Agent Washington (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
parannoyed) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
piper902020-09-22 05:56 pm
parannoyed) wrote in piper902020-09-22 05:56 pm
Entry tags:
A Clear and Consistent Manner | [locked/encrypted] cw: mention of shock punishment in narration
[Wash is quickly learning that Jorgmund isn't the hardest to lie to. One of the benefits of working with middle management in a corporation instead of army leadership, he supposes. They bought that the egg stasis containers Wash tampered with were hit by acid spray during battle, and they even bought his excuse for why they failed the mission objective, why he hadn't acted as a "corrector."]
[Nobody died, after all. Wash pointed out that he'd gone into a conflict where they hadn't even assigned a field leader and walked out with everyone alive. And aren't the New Hires a very expensive and difficult to replace asset, as well? Or else they wouldn't have the shock collars to ensure their compliance.]
[Jorgmund had agreed with his assessment and told him his performance was adequate, and that his assessment of the situation was correct.]
[Then they'd shocked him, told him they expected better than "adequate" in the future and that he wasn't supposed to follow through on a correct tactical assessment unless they told him to.]
[Wash can tell they're trying to soften all they're doing with faux benevolence and nice words with everyone else - why call them "New Hires" if not to make what they're doing seem normal and reasonable? He wonders if they're dispensing with that faux softness with him because they know he's competent enough to see right through it - and because they have an extra bit of leverage to ensure his total obedience regardless of what they do to him. It's a daunting prospect, having to work with people that think there's nothing he'll say no to and who know there's more of chance he'll never fight back than some of the other New Hires.]
[But for now, at the very least he gets to keep both his life and the implant, and now he has to focus on continuing to keep them. To do that, he needs this group to be able to meet their mission objectives (and he doesn't dare risk sabotaging that again). And to do that they need to get their act together. It's not their fault that last mission was disorganized and sloppy, it was Jorgmund's for sending a bunch of brand new agents out there with the regulars, with unfamiliar equipment, and having not even met yet.]
[But it's still a problem that needs to be resolved.]
[It'll also be a lot easier to perform to expectations when they're not randomly getting almost-murdered.]
[After the self-executing encrypted code executes (something he won't tell Jorgmund about on the off chance the resistance here is effective enough to actually get them all out, but will keep in his back pocket if needs it) he gathers intel first, quietly lurking and reading.]
[Then he introduces himself like someone who's used to walking into different situations and immediately bossing everyone around, as ones does (if you're a Freelancer, at least). His voice is clipped and a little stiff, but occasionally dips into dry and sardonic.]
I'm Agent Washington. I may have run into some of you on that mission with the aliens...
[A pause.]
From Aliens.
But otherwise I'm new here. I need a sitrep and an overview of your defense plans so I can recommended improvements.
Also, who's in charge here? I know Jorgmund hasn't appointed anyone formally - because I asked - but you had to have made some kind of decision informally.
[Because the alternative is total anarchy and who lives like that??]
Then again, that mission in Pilton was a disaster, so if you haven't chosen a leader internally, why not?
[Look at Judge Judy all up in here.]
[Nobody died, after all. Wash pointed out that he'd gone into a conflict where they hadn't even assigned a field leader and walked out with everyone alive. And aren't the New Hires a very expensive and difficult to replace asset, as well? Or else they wouldn't have the shock collars to ensure their compliance.]
[Jorgmund had agreed with his assessment and told him his performance was adequate, and that his assessment of the situation was correct.]
[Then they'd shocked him, told him they expected better than "adequate" in the future and that he wasn't supposed to follow through on a correct tactical assessment unless they told him to.]
[Wash can tell they're trying to soften all they're doing with faux benevolence and nice words with everyone else - why call them "New Hires" if not to make what they're doing seem normal and reasonable? He wonders if they're dispensing with that faux softness with him because they know he's competent enough to see right through it - and because they have an extra bit of leverage to ensure his total obedience regardless of what they do to him. It's a daunting prospect, having to work with people that think there's nothing he'll say no to and who know there's more of chance he'll never fight back than some of the other New Hires.]
[But for now, at the very least he gets to keep both his life and the implant, and now he has to focus on continuing to keep them. To do that, he needs this group to be able to meet their mission objectives (and he doesn't dare risk sabotaging that again). And to do that they need to get their act together. It's not their fault that last mission was disorganized and sloppy, it was Jorgmund's for sending a bunch of brand new agents out there with the regulars, with unfamiliar equipment, and having not even met yet.]
[But it's still a problem that needs to be resolved.]
[It'll also be a lot easier to perform to expectations when they're not randomly getting almost-murdered.]
[After the self-executing encrypted code executes (something he won't tell Jorgmund about on the off chance the resistance here is effective enough to actually get them all out, but will keep in his back pocket if needs it) he gathers intel first, quietly lurking and reading.]
[Then he introduces himself like someone who's used to walking into different situations and immediately bossing everyone around, as ones does (if you're a Freelancer, at least). His voice is clipped and a little stiff, but occasionally dips into dry and sardonic.]
I'm Agent Washington. I may have run into some of you on that mission with the aliens...
[A pause.]
From Aliens.
But otherwise I'm new here. I need a sitrep and an overview of your defense plans so I can recommended improvements.
Also, who's in charge here? I know Jorgmund hasn't appointed anyone formally - because I asked - but you had to have made some kind of decision informally.
[Because the alternative is total anarchy and who lives like that??]
Then again, that mission in Pilton was a disaster, so if you haven't chosen a leader internally, why not?
[Look at Judge Judy all up in here.]
no subject
Besides, no one can look authoritative when they’re dressed like GenX ran them over with a Spencer’s. ]
Hey Wash! You’re late. Brainy’s here, but nobody’s in charge. It’s more like a Ouija board at a slumber party - nobody and everybody’s steering the decisions.
video
...And I'm supposed to know who that is?
video
[ Although the fact that he’s even asking kinda gives away that he doesn’t. ]
Brainiac 5, the - actually, if you want his credentials, we’re taking this conversation offline.
[ “The Legion of Superheroes resident supergenius and the guy who got us all an optional way home the last time we were getting sucked into rips in the very fabric of time and space” is a fantastic description and would certainly put Querl under more Jorgmund scrutiny, so Robbie won’t put it on an open feed. ]
But he’s kind of a big deal. You really don’t know who he is? Did you take too many zaps at orientation?
Re: video
[He ignores the statement about the zaps because... because orientation is a bit of a blur.]
no subject
Because you were - or will be, more likely, his teammate. There’s probably some time displacement going on, but I guess it could also be a multiverse mixup.
[ It occurs to him that if Agent Washington doesn’t know Brainy, then he also doesn’t know Robbie. ]
I’m Robbie Baldwin. [ He gives the screen a mock salute. ] Let me know if you start feeling déjà vu all over again.
no subject
[It's complicated but he's also seen Back to the Future and talked to some of the other people here who are clearly from alternate dimensions. It's not a tough jump to "there might be alternate me's."]
no subject
[ It’s not a far leap, and Robbie expects Wash to handle it, because he’s generally good at handling messes. ]
It’s the only explanation for you not knowing me, because I’m positive we’ve butted heads on appropriate use of force enough for you to remember me, if you could. I guess selective amnesia is an option, but when does that happen outside of a soap opera?
no subject
That never happened to me.
[Now he's worried - how much does this guy know about him? Did he gain enough of a sense of him to guess what he's planning on doing? He tries his best to play it cool.]
I don't know if this other version of me was friends or not [He guesses it's "or not" if they butted heads] but whatever he was to you, we'll have to start over.
no subject
[ Robbie shrugs. Regardless of previous arguments with OG Wash, he still thought he was a good guy. ]
Other you was all right. That sounds lame, but he was a team player. People liked him - I made a joke once that I’d let him catsit, and I meant it. I definitely don’t trust a lot of people with Niels. We just didn’t see eye-to-eye on some things. So I’m fine with hitting the reset button.
[ But he’s also going to make a conscious effort to not lose his mind over how Agent Washington approaches things. It will be somewhat easier, given that they’re not taking an oath to the ideals of an intergalactic superhero team whose members are already blamed for things going pear-shaped.
And he’s not personally going to start shooting first, asking questions later. ]
Clean slate all around.
no subject
[The description of him - of other him - gives him pause. That sounds like how he used to be. And feels like something he'll never be again.]
[A trustworthy team player. Right.]
We probably have a different history or something. That's how alternate timelines work, right? Or he's from a point in my past.
[He can't see that in his future.]
So a clean slate it is. It's good to meet you, Robbie.
[He has to try at this whole... socializing thing. He has to relearn it.]
no subject
[ He grins and tips an imaginary hat. ]
Nice to meet you too, Agent Washington? Can I call you Wash, because I’m going to do it anyway. Five syllables is four much to ask.