Hail HYDRA | Skyeward

Episode 13: One of Us

***

There's a storm happening outside along with cop cars outside an apartment building, inside one of the apartments, a woman, Karla Gideon is trying to eat her dinner, while watching TV, eating her dinner is easier said than done when she has metal like gloves on covering her fingers.

Eventually, Karla gives up on eating her steak when someone knocks on the door, she walks over and looks through the peephole.

"Yes?" Karla asked.

Cal is on the other side with two men on either side of him. "Is this Karla Faye Gideon?" He pulls up his cellphone holding it in front of the peephole. Karla sees her picture on the screen along with her information. "Got your name off the Gifted Index."

Karla backs away from the peephole looking unsure, the unlocks the door and opens it. "Um, I'm – I'm sorry, are you with S.H.I..E.L.D.?"

"I'll try not to be offended. We are absolutely not from S.H.I.E.L.D," Cal tilts his head back a bit addressing the man to his right. "Show her," the man to the left of Cal sets something down on the floor then roll up one of his sleeves.  "Levi, an old buddy of mine. Genius," Levi holds out his arm to Cal, who takes it and shows it to Karla. "S.H.I.E.L.D. implanted a chip in his arm."

Cal shows Karla Levi's scar. "Couldn't get within 100 feet of any tech. I found him holed up in an RV in the Mojave. But not, sans chip, this guy manages to decrypt The Index for me," Cal drops Levi's arm. Cal is behaving in all his manic glory. Grinning and flourishing during his talk to Karla. "Led me to Francis," he indicates the man to his right, Cal sighs deeply at Francis as he smirks at Karla.

"Three years, they kept him in a cage. Meds to keep him docile," Cal focuses on her intently. "I know what S.H.I.E.L.D. did to you," Karla says nothing but looks away from him. "How long has it been since you touched someone?" She looks down at her hands, each of her individual fingers is covered by an individual metal tubes.

"Since you felt a sensation on your fingertips?" Karla looks guilty but says nothing. "We want to free you from these shackles," she looks up at him hopeful and interested. "All you got to do is say that you –" She slams the door in his face. She turns away from the door looking around her apartment unhappily. 

Then she lifts up both of her hands and looks down at them encased in metal. Karla door opens again and Cal, Levi and Frances are still standing there, Cal wearing a large pleased smile.

***

In the kitchen, a large bag is dropped onto a table our countertop and opened to show many tools stashed inside. A blue laser cutter working at the wrist of Karla's glove. She winces as it's being done. Then the laser stops and Levi removes the metal hardware from around one of her hands. Cut to just a bit later and Levi has removed the second glove.

Karla looks down at her hands astonished. She lifts them high it looks like surgical scalpels have been implanted by screws into her nailbeds, so that each of her nails is a scalpel. She sighs deeply and laughs a bit.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Karla looks up at Cal and nods quickly, then returns her eyes back to her hands. "Freedom," Karla touches the palms of her hands to her cheeks sighing happily. "Don't you think it's time everyone learned how S.H.I.E.L.D. treats people like us?"

Karla walks away from them using one hand to feel the skin on her other arm, enjoying the sensation. "We're gonna teach them a lesson, and we want you to join us," she looks surprised at them all. "I know. I sound bat-guano crazy," Cal laughs. "Except S.H.I.E.L.D. – nah. Not so mighty anymore. A handful of agents. Director is a door to door salesman of a man."