They're Checking Out Your Savoir Faire ((Open to Quinn))

[symkarian_princess]

Nika sat in a small cafe with her text book open on the small table in front of her. She had a cup of something that at least did not taste like tar. The place she was in was slightly rustic, but it was at least not dilapidated. She did not have to worry about a ceiling beam try to crush like she had 24 hours ago.

She had her back to a wall and occasionally glanced toward the either the kitchen or the front door. She sipped her not-tar as she waited.

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[symkarian_princess]

Nika reached into one of the small side pockets on her stachel. She pulled out a small card. She glanced it over before holding it out to him. Mostly to know which airstrip they were supposed to go to herself. She had five random ones listed on cards in that pocket.

"Go here. I'll meet you, and we'll get to your test in earnest." While he was going to grab his things, she would have the aircraft coming in from Symkaria land at the picked airfield.

[i_can_hit_that]

Quinn headed home and he was glad that Tina was at the office when he arrived. He wanted to talk to her but he really didn't want to fight. He decided to write her a note.

Tina,

I love you. I need you to know that above all else. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm going away for a few days so that you can think. I will call you as soon as I'm on my way home.

Quinn

He grabbed his pack out of the closet and his rifle case and headed out the door after saying goodbye to Grumpy.

Quinn arrived at the airfield per the card and looked for Nika.

[symkarian_princess]

Nika was standing next to one of her mother's old Silver Swans on the airstrip. While the silver stealth jet was not the top of the line for SSI, it would suit their purposes currently. Also, this would give Nika a chance to see how it works and if she could finagle it away from her mother.

She had her hands stuffed in her pants pockets when she spotted Quinn. She waved him over.

[i_can_hit_that]

Quinn made his way over to Nika with his bags and whistled as he saw the jet. SHIELD's stuff was good, but this was sleek and very easy on the eyes.

"I'm ready to go when you are, Boss Lady." Quinn grinned.

[symkarian_princess]

"My gear is already loaded in the Silver Swan. Until we have certification for flight, we'll have to use a former SBS man as the pilot." Nika was going to gloss over that the pilot was her combat instructor. It felt a bit too much like a babysitter to her.

She nodded to the jet after looking at the bags he was carrying. "Go ahead and get settled in. Then you can tell me what armaments you're using."

[i_can_hit_that]

"Got it." Quinn said, and got on the plane.

Once they were settled, he answered her.

"I have a Barrett .50 caliber rifle as well as a Glock .45 and I'm extremely accurate with both. Your file probably tells you that I'm a mutant. I've got a couple of skills that help me with my aim." Quinn told her.

"I also have several throwing knives I use when I'm trying to not to do lethal damage." he said.

[symkarian_princess]

Nika settled into one of the slightly plush chairs as the gang plank raised and the pilot prepared for take-off. She hummed slightly as she considered Quinn's armaments and skills.

"A sharpshooter better than me. Now there's a challenge." She smiled slightly. She would also not mention the last sniper person on her team had quit the company because of her. Well, her and his own attitudes about corporate confidentiality.

"Any special designs on your throwing knives?" She mostly asked because her mother had her own distinctive knives, and then there was her adopted "brother" of sorts with his own throwing knives. She almost wondered if thrown pointiness was gathering around her.

[i_can_hit_that]

"No, no special designs. My previous training taught me to avoid that sort of thing because that's how you get people like SHIELD, and now us, I guess, put on your trail." Quinn said.

"You're a markswoman, huh? Nice. I thought you were more of the point-woman type, but it's cool seeing someone with multiple talents." he said.

[symkarian_princess]

"Well, once your business with SHIELD clears up, you can work with Felicity or our fabrication department if you want something with your own signature style." Provided he would still want to be a mercenary at that point, but Nika thought the allure of the gray areas and a company that gave second chances brought loyalty. Provided she, herself, did not manage to scare this marksman away.

"While my sister will be your field team leader, I will be a part of the team as well. Mother wants me to learn every facet of the business. She and Dad trained me from an early age in hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, marksmanship, and gymnastics." She puffed out a breath and raised her eyebrows. "That makes me sound more tired than I am."

[i_can_hit_that]

"We'll see how this goes. If we can help each other out, then we can discuss a longer partnership." Quinn said. Veronika seemed cool so far but he didn't want to commit to anything yet.

He nodded as she talked about how her parents trained her for this life and laughed a bit.

"Tired? No. At least your parents agreed with your choice, though. My old man was against me joining SHIELD from the moment it came up. Mom taught me some things here and there but Dad and I had a big blowout right before I left for training. Haven't spoken to him since." Quinn said sadly. He felt bad about that but he knew his father wouldn't understand.

Clint Barton was one of the most stubborn people on Earth and everyone knew it, especially Mom. Mom was even more stubborn than Dad, though.

Quinn came by his determination honestly, it was said.

[symkarian_princess]

Nika shrugged. "You get paid on a per mission basis. So however long you wish to stay is up to you."

She didn't mind the caution. She would take cautious people on her team. It balanced out the impervious bulls like Fin.

"Mm. It wasn't so much a choice as an upbringing. I am Silver Sable's only biological child. I have more expectations put on me than my half-siblings in that regard. Even if they say I'm spoiled." She rolled her eyes. Then she smirked slightly before sobering her countenance. "I'm sorry to hear about your rift with your father. The one story Mother likes to tell of him makes him an interesting yet slightly bullheaded character."

[i_can_hit_that]

"Yeah, Dad's had some adventures and he's a pretty passionate guy. That's a gentle way to put it." Quinn said.

"I'm an only child myself. Um...how many siblings do you have?" he asked.

[symkarian_princess]

"'Some adventures.' That's a bit of an understatement itself." Nika chuckled. She started unzipped her jacket to get more comfortable, revealing the tactical corset she was wearing underneath.

"I have two half siblings and an interesting adopted brother on my Dad's side. You'll meet Lisa soon enough, my brothers... possibly never. They're busy in Japan."

[i_can_hit_that]

"I've never been to Japan. I know a few people who have, though. It was one of my assignment choices when I made it into SHIELD. So was Madripoor." Quinn said.

[symkarian_princess]

"I've been a few times. Nagano is lovely mountain country. My brothers are a part of a different family's business. It keeps them busy." Mostly dealing with the Hand, but her family business dealt with HYDRA. Nika couldn't really quibble about it.

"What countries outside the the U.S. have you been to?"

[i_can_hit_that]

"I've been to London, Germany and Italy so far. I want to check out France in the future. My girlfriend and I talked about it but I don't know if she's going to want to go now. I'll iron that out one way or the other pretty soon." Quinn said.

"I wanted to see Tokyo, too. It looks so busy and I like places like that with a lot of things to do and see." he said.

[symkarian_princess]

"Well, you may get Tokyo yet. Along with jobs in the Americas, we will occasionally get jobs in Asia that Mother cannot cover for whatever reasons." Nika glanced toward the cockpit and then out the window. The cloudy patches were not helping her estimation of where they were. She shrugged and pulled a hard case out from under her seat. She brought the case up onto her lap.

"How is your girlfriend taking the revelations you're giving her?" the Symkarian asked as she popped the clasps on the case.

[i_can_hit_that]

Quinn liked the idea of seeing Tokyo. He'd get to cross it off the list and maybe, if Tina forgave him, they could go back together.

"She didn't take it well the other night. She said I lied to her, which I did. But I felt it was for her own good. She didn't agree with that." he said.

"When you get into this life, you understand that most people aren't going to understand what you do because of how the media portrays government organizations and mercenaries." he said.

[symkarian_princess]

"I grew up in a country that loves its mercenaries. Mostly because its mercenaries fund the economy more than our exports of sheep and keeps the peace with the neighboring Latveria." She shrugged. Nika was only bothered by negativity when it came from her employees.

"The rest of the world can bite their preconceptions. I have similar sentiments about how 'people' think about transdimensional aliens and mutants."

She pulled out a rifle stock to a Henry Arms AR-7, an unloaded Sig Sauer P226, and an unloaded Glock G17. She set the empty guns and rifle stock on a small table by her elbow.

[i_can_hit_that]

Quinn looked at the guns in question and whistled appreciatively. Those were not cheap pieces of hardware. Most people he knew would kill to get even one of them, much less all three.

"Hey, I don't agree too much with people's perceptions about mutants and others. I think if people learned to chill out a bit, we'd have less Doctor Dooms in the world. But that's just my opinion." Quinn said.

"What's it like living near Doctor Doom? I've heard some stories about the guy and none of them are good but I guess he has to be doing something right if his people let him stay in power." he said.

[symkarian_princess]

Nika pulled out the clips for the Sig Sauer and Glock. She set one by each gun and put the spares into pouches looped into her clothing. She glanced at Quinn when he whistled at her hardware.

"If you pass your tests, we'll outfit you with top-of-the-line hardware. I'll have requisition forms available. Our tech can also make custom things." She quirked an eyebrow at having less Dr. Dooms. She was aware most of the world, in general, were afraid or despised him. She had a different view on him considering the long-standing respect between Doom and her mother.

"Peaceful and quiet for the most part," Nika answered with a shrug. "Except when superheroes go next door to thwart something or other. It stays that way while mother has her yearly peace accord dinners with Dr. von Doom."