The Before [Prequel- Part 1]

Freaking Phil

~~~Catherine's pov~~~

We all stared at Deke as he was seemingly lost in thought for a few seconds.

His eyes held a combination of hope but also guilt and grief. A blend of emotions I knew all too well. 

I didn't have to look into his head to know he was thinking about his old friend.

After another few seconds of awkward silence, I spoke up.

"Why do we need Level 35 tech when we have, you know what?" I asked, careful not to say too much in front of Deke. He still doesn't know I have abilities, and I'd like to keep it that way. I don't exactly trust him.

And if we had to go to the surface, I could use my magic against the Vrellnexians.

I might not be able to utilize it to the extent I used to, but I can still hold my own up there.

I think.

"That's another thing," Phil shook his head. "Grill wants something from there. He says a guy named Gunner is supposed to be receiving some package from that level. He's sending Mack, Yo-Yo, and... Never mind. Just Mack and Yo-Yo to interrogate him about it."

Phil was being dodgy again, and I didn't appreciate it.

Some might chalk his suspicious attitude up to the fact that we're literally in dystopian hell, but Phil has tell-tale signs when he's lying or trying to hide something. 

For example, right now, he keeps looking to May after every sentence he says. Like he's silently asking her if what he said was okay, and he was also stumbling over his words. Which he never does.

And this man calls himself a good spy.

"Fine." I sighed. "Let's head down to 35. But first, I should talk to Loki. Let him know what we're doing."

May's eyes widened at my statement. "Catherine, wait-"

I didn't hear the end of her sentence as I ran off, turning a corner and teleporting to him when I knew no one was looking.

When I opened my eyes, I was confused to see I was back outside Grill's workshop. And that the god I was looking for was standing beside the door.

"Loki? What are you doing here?" I asked, furrowing my brows.

He shouldn't be here. He was supposed to be gathering usable intel to find Jemma and Daisy.

"I... It doesn't matter. What are you doing here?" He reversed the question, making me suspicious.

What is it with all the secrets lately? Is there some kind of "Let's keep information from Catherine" club I'm not filled in on?

"Grill let me go. He said someone volunteered to take my place-" Grill interrupted me as he walked past us quickly.

"New guy! Break's over in five minutes! Don't make me regret taking your deal." He warned, pointing at Loki, before disappearing down the hall.

That's when it all clicked. He was the one who took my place.

I should have known.

"Catherine, I'm sorry. But I had to." He tried to explain, but I wouldn't let him.

"No, you didn't." I shook my head, tears beginning to form in my eyes. "I told you I was fine-"

"You weren't fine! He was hurting you!" He raised his voice slightly, surprising me.

"How did you..." I trailed off, completely confused and taken aback.

I was so careful with hiding it. I didn't see how it was possible.

"Last night. Your illusion dropped while we were talking. Coulson also mentioned what was going on earlier." He revealed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Freaking Phil...

"I didn't want to worry you." I started to pull on my fingers, looking down at the floor. "A lot is going on right now, and we need to focus on finding Jemma. It just didn't seem all that important-" He gently grabbed my hands, stopping my fidgeting.

"Nothing is more important than the two of you." He said firmly, his eyes holding a look of assurance. "That's why I talked Grill into letting me take your place. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"But he'll hurt you. Maybe worse than me." I blinked back tears.

If something happens to him because he took my place... I would never be able to forgive myself.

"Look, I can handle it. But you can't." He shook his head, wiping a tear off my cheek.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. You deserved to know what was going on." I apologized, the guilt washing over me. He was just concerned about my safety, and I didn't tell him when he should've been the first to know.

"It's okay, darling. What matters is that you're out of here, and he can't harm you anymore." He smiled softly, making all that guilt wash away. His smile could make me feel better even on my darkest days.

"I love you."

"And I love you." He kissed me quickly, making sure no one saw. "Now, leave before Grill gets any ideas about taking you back."