Chapter 6: The Hub

Hi again! I'm just going to apologise for the weird updating thing that just happened. I could've sworn I published the last flashback last week. Clearly that didn't happen, so thesis going to be huge dump of chapters. Actually three, but you know what I'm saying.

Anyways, here's the sixth chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 6: The Hub

If someone told me that I of all people could get into the Hub, I would've grabbed the nearest beverage and become a public fountain. However, here I was, walking down the halls of the S.H.I.E.L.D facility.

This was insane.

The team and I walked in a horizontal line as if in a music video. "Didn't realise your big brother was this big," Skye wondered, gazing at the polished cream floors and the pillars which were part concrete, part frosted glass. Simmons chuckled, hair loose around her navy sweater, on the right of which was an embroidered rose. "Wait till you see the Triskelion."

"The Triskelion?" I asked, turning over to Fitz beside me. "It's like S.H.I.E.L.D HQ."

Skye turned to Simmons, looking particularly badass in an army jacket, canvas shirt & skinny jeans. Maybe I was brushing off on her. The team approached a table, retrieving a bunch of electric blue lanyards.

"Do I get one?" Skye inquired, asking the same question I was about to ask. "That's your badge," Coulson gestured to Skye's bracelet, "Means you've got a long way to even make Level 1." I jumped between them, "What about me?"

"You just started; you've got as far as Skye. Depends on May," he informed, essentially signing my death warrant. If May was my judge, then Skye would beat me no matter what. "On May?" I repeated, throwing a small glance back at the Cavalry, who grinned.

Coulson smiled, "Don't worry, she's impressed with you. She'll come through. She always does." I fell back in line, still listening in, because reasons.

"Does it also mean no access to any computers here? I could run a search on the S.H.I.E.L.D file on my parents," Skye suggested. It seemed these 'reasons' proved useful; I knew Skye's reasons for staying were complicated, but now it made sense. "Skye," Coulson warned. But she pressed on, "But I just- seems like the place they'd keep them, right?"

"Well, get to it, but right now we have more pressing matters," he answered, leaving her in the dust for...oh crap. "Agent Sitwell," Coulson greeted.

Why me? Sitwell was HYDRA!

Standing still, I let Ward and May pass by so I would be next to Fitz-Simmons at the back. I knew that HYDRA members could be trusted, but I couldn't run the risk of Sitwell's expressions giving me away.

"Agent Coulson. Good to see you're feeling better. Agent Hand's waiting for you in the Situation room," Sitwell answered, shaking his hand and directing us, light glinting on his bald head.

"And she doesn't like to wait," Coulson stated, approaching a door with an expensive looking sensor. "You know her?" Sitwell asked; he still hadn't seen me yet, and I prayed it stayed that way- until I could get him alone.

"Only her reputation. After you," Coulson remarked, stopping by the sensor.

Simmons stood by the doorframe, awestruck, "Victoria Hand..." Fitz finished her sentence, mouth open in wonder, "Is here." The team all walked through the scanner, but Skye's bracelet was drawn to it like a magnet, releasing a dull alarm. "Is this your subtle way of saying I can't come?"

With a fatherly grin, Coulson answered, "We'll be back."

"I'll wait with Skye," I offered once Fitz-Simmons left us, looking back at Skye with a wink. She only grumbled in response, "I don't think it likes me."

I leant against the opposite wall, the cardinal red of my jacket squeaking, "At least you have company." Skye rolled her eyes, lights on her bracelet flashing red, "Not that you're much company. You sold me out with Miles."

"I didn't sell you out. I had a hunch," I pointed out, crossing my arms. She raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"My parents were Special Forces, catch me a break."

"Of course. Can't forget the Special Forces parentage."

"Speaking of parents, you mentioned something about a file?" I asked. Skye passed it off, "It's nothing." But even an idiot would know different. "Really?"

"I found a S.H.I.E.L.D file about my parents, but it was redacted."

Skye bit her the inside of her cheek after I stared at her skeptically, "You don't believe me do you?" I shook my head in agreement. "No, not at all." On another note, the brown hair thing was really working in my favour now I decided to wear this jacket. It was low key badass and I loved everything about it.

"At least I tried," Skye mumbled.

Grinning with a madwoman's stability I answered, "You'll break soon enough."

It turned out Ward and Fitz were assigned to a mission, a fact which I was uncomfortable with. Especially that we weren't allowed to know anything about it. Trust the system they said.

Ward on a mission; fine, he had done many ops of this nature before. Fitz however, I wasn't so fine with. He would be ok for the most part, but if it turned south, I doubted that his intellect would help him.

Standing with Skye and Simmons, we watched him return through a glass door. "I found a localised EMP plus a few other party favours," Fitz began, but the glass doors closed around the cart he was driving. "What the-it's stuck. the cart's stuck!" he exclaimed, and set about the daunting task of manually opening the doors. When that failed, Fitz yelled, "That's unbelievable! In the Hub of all places!"

Fitz heaved the cart through. However, the doors closed behind him, leaving his further complaints silenced.

I turned to Skye, "They're bringing him on the mission?" She nodded gravely, "Yep." Shaking my head, I muttered, "Oh dear."

"We know that a separatist group created a device- Overkill- which produces sonic vibrations to trigger weapons. You need to disable the device by 0600 tomorrow in order to prevent the separatist attack," May instructed Ward once we got back on the Bus.

Coulson, Ward, May and I were all in the Mission Room, encircling the electronic desk with a map of the Caucasus Mountains- the mission's location. I was leaning against a wall in the shadows; my natural habitat.

"Once you signal S.H.I.E.L.D, the extraction team will get you both out," Coulson added, then looked over to Ward, "Take care of him." Meaning Fitz, of course. The Specialist nodded, actual sincerity coating his words, "Of course sir."

What liars. My guess, when it came down to it, Ward would have zero problems with leaving Fitz for dead. I wouldn't put it past his reputation to push him off a cliff to the bottom of the ocean.

Fitz strutted in, all suited in black, backpack filled to the brim. "More moving less talking, Agent Ward. Time is not on our side." The two left the room, along with everyone else and my utter shock at his curt words. Coulson remained, watching as they left who Skye approached, "Does this feel ok to you? Shouldn't we be going with him?"

"The people who put these ops together are the best of the best."

As Coulson left, I heaved myself off the wall, "He has a point." Skye shook her head, muttering, "You, Kennedy, are a riddle." Shrugging, I remarked, "You have a point too. Feels weird sending someone like Fitz on an op."

Skye acted on impulse, immediately assuming I was underestimating Fitz. "Someone like Fitz?"

I began to make my way down to the lab, "He's smart, but if the mission turns south, those brains won't help." Skye scoffed, crossing her arms, "They helped me. I'm a hacker." Gripping the doorframe I turned around, making sure to make my hair flip in the most luxurious way possible, "Exactly; a hacker. You weren't in the field, not like Fitz is going to be."

The Hub disgusted me.

As practical as it was, it still housed S.H.I.E.L.D agents, agents I had sworn to kill. To Simmons, the floors were shining with sunlight, and the lights running on pure energy, but to me, those floors were polished with lies, and the lights were running on diluted energy.

Skye had left the Bus to try and leech more information from Coulson and since we found her visibly seething with anger, Simmons was sheepish as she asked how it went. Skye didn't even turn to face us; she glared after Coulson's retreating figure, "Nothing. He's acting like a robot right now." I coughed down laughter, "Is it bad that I can imagine that clearly?"

Skye spoke over my joke, rudely, "If we want the truth, we've got to get it ourselves." Simmons brightened chirping, "Ok. How would you suggest..." she trailed off, when she saw Skye's suggestive eyebrows, "wait no, no, no."

Both Skye and I nodded and answered in unison, "Yes!"

Horrified at the prospect of breaking rules, Simmons exclaimed, "No! I can't be part of your bad girl shenanigans! I like following the rules and doing what's expected of me; it makes me feel nice."

I resisted the urge to shake Simmons, but Skye spoke, "Simmons, wake up! Ward and Fitz went on a top secret operation and look," she gestured to black clad men armed to the teeth, "more men. It's either a bigger deal and they're not telling us or something went wrong. What if they're injured or being tortured right now?"

The idea of Fitz's possible torture hit home. "Fitz. Tortured," she trembled, "What exactly do you have in mind?" Placing a hand on Simmons' shoulder, I grinned, "Welcome to the dark side, young grasshopper."

The plan that Skye concocted was great; it actually had a chance of succeeding, believe it or not. As long as Simmons didn't mess up. Which had a large chance of happening.

Actually scrap that, this plan was doomed.

But, when you go to go, you got to go. Sighing in defeat to my bladder, I turned to the girls, "You guys do that, I'm going toilet."

Skye nodded in compliance as I walked away, "Have fun." Turning back to face them, I grinned, "Don't we all?"

~~~

I returned to the scene of a crime.

The plan, as predicted, had gone terribly wrong. In the adjacent room separated by a glass door, Simmons turned to the body at her feet. An unconscious one, thankfully, but the body belonged to none other than Agent Sitwell.

I was so screwed.

"What the hell?!" I whisper yelled. Frightened, Skye turned around, but relaxed when she realised it was just good old me. Simmons briskly walked to us, automatic door sliding open as she passed through. "Was that alright?" she asked.

"That was terrible! You're terrible at this, that was a total melt down!" Skye scolded. I held my head in my hands, "I'm gone for 5 minutes and you manage to render a superior officer unconscious!"

Was I surprised that Simmons had screwed up the plan? No. Was I going to tell them that I knew this would happen? No.

"Sorry," Simmons mumbled, a child apologising to disappointed parents. I answered, "Sorry Sitwell later when he comes to." Simmons gasped, "But the night-night gun was right there and I..." Skye shut her up, "We need help, you need to go get May."

Everyone was horrified by that idea. Looking over at the hacker I answered, "Ha, ha, ha. No."

"Listen, that flash drive will only give me a few minutes access to the Hub's mainframe to find out what happened to our boys, so just go get May, ok? Just tell her it was an accident," Skye reasoned, gripping her laptop harshly.

Simmons sighed in defeat, "I'm going to be court martialed."

It was then that I realised an imminent threat; Sitwell, a high ranking HYDRA agent was unconscious nearby, about to wake up.

"While Simmons is off, I'll go keep watch over Sitwell," I remarked, not waiting for Skye's approval.

A knocked out HYDRA agent was a sorry sight. Sitwell's chin touched his chest, producing enough chins to end world hunger, his glasses rested on the bridge of his nose like a librarian and his suit was a sea of creases.

Once I pulled him away from sight I nudged him harshly, "Oi, Sitwell. Wake the hell up." His eyes shot open, though he relaxed when he realised I was S.H.A.D.O, "Agent. It's nice to see you." I checked the hallway- no signs of anyone approaching yet. "Right back at you."

"How's the mission going?" he asked, sitting up so at least some of creases disappeared. "Good. We know Coulson is aware of his death- he doesn't know the full scale of his procedures," I reported, relaying what I learned at the firehouse. "How so?" Sitwell pressed, standing up. I explained what I had learned.

"Good progress. We'll keep in contact."

It took a while, but I found Simmons, Skye and May walking towards the Bus like a bunch of rappers in a music video. I joined them, following suit with the badass walk, "Skye! What did you find out about the mission?"

"There's no extraction."

I almost stopped in my tracks, looking over to May and Simmons to confirm. They both nodded. "Wait what? No extraction team?" I repeated, still trying to grasp as to why S.H.I.E.L.D would leave their agents for dead.

"Ward and Fitz are on a suicide mission," Skye clarified as we entered the hangar. Of course S.H.I.E.L.D would leave behind their agents. "Did you know this?"

Simmons shook her head, worried out of her mind, "No."

Believe it or not, I was too, something I tried to expel. They were S.H.I.E.L.D; I couldn't care about them- they were lying, betraying...people.

I turned to my SO, entering the cargo ramp of the Bus, "What are we going to do?" Walking onto the ramp, May answered, "We got the information. Now we react." Skye grinned, "We gonna get our guys." Still bouncing with some universal beat, the Cavalry answered, "Somebody has to." As we passed Coulson's Lola, Simmons asked, "What about the S.H.I.E.L.D assault?"

"We won't interfere, 3 can pull it off," May answered. Instantly, we heard, "4's better."

Coulson stood on the balcony, looking down at us like some eerily resurrected Jesus. "5 is ultimate," I smirked.

"You're in?" Skye asked, "Thought we had to be Level 8 to discuss this."

"We're not discussing anything."

The flight to the Caucasus Mountains was easy, plus we managed to find Fitz and Ward in a circlet of soldiers.

May had a plan for that however; she angled the motors so the air produced blew them away like dust. She may have been a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, but Melinda May was pretty badass.

The extraction from there was simple; Ward and Fitz only had to walk onto the cargo ramp.

Once the group had welcomed Fitz and Ward I took my turn to run up and throw my arms around Fitz. Once I pulled away, I patted his golden curls. He grinned adorably, "Kennedy; it's nice to see you."

We began to walk towards the lab, nudging him gently with my elbow, "Right back at you. Would've hated to miss everyone's favourite rocket scientist." The lab's glass doors slid open, showing Simmons waiting for us. Fitz mumbled, "I'm not a rocket scientist."

Rolling my eyes, and leaning against the desk beside Jemma, I smirked, "You're a mechanical engineer. It's practically the same thing. What happened during the mission?" Simmons agreed, "Kennedy's not the only one who's curious." Fitz placed both hands on the large metal box containing the Overkill device, "I had Ward's back the whole time. Pretty much saved him from a gang of Russian mobsters and kicked a few guy's heads in."

He shook his head, "But enough mission talk already. Anything exciting happen at the Hub?"

Simmons beat me to answer.

"I shot a superior officer in the chest."

After I was sure Fitz was sound, I walked towards my own room, when I saw Coulson exit Skye's and changed my plans. I had nothing to lose. Walking through the still open doorframe, I lied, "I was going to come, but Coulson beat me to it."

Skye nodded, clearly emotionally bursting, "Right. Come in."

Skye's room was slightly bigger than mine, though I did get the last remaining room, so I couldn't complain. Sitting down on a chair, I asked, "What did he say?" She shrugged, clearly waging an emotional war beneath her tanned skin, "Just some stuff about my parents."

Then, she saw my eager expression- I had heard some interesting things at the Hub. Sighing, she asked, "You want to know, don't you?" Despite desperately wanting to know, I responded, "It's alright if you don't-" "No. I'll tell."

"He found this file, turns out the person who dropped me off at the orphanage was a S.H.I.E.L.D agent- a woman." That at least, explained the emotional turmoil. "That's great! You might've found your mother!"

Skye, unlike the others, believed in the same things as I did, which made it that much easier to talk to her. "Yeah. Sounds weird, after all this time."

It was obvious Skye was over the moon about this news, and I would be too. "Can't imagine how awesome it might feel. Like how you have a bigger room than I do," I smirked. She leaned against the wall, "Maybe if you came sooner, you would've gotten dibs." That would have happened, if Jason had been revealed sooner. "Perhaps." I leaned my elbows on my thighs, "Is Coulson going to find out who this mystery woman is?"

"He sent in a request. But that's all we can do right now, like he says, Trust the system."

Trust the system. Like I trusted HYDRA's. Something told me that Skye was beginning down a path very different than the one I would have predicted.