a physical sweep." It's what she's been doing for the past several minutes anyway, and it is protocol. She also knows that Barton will see things she might possibly miss, hence not pulling him from the spot he's already chosen.
"Someone got to the server." The tech confirms to the group. "We haven't had time to do much but try and contain the infiltration. Jenkins and Aster did an amazing job at keeping them out." He gestures to a man and a woman who seem to be … discussing … over by one of the computers. "Even if Jenkins wanted to set an EMP off inside the place."
That would have been bad.
There are several hidey holes that should be checked in the area. It will keep them busy doing that. The only thing that they find is markings on the cabinet where one of the servers has been contained.
Jemma sits, not saying a word. Clint or Cap will help Jeriah, as the biochem turns they access the port in her neck. This is *almost* an indignity.
Starting to step away from his point of observation, Clint says, "Alright, Cap. Hey Doc where do you keep your SCSI port?" Hah, interface humor. But then he catches May's eye and gives a nod, "Actually gonna hold here."
He slips back into position, and casually reaches back toward the bottom of his quiver, unclicking a small arrow head from its spot and flipping it down the hall in the direction away from the elevator where it clicks on with a faint red LED. Just in case to cover the approach that is more likely to be his blindside.
Over his shoulder he lifts a hand, "Don't mind me."
While the possibility of a physical presence (person or technology alike) in several mouse-holes about the spread of labs is addressed, the Captain lingers nearby. Even if he's never up to his elbows in coding in the laboratory, he should be able to conform any odd instances of influence about the young woman.
A glance over his shoulder is aimed at Clint and his hand gesture. "Nobody's getting past you, William Tell," he comments lightly in their usual vein of banter. His attention comes back to the situation before him and he adjusts his grip on the shield unconsciously, not looking to set it aside just yet. It's…uncanny, seeing the port point on Simmons' neck.
Appearing to not be bothering with weapons, May starts checking every possible nook and cranny in the area for anything that doesn't belong: USB drives, odd small electronic items, people, animals, squirrelled away snacks, dust bunnies … quite literally anything. And she's not just checking those spaces that might be easy to reach. She's checking EVERYTHING. It could take her a few minutes, but she's leaving no proverbial stone unturned.
And a couple of literal ones, too, used as paperweights.
Jeriah plugs Jemma in and then starts to run the log retrieval. It shows up on the screen near Steve. "Alright. Does any of that look like communications she shouldn't have been making?" It should be pretty easy to tell even for someone born in the early 20's.
There's a juddering in one of the filing cabinets that may can see. It looks like something or someone is bumping the door. It's not very loud but it keeps shaking in ways it shouldn't. Clint can see it too. In fact he can also see the gleam of something red inside the door. Just for a moment. A red light peeking out of the crack between the door and the base of the cabinet.
The logs on Jemma show nothing untoward for the timeframe in question. Steve can certainly see the previous incidents that have caused the biochem to become suspect but they're accounted for already.
"I don't have any blackouts, Jeriah, Steve." Jemma tells them as she sits there.
That she's not happy about this is so very clear.
"Oh this is so not good." Comes the update from the tech. "They've gone through thousands of files in our databases and … nearly every instance of the word 'superiority' has been scrubbed."
As for May, she collects a number of things but nothing that seems to untowards. It's the server cabinet that should catch her attention - it's not obvious except to someone looking carefully - there's marks around the latch and lock.
Grimacing to himself, Barton thumbs over the controls for the bow's interface, causing the quiver on his back to whir faintly as an arrowhead is affixed and made ready with a faint flash of green above the archer's thumb.
At the juddering in the filing cabinet, Clint slides the arrow free of the quiver and nocks it, tilting his head sidelong in Cap's direction though he doesn't look away from his perch quite yet. Perhaps in case it's a distraction, perhaps because he trusts the man can handle it, he does ask however, "You got that Cap?"
He checks the other way down the hall, but keeps an eyeball mainly towards the elevator.
Steve squints at the feed of information that comes up on the screen. He scans it and sighs. "She's right. Nothing out of the norm that I can see." However, the scouring of May and the sudden noises from the cabinet itself have him orienting beyond the desk. He signs with one hand to Clint confirmation of dealing with this errant, unpleasant surprise and brings up the shield even as he glides around towards the cabinet in question. Red lights are generally not good things, after all.
"Ready if someone wants to pop the drawer," he murmurs, crouching and readying the shield for throwing.
May looks over at the filing cabinet, then glances to Barton and back. He's already aware and already responding. Good. She also tilts her head very slightly toward the server cabinet whose lock and latch don't look as pristine as the rest. But, first things first.
She steps near silently toward the cabinet, then after a look and nod toward the two men prepared for whatever might pop out, she reaches over and yanks the cabinet open.
If this thing explodes in her face, she is totally blaming AIM. Because they deserve to get blamed for everything.
The elevator dings… and a couple of agents get off it. Whew. But then May opens the cabinet.
And it does explode. Sort of. Something LEAPS out of it and it may take a moment to recognize it as a large robotic dog. It's got something in it's mouth which it drops on May as it possibly bowls her over. Definitely bowls into the space she was standing.
It isn't, fortunately, leaping ONTO her. Not on purpose. It seems more pleased to have been let out of the closet.
Jeriah spins. "The hell are YOU doing here!" He demands of the bot, as if it could answer him. "Get off Agent May!"
Hopefully there's not already six arrows and a shield stuck in it.
Something leaps out of the cabinet at her, and May is already pulling a blade from inside one sleeve. It's a small throwing knife, though, and rather pointless against Jeriah's robotic dog. It manages to knock her onto her back on the floor, and she mostly reflexively reaches to grab the whatever it is out of the dog's mouth with one hand while trying to push it aside and out of her way with her knife hand. If the object in the quadruped's mouse is sensitive information, that could look very suspicious indeed.
"If this thing drools on me, London…"
"Ack!" Jemma jumps as the bot explodes from the cabinet. Hopefully it doesn't upset Jeriahs diagnostics of her system. "What the hell, Jeriah? Can't you keep control of them. Where's the kitten?"
The techs in the area startle as well. It takes a moment for everything to settle down.
"What have you got, Harris?" Jemma finally asks trying to refocus the group onto the task at hand.
"There's a file, Simmons, that's been corrupted. It's the operation report of the a 2018 operation to bring down a Russian shadow organization named Prevoskhodstvo."
That may mean something to May, Rogers and Barton - it was a joint SHIELD / US Army operation. Some of them *might* have been involved. What those who know a bit of russian will know - Prevoskhodstvo is russian for Superiority.
Is is coincidental that all the files have had that word scrubbed and that file in particular has been corrupted?
The elevator sounds and then those two agents get off of it… only to be greeted with Clint giving them a nod and a smile, while lifting the bow up angling it toward the ceiling to signify that they're in no danger. Though they might get a weird look on their faces.
Under his breath Clint murmurs, 'pew pew.'
But then he takes a deep breath and says sidelong, "Oh good," He finally looks and adds, "Doggy." A nod is given as if he had expected that. He did not expect that.
Sidelong he offers, "This sounds like it might not be an AIM thing. Or mebbe a distraction."
Recognition of the canine-like bot itself is all that spares it from being bisected by a throw of the shield — that, and it'd be destructive to everything behind the robot to boot. Steve sighs as he straightens and shoots a silent if disappointed look at Jeriah in particular.
Tsk.
"When I'm doing SHIELD work, no I can't. Since I can only maintain so many active connections. So the bots tend to wander." Jeriah says flatly. He gestures to the bot to go sit in the corner as he feels the weight of the Steve Rogers most potent weapon. His disapproval.
The dog lets go of the item in it's hand - a cats collar with a little bell - and surrenders it to May as it goes to sit in the corner looking dejected if at all possible.
"There's more here…" Jeriah says, frowning. "The hack, or program, interfaced with a bunch of stuff SHIELD got from Homeland. It's all related to a recent reactor explosion." He looks up and glances at Clint in particular. "I was on that response team. They detected traces of exotic plasma on the equipment that malfunctioned. Stuff that shouldn't have been there. I wonder if it's connected to the Russian stuff…"
He pauses and then glances down again. "It looks like the hack originated in Iraq. Ick. A bad part of Iraq."
May looks at the collar the robotic dog left in her hand with a faint frown, then gets back to her feet quickly enough. The small knife is hidden back under her sleeve, and the collar gets tucked into a pocket.
"There's a reason for so obvious pattern. Simmons, you're clear, see if you can find out why those files in particular were targeted."
She gives the unhappy looking robot dog one last look, then moves over to the server cabinet with the scuffed up lock and latch. This needs closer scrutiny as well.
Aaaand the bad news keeps coming. "That server was infected with nanites." Harris gestures to a box that has been placed under a hood. "We've quarantined it but we're going to need to get someone to look at it. We don't know what they are or what they do."
"How did that happen?" Jemma's voice rises in consternation. "I don't know if it's distraction, Agent Barton but AIM hasn't used any of these tactics." It's then the last piece of bad new drops.
"Oh my god … the SHIELD team in IRAQ has been taken out. They didn't stand a chance. We need to send another team in."
One that is better at this sort of thing - clearly.
Grimacing as he steps away from his perch and turning inward to consider the laboratory and the people there, Clint frowns and offers the comment of, "When it rains it pours," Shaking his head he shoots a look at each of the people in turn, gaze drifting to each in turn.
"I'm going to take a lap around the area, see what I can see. Then I'll make the rounds." His attention slips back towards May. "I hear anything I'll get you on the horn." That said he steps back to the door and through it.
And even though things seem to have calmed down to a degree, he keeps the bow drawn with an arrow nocked.
"I'm going to dig through this data if I can. Shit this is a mess…" Jeriah says as he starts to manipulate the damaged files. There's a lot that they can potentially tell them. But it's going to take time to sort it all out.
When May moves next, the dog gets up to follow her. And because Jeriah is busy, he doesn't notice.
May studies the cabinet, then looks to one of the other agents in the area. "How often is this cabinet accessed? And who would have primary access?" She looks ready to open the cabinet herself, and isn't really paying attention to the robotic dog either, though some part of her mind has registered that it's following her.
She tilts her head to study the lock mechanism more closely. Do the scuff marks look like a clumsy person with a key made them, or tools that aren't keys?
"We're running the surveillance footage on this area now, Agent May." Harris confirms and brings it up. It takes a short while to go through it but Jemma points and says "STOP. There. Look. Jeriah, does that look familiar?"
Indeed it does to both of them. Anyone not knowing what they were looking for would think it was an artifact on the film. It's not. It's black smoke.
The same black smoke that was seen at the power plant and the bridge. "We were infiltrated by … that mutant." Jemma looks aghast.
"We'll keep looking but we need a team to get to Iraq, now."
Looks like it's going to be a busy time for the next little while.