Coronation Of Flame (A Marvel Fanfic)

Chapter 14: The Only Light in the Darkness

Hello again! Ok, this chapter has taken WAY too long, but school just finished for Easter break so I finally had the chance to finish the chapter. We are drawing to a close so hang in there; there's only 4 more chapters to go! Yay!

Enjoy,

LittlePond

Chapter 14: The Only Light in the Darkness

The files were heavy; all 108 of my missions documented between my knuckles, solid with the truth they presented.

I nodded my thanks to Coulson who'd allowed me to view them. It had taken several days, and a mission's worth of bonding to persuade him, but I'd managed. "Why do you want these again?" I shrugged, hoping that he wouldn't press too hard, these were dangerous times for a girl like me.

"I remember Garrett said something about it- I'm curious."

"About S.H.A.D.O? The Strategic Hazardous Assassination Directorate Operation?" Coulson asked. I didn't want him to be suspicious, but he seemed to be headed that way. "I have a theory that S.H.A.D.O is HYDRA." Coulson seemed to buy that, and petted the file as though a cat, "Makes sense. Have fun reading them; they get grisly."

Coulson began to move out as I answered, "She isn't one of the most dangerous assassins for nothing."

"She?"

My brain grasped at the threads of excuses as the lie slipped out. "It's a feminist thing; unknown things become female." He nodded in that abrupt, censored version of his and left me alone, muttering, "Have fun with a cold-blooded murderess."

A lot happened since the HYDRA uprising. The team, including Trip, had abandoned the Hub as Kernel Glenn Talbot of the US Air Force threatened to intake us in exchange for 6 months of court hearings.

In doing so, Coulson received a set of coordinates from Fury- seriously, the man could not stay dead- which led us to a secret base named Providence in the Canadian woods.

Fury, however presumably dead he was, was too good at this game for his own good.

Ward hadn't been with us; he'd taken Garrett to the Fridge with Hand. Though assuming his allegiances, Hand was dead now and the Clairvoyant was free. The son of a bitch.

Which was why I was smouldering as Ward repeated his story, Simmons scurrying about attempting to clean his wounds.

"By the time we got to the Fridge it was too late. HYDRA everywhere, we couldn't stop them," Ward explained, saying that HYDRA had taken all they could get their hands on. Including the prisoners, which meant Ian Quinn was back.

He also claimed Garrett was dead, with 2 bullets in his head. I knew that was crap, but I couldn't help but revel in sympathy when Trip said he would've emptied the mag had it been him to kill him.

Within moments, Ward picked up the subject of why I knew was the reason he returned, "1 small victory. HYDRA didn't get their hands on this." In his hands was the hard drive to which Skye downloaded our research, encrypted for safe keeping.

"We should probably back it up, now that we're in a secure facility," Ward suggested. From the alien virus, to GH-325, none I wanted in HYDRA's hands, and the idea set my mind on edge. Coulson stepped in, "First Skye, I need you on threat assessment, pull up a list of the Fridge inmates."

Once only the HYDRA agents remained in the lab, I stomped to Ward, "Alright, I need some straight answers right now." He chuckled, despite the pain which the movement must've caused to his broken ribs. "Straight answers? After what you've done?"