Facing Your Destiny [Book 2]: A Grant Ward FanFic

Chapter 6 - A Deal with the Devil.

A Fractured House.

Taylor was in the cargo bay watching Ward's surveillance inside his cell when Simmons joined her.

"5:30 on the dot every morning." Jemma states, standing behind her. "But there's no clock, no light, no way he can know what time it is."

"You've been watching him?" Taylor asks.

"Every day before I left, every day since I got back. I don't know how you do it, going down there, talking to him." She tells her.

"Sacrifices we make for valuable intel, right?" Taylor replies.

"Yeah."

"Jemma Simmons, undercover at HYDRA." Taylor says with slight disbelief in her voice. Simmons gives her a shy smile and shakes her head.

"I thought I was a dead woman at least four times." Simmons confesses.

"I'm glad you're not." Taylor states.

"Me too." The share a smile then look back at the monitor. "Be careful with him, Tay." The door behind them opens.

"I am." She replies. They see a very pissed off looking May enter the area shrugging on her jacket and hear an alarm sounding out. "What's happening?"

"There's been an attack on the U. N." She informs. May hurries from the room as Taylor and Simmons hurry to go where they're needed. They see a determined Coulson walking through the hallway.

"An attack today of the U.N. left six dead and dozens injured. Many have not been identified. SHIELD's biggest opponent, U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Glenn Talbot." The reporter says. Taylor, Tripp and Skye are watching. Tripp points to the TV when Coulson enters.

"Sir, this wasn't us, was it?" Tripp asked. They fall in line behind Coulson as he continues walking.

"No, this is HYDRA looking for revenge. Best guess, Daniel Whitehall had his people impersonate SHIELD to put the world's attention back on us." Coulson's walking to the shelves in the kitchen area, he pulls down a coffee mug.

"So much for staying in the shadows." Skye comments. Coulson holds up the mug he's holding, it shows a picture of 'Grumpy Cat' with the words 'I hate Mondays'.

"Somebody bring this from home?" He asks. They look down at the mug as Coulson turns from them to the coffee machine.

"Probably May." Taylor replies. Coulson ignores the agent.

"I want you two scouring government channels, see what we're up against." Coulson orders.

"On it, sir." Tripp replies.

"What about me?" Taylor asks. He just signals her to follow him. They start walking when. Simmons and Bobbi enter the room going over to Coulson.

"Just saw the news. We're not responsible for this are we, sir?" Simmons asks. Coulson just looks at her but continues walking. "Didn't think so. Just wanted to triple check." Simmons stops at the base of the stairs as Bobbi goes around her.

"Marcus Scarlotti was behind the attack." Bobbi informed. She looks down at the tablet she's holding showing them Man in Lead entering the room. "An assassin almost killed Barton a few years back. Runs a team of mercenaries, mostly for HYDRA." They walk into Coulson's office and Bobbi puts the feed from her tablet up on the big monitor there. They can see that it's footage of an Italian Official dying, Simmons' eyes light looking at the picture.

"Ah. The bodies just disintegrate. I saw references to this weapon in HYDRA's lab. Yeah, sent from their demolition expert, uh...Toshiro..." Simmons starts.

"Toshiro Mori." Bobbi finished. Coulson looks at Bobbi. "I've crossed paths with him before. He has a lab in Okinawa."

"Good. Then that's where you're going. We need to find the location of the next attack and stop it before it happens. May's taking point on this op. You can meet her and Hunter in the hangar." Coulson told her. Bobbi gives Coulson a surprised look.

"Hunter's going?" Bobbi asks. Coulson lifts his eyebrows in answer. "Got it. Thank you, sir." She turns and leaves the room and Coulson turns to Simmons.

"I need you to dig through the hard drive you brought back from Whitehall's lab." Coulson ordered.

"I'll find out whatever I can about those weapons." Simmons told him. She leaves the room and Coulson walks to his desk typing on his tablet. Hunter's head appears around the door frame.

"Coulson, quick question." Hunter started. He looks up at Hunter.

"No, that wasn't us." Coulson recited.

"Oh, that–uh, great. Um...May said I'd be going on a mission with Bobbi?" Hunter questioned. Taylor rolled her eyes.

"Is that going to be a problem?" Coulson asked. Hunter stands up straight from the door and enters the room a bit.

"Did she say it was gonna be a problem?" Hunter checked.

"I won't dignify that with a response." Coulson replied.

"So...she...didn't?" Hunter guessed. Coulson stands from his desk, exacerbated looking up at Hunter fully.

"I think we all know how you feel about your ex-wife but if it's too complicated, then by all means." He indicates that Hunter can leave. "Whitehall's on the attack. And instead of using his own forces to destroy SHIELD he's having the rest of the world do it for him."