X marks the spot

No Regrets

"Where did they come from?" Mack asked. Body bags littered the hanger, all with the HYDRA logo on them. Aaron couldn't quite remember if they ever had those bags in the place he was mainly raised at, or if they just had blank bags. Fitting for the bodies that were carried out of the facility. There were so many stories there. Of people who either played dead or somehow managed to get themselves into one of the bags in an attempt to get out the place. Almost all failed, mainly from suffocation or being caught and killed. Or, if they tried the play dead tactic. They were woken up by a jolt. Being forced back into the world of the living and to suffer in that place that pretty much was their world more.

"We intercepted a bus on the way to a HYDRA enlightenment centre." Mace explained, Aaron rubbing his wrists at the naming. Is that what they're calling them these days? He thought. "Your girlfriend, Skye?" Mack checked. It was nice to have Mack back. As much as Aaron didn't know where the LMD version and human version of the man started or ended, they were getting somewhere. They were making progress.

Aaron knew that here, if Mack had been swapped out before Aaron had come back, he had a clean slate to work from. He could build something here too with the man.

"No, thankfully." Ward answered Mack's question. Aaron smiled lightly at the fact that there was still a small amount of hope left for Daisy to be alive. And that they'd get her home. He had to hold onto that. It was the main thing driving him now. That small spark of hope left. It was enough, but even he knew that it wouldn't last forever.

"Where's your daughter? How is she doing?" The question took Aaron by surprise. He instantly looked at Mack with a confused look on his face. Daughter? Mack didn't have a daughter in the other world. At least to his knowledge anyway.

Unless...

Oh.

"She's still rattled. She hides it but they came into our home, you know?" Mack explained. "She's definitely safer here then there. You both are." Ward said with confidence. "Does she need anything? Or either of you?" Aaron checked, a small smile on his face that aimed at being welcoming. Mack gave a smile back, even if it only lasted for a second. "I don't think so right now. But, if I do, I'll tell you. Thank you." Aaron nodded at the answer. Baby steps.

"This is all new to me. But I want to help, I owe you that." Owing was something that Aaron was very familiar with. He owed a lot of people. Mainly the very team that they were trying to save. The man who ran that team, the man that gave him a fighting chance to even live fully. That was the main one he owed. And he knew that, even with doing this, that the debt would never fully be played.

Mace looked at Ward, who nodded. Before he turned back to the man. "You can start on the bus outside. We need to switch the plates, the digital tags. And wipe the gps." He listed his first task. "You gonna put it to use?" Mack asked. "One of our operatives got caught trying to smuggle out intel on a new HYDRA weapon. They've got him locked up at the centre."

"And that bus is our way in." Mace finished. "Enough said, I'm on it." Mack said, leaving to start his work. Mace then looked to Aaron, who only rose his eyebrows in question. "I need you to start getting some gear together. You're gonna be with us." Aaron only nodded, moving towards the main door. The Director and the other agent not moving until they were sure he was out of sight and ear shot. Before they continued their discussion.

"What are you looking for?" Katie asked her brother as she saw him walking, looking into every room. He stopped when she moved in front of him. Forcing him to make eye contact with her. "Armoury. Mace wants me with them to go to the falsely named HYDRA place. Trust me it's not fun and games." He answered, before he moved past her. Although, she then caught up with him. "Are you going too huh?" She asked, starting to lead the way to what was now their destination. "Guess so." Was the short answer she got.