Universal Displacement

Keep It Secret, Keep It S-Well, Crap

When Jane had finally listened to the messages left by her intern Darcy, she became a fidgeting mess in the lab. She would pick up her phone every few seconds, glance at the screen and then set it back down. Her eyes would dart to the clock on the wall as she gnawed on her lower lip. Eventually the rest of the team noticed her distress, even Tony who was the most sleep deprived and consumed by the task at hand. After the fifth time of Jane sighing to herself in frustration and repeating the word "physics" several times under her breath, Tony finally sat his particle processor down and gave her a bland look.

"Dr. Foster," he said, "if you need to leave to take care of some business, say in London maybe, feel free to do so."

Jane sputtered and picked up her forgotten stylus.

"Oh no, Mr. Stark," she said. "I'm fine. You asked me here to help, I just-"

"Jane," Tony interrupted not unkindly, "you have helped. There's obviously something in London that you shouldn't ignore. Go figure out what it is, and when you're done, come back."

Jane's face lit up at the ok to leave Stark Tower and the research they were doing at the moment. She was already picking up a few of her personal supplies when she finally thanked the billionaire.

"I promise, I'll be back as quickly as I can. It might be nothing," but she didn't sound like she thought that would be the case, "but if it isn't, it might even be helpful for you! I'll send you updates on what I find while I'm there!"

The three men watched as Jane left in a whirlwind. Axel stared at her retreating figure with a slightly slack jaw and raised brow.

"You're just going to let her leave," he asked incredulously. "Dr. Foster is one of the top minds in her field. How do you expect to ever figure out this multidimensional-warp-Star-Gate-stuff without her?"

Tony sighed as he resumed his work after a quick order for Jarvis to assist Dr. Foster with finding a plane ticket to England that left ASAP.

"Because, Axel," he said impatiently, "what you obviously don't understand is that Dr. Foster would be totally useless to us until she uncovered whatever mystery is occurring overseas. Really, does SHIELD teach anything to their agents? Besides, if she finds anything that it is even the least bit helpful to my current project, I'm open to suggestions."

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Sutton fought against the spell's hold on her as she was dragged along behind Snape. She could feel herself dip and bob a bit as if the spell were about to break completely, but then she'd resettle where she began and have to start all over.

"Put me down," she demanded in outrage. "You have no right! I am going to file a very thorough report with HR!"

Her threats went unheeded as Snape continued down the dim hall.

"I suggest you be prepared to tell the entire truth, Miss Regan," Snape drawled. "I don't think there's a professor at this school that's ever seen a Squib who is able to wordlessly deflect spells."

He had a point, she had to give him that.

"And I suppose you've never heard of, uh, basic...defense...wards! My family didn't completely hate me."

"I have yet to see wards that defend only halfway. Especially odd is that there is a ward against a spell that I, myself created."

Drat it.

"Well, you've obviously...never been to America! We're very advanced! I mean, the witches and wizards are!"

So she might've been trying to argue a very wrong claim that America was the epitome of advancement, but she had to try something.