Stage Right: ID Expired
January 28, 2017
Bnillim had watched the airborne transport – quinjet – take off from the building with the large English-language ‘A’ on it. It was referred to as Avengers’ Tower, which Bnillim had read on the public information network. On a private information network, one which the users felt was highly secure but which had been simple for Bnillim to access, was information regarding the activities of the Avengers. Bnillim had come to understand that many humans held a fascination for those with more power than they themselves had. Some found an outlet for that interest by tracking the movements of the Avengers and speculating on their motives and even details of their lives.
Some of it was useless, and pointlessly familiar. Others, in particular information provided by of a few specific users, was insightful and gave Bnillim an advantage in observing and assessing potential allies for the planned retrieval of the shard. With information obtained from that site, he had learned that the Avengers, in particular The Vision and The Captain of America, had left for a place called Chile and a potential combat over mishandled or illegally sold or – according to woodwarded007 – traded for political favors – weaponry. Bnillim had waited behind in New York, determining that it was probable they would return before covert transportation to the distant location could be obtained. In addition, the Man of Iron – also called Tony Stark and Sexiest Man Alive and Richest Man on Earth and Entitled Asshole and Anthony Edward Stark – had remained in the Tower. Natasha’s whereabouts were unknown, which both stymied and excited the internet community and concerned Bnillim.
Hawkeye and his family remained at the rural training facility. Bnillim found the human man’s status unsettling. He was fully human and ordinary in every way but still revered among the humans for his skill and his dedication. He had been suborned by enemies, but overcome it. And he was a father. Bnillim had known only one Father, to find another so committed to the safety and continued existence of his species was a correlation that merited further examination. On the information network, ellisisateabagger had much to say about Hawkeye’s abilities and his apparent disappearance from public life. Although studying Clinton Clint Hawkeye Dad had merit, Bnillim recognized that covert movement in the sparsely populated area around the facility – especially by a figure of unnatural coloring and density – would be difficult.
The children of Clinton Francis Barton were also extremely observant. Bnillim was not yet ready to be revealed to the Avengers, so avoidance of Lila Jelly Bean and Cooper Butthead was warranted.
Neither woodwarded007 nor ellisisateabagger had any insights into the strange observational powers of immature humans.
Fortuitously, the quinjet had returned only a few hours after it had left. As the quinjet remained stationed on the landing pad, Bnillim too had stayed in place to observe.
At one hour and fifty-eight minutes past midnight (the change from one calendar day to another), the Captain of America exited the Tower on his two-wheeled transport – motorcycle – and returned toward his dwelling elsewhere in the City at an inadvisable speed.
The Soldier walked the perimeter of each of the five restricted roof areas.
Tony Sexiest Asshole Stark made plant-based nutrient drinks and then initiated mating overtures to CEO Virginia Pepper Potts. Illumination in their dwelling unit was extinguished at two thirty-three ante meridian, local time.
The Soldier, wearing dark civilian clothing, walked the exterior of the Tower, pausing to study several individuals and forcing one person into a darkened alcove. Only the Soldier emerged.
Falcon Staff Sergeant Samuel Wilson engaged visually and manually with an entertainment device – his avatar discovered eighty-seven rupees, origin and value unknown. He entered a rest cycle at four o’clock, as time was stated in the local vernacular.
The Sergeant exited the elevator and spoke with the security guards in the lobby. He took the elevator up again.
Happy, whose designation was varied only by the intonation with which it was uttered or the respect and lack of designation by those who Bnillim determined to be of a lessor status, exited the building at five forty-five, spoke for approximately six minutes with security personnel, purchased a newspaper, reentered the building, collected a beverage from the repository inside, then spent twenty minutes reading until he was joined by Natasha. Bnillim had seen her arrive, neither the time nor from what direction. They moved deeper into the building together.
At six forty-one, The Vision and Witch Wanda emerged onto the highest open level of the Tower. They stood together, unspeaking, until the sun rose above the horizon. The Vision angled his body to block wind for Witch Wanda. Her dead hair cells were restrained. Bnillim was grateful for the restraint and confused by the protective posturing. They returned inside, although The Vision spent sixty-one seconds visually scanning his surroundings before following Witch Wanda.
James Bucky Buck Buchanan Barnes exited the building from the secure point of egress, intimidated a man waiting by a black car, then took up an unobtrusive position across the street. A female human of no known association with the Avengers pulled a red case behind her, smiled at the waiting man, and then drove away with him. She did not appear to have noticed the Sergeant, the Soldier, James Barnes, Winter Soldier. James Bucky Buck Buchanan Barnes stretched his biological limbs and then began running down the sidewalk. No one seemed to find his behavior strange.
At seven fifty-eight an immature human that Bnillim had not previously cataloged as relevant to the Avengers turned on the illumination in Tony Sexiest Asshole Stark’s dwelling, disposed of the remains of a nutrient drink, ate a yellow fruit while staring out the window in Bnillim’s precise direction, then walked out of view. The experience, combined with The Vision’s seeming awareness of an observer, sent Bnillim down from a rooftop and into a Starbucks where the patrons did not try to look past dark clothing, face veil or head scarf. There Bnillim could enjoy the scent of herbal tea and honey that could be pretended to be drank while watching the secure entrance to the Tower.
Although Bnillim was, with each observation of these heroes of Earth, more assured of their adherence to justice and good, the magnetic bewilderment inspired by their behaviors also grew.
Bnillim could not risk being caught before determining the best way to approach the Avengers and engage their assistance. Pulling out a covertly acquired mobile computing device and accessing the Starbucks wiFi (IEEE Standard 802.11), Bnillim posed the question to the private information network:
How would one best secure the attention of one or more of the individuals known as the Avengers?
There were many suggestions, most of which involved destruction of public and private property. Some were followed by graphic detail of what do do once stated attention was garnered. Those descriptions were likely fantastical and suspected mildly taboo. None were suitable. HYDRA had been surreptitious with their use of the shard, but that behavior was certain to change if they – by some implausible means – managed to unlock its full potential for destruction. Urgency warred with caution. Bnillim waited for suggestions from the two users who had been most constructive in the past.
Woodward007 requested more information. A logical step.
Ellisisateabagger stated that the approach would have to be tailored to the Avenger. A most wise individual, this ellisisateabagger.