X marks the spot

Out of the Past

Daniel Sousa was a SHIELD legend, and he was meant to die tonight. According to the history books, anyway.

Then again, the history books didn't say anything about an LMD version of Phil Coulson being interrogated by said legend; that, and time had already been altered slightly by the Chronicoms being a SHIELD scientist by stealing his face and identity. She shivered in the back of the car in the thought of how that was done. The pain that would've brought to anyone who had it done to them. A painful death.

Lisa kept her eyes out of the window, however, watching the city go by. The planet seemed happier here than it did in their time. There was style. At least, according to some people, anyway. Lisa just saw houses, nothing in particular standing out other than the how there seemed to be more trees in some areas; that, and the vehicle they were driving in. She clocked how the seats were a bit more slippery, or maybe that was just her clothing – which had a bastard of a tag in that she couldn't remove yet – and how big the wheel was.

Still, right now, they were going to find a SHIELD gadget, one that Sousa would be attempting to deliver, only to then be killed on this fateful night.

"You're quiet," Elena said to Deke. The man had been, keeping his eyes only on the road as Elena had done the same with the map, guiding them to this destination.

"Still don't have very much driving experience," Deke admitted. Lisa gulped in the back seat.

"I'm great on a scooter, though," Deke added, as if that helped in anyway. Lisa once again played with the sleeves of her patterned jacket, trying to make the world around her less stuffy. The material irritated her skin, and that fucking tag –

"In the '50s," Deke started to ask, "were women allowed to drive?"

"Yes, of course," Elena answered, as if it were common knowledge, "why would you –"

"I'm sorry!" Deke exclaimed, "I don't know. I mean, were just in the '30s and they were really stylish, but it was so sexist and racist. But the '50s, though..." he paused, thinking it through, "...are still pretty sexist and racist. And the future...god, humans are awful."

"Not all the time," Elena defended, "we have our moments."

Lisa played with her jacket again, nothing was working.

"It always gets better," Elena argued, "just never fast enough."

Lisa's jacket them came off. It wasn't a clean removal of the item. She ripped at it pretty much. Her arm got stuck in one hole and it went inside out. She waved her arm. It finally came off and she threw it to the other side of the car, breathing heavily.

"Hey, you ok?" Deke asked, looking back at her through the mirror.

She shook her head.

"Is it that tag?" Elena questioned.

"Material as well," Lisa answered verbally, not wanting to distract Elena from the map. Her instructions were clear enough, but Deke had already made like five wrong turns.

Elena nodded, "I warned Mack."

"Sorry," Lisa said softly.

"Don't apologise," Elena said, looking back at the younger girl, "especially for something like that. If it is discomforting to you, we'll adapt, ok?"

Lisa nodded, giving the woman a small smile in thanks. Elena mirrored it.

"And some things never change," Deke said, his mind caught between the concern for the young girl – which had now been understood and dealt with a small amount – and Elena's previous comment about change.