X marks the spot

Laws of Inferno Dynamics

The two agents sat opposite one another on the floor. The phone in the middle of the split. Silence was the only thing there was. One with his hands together and his chin resting on them. The other had their hands frozen on their lap, she hadn't moved since the news of Rebecca screaming came through the phone. Neither of the two had moved. Both busy trying to fully take in what had just happened.

The SHIELD agent looked at the male, their face never changing from the shocked and disbelieving look it held before. "He has her... He – holy shit." They breathed out, they breath starting to go shaky and scattered. That spurred the male into action, the boy moving to them and crouching down to their level. Just as he went to try and give some comfort, they stood. Walking away as they stared out the window, hand covering their mouth as they seemed to still not fully believe it. And, if he was honest, neither did Aaron.

"We're the last ones left." They said, this time in horror. Aaron looked at the board, the ones plastered with what witnesses they had. Most had X's through them, either because of not being able to find them. Or with them being dead. Slowly, he approached it. Looking at the photo of Richard, he took the red pen from the table. And put another X through it with some hesitation. And bowed his head in a moment of both grief and shame for dragging him into it.

They turned around, this time with their eyes blazing with rage, "How didn't you know?" they seethed, "How the fuck could I of –"

He was cut off when they grabbed him and slammed him against the wall, he didn't dare fight back. Knowing where that would get him, "He disappeared! He just left. You didn't question it!"

"You left too! Should I have questioned you?"

The words hit them hard. They let him go.

They fell back onto the floor. Their hands going through their hair to try and help their thoughts. The way they just went to pessimism instantly didn't help. The facts didn't look good for Maria, that much they knew off the bat. But, out of the two, they seemed to be the more hopeful one.

Aaron looked at the photo of Richard one more time, closing his eyes and remembering his words. And gulped, before he looked back at Rebecca.

"Ok... Ok. Hey." Aaron started as he tentatively took a step towards them. When they made no attack on him, he slowly lowered himself to their level again. This time not making any action to give them physical comfort. Instead, he tried a different tactic. One that took a moment or two for him to fully think about how best to do this before going for it.

"Ok, it doesn't look good right now. I know that. But most things in our lives haven't, have they? Huh? Our first job together, outnumbered. Life's always been against us Rebecca. But..." They looked at him as he drifted off, seeing the conflict in his eyes of how best to say his next words. In the end, internally he took a large breath. Before deciding to just go with the bluntest option possible.

"...You love her. You care about her. And she cares about you too. In this fucking place, you are one thing that keeps it from fully having nothing in it left worth fighting for. Alright? You and Richard. You try, that's what you do. You try your own way to make it better. And, I don't mean with SHIELD. I mean you individually. Whatever that version of love is Rebecca. It's yours. And only yours. I can't take that from you. No one can."

They then saw his eyes turn determined, having a spark of life in them once again. Some light against the dark. He then looked at the board they had set up. The board with everything they had on it. The board that was once filled with scattered images, drawings and scribbles. Now with an almost complete story to tell on it. And, in the middle, lay a question mark. One that could now be filled, one that would finally complete the puzzle.