Daughter of S.H.I.E.L.D. Trigger Book 1

Debt Repaid

I stare at my handy work shaking. This isn't what I wanted. How could this have happened, and why did I do it? My hands covered in my victim's blood. I stare at body under the street light. I release my iron grip on the dagger and hear it clang on the cement beneath me. My heart rate quickens, I begin to hyperventilate. I have to get away from here before its too late. But when is it too late? I turn on my heels and sprint. To where I don't know but I have to find somewhere to get the blood off my hands before I head home. My Father - if he were here - would freak if he saw this madness on me.

Well technically he isn't my real Father. I was found wandering the streets of New York when I was 8 years old. I had no clue who I was or who my real parents were. Phil Coulson found me and took me in. For the past 10 years he has been my Father. I don't know if my real parents are even still alive.

I catch sight of a public bathroom and head for it. I stand in front of the clean porcelain basin and scrub my hands clean, don't bother rolling up my sleeves. Some of the blood has dried and it won't come off. There is a fresh bar of soap on the small shelf. I take it and rub it between my hands and watch the white bubbles turn red. I run my hands under the freezing cold water, it splashes up onto my sleeves at my wrist. The pale red makes me notice something else. I have blood splattered all over my shirt. I slip it off and throw it under the tap. I stand waiting for the sink to fill. I clutch either side of the basin with both hands, exhausted.

Suddenly I hear a clatter on the stone tiles. Something fell. I turn on my heels to see if anyone is there. The cubicles are empty. I walk around the corner. But its dead still. No one is there. I turn back and face a new horror in the mirror: My self! Blood has been spread all over my face. Splattered from the knife wounds inflicted on my enemy. I try desperately to rub of the blood with my soaking sleeves. But it doesn't do any good, it just makes the horror worse. I sink down on my knees and wait for something to happen. Tears roll down my eyes and drip red onto my white shirt. There is nothing I can do but wait. The silence brings me to my senses. I stand and prop myself up against the tiled wall and wipe my face dry. My sleeves more red than ever.

"I have to get out of here." I tell my self. But where do I go. Surely not to the police. I decide to head home. To Maddie. The only one who would understand me that is in distance of me. If I want to speak to my Father, it's more than a 3 hour drive. I will eventually tell him, just not tonight. I sprint from the bathroom up the street I came from. I want to get rid of the body before it's too late. But it's already too late. Red and Blue lights flashing brightly. I have to get away from here. I turn and run down the street and take a detour to my apartment. I reach the building puffing and panting. I push on the door. But it's locked. I feel around in my pockets for them but they are empty. I press the intercom button with my apartment number on it. There is no answer. I try again. After a few minutes of trying there is an answer.

"What? Who is it?" I tell that by the tone in her voice I have woken her up from a good sleep. I hate It when I do that.

"Maddie, it's me I'm back." I say as calmly as possible.

"Who is it, what do you want? It's one o'clock in the morning" She moans

"Maddie, it's me Jasmine."

"Well why didn't you say so?"

The door clicks and I push on the glass. But I stop just as I am about to go inside when I hear a whimpering. I spin around and see nothing at first. A rustling comes from a hedge beside the building wall. Then a small head pops out from the foliage. A Shih Tzu puppy, with light brown curly fur, with patches of dark brown. I go down on one knee and hold out one hand. It back up a little. I pull back my hand and fall on both knees. The puppy emerges fully from the hedge, limping. I cover my mouth with my hand to stop myself from gasping in sadness. It approaches me, sniffs and rubs its head on my knees then it lies down on it's side. I slowly extend my hands and pick it up. I don't know much about animals but I do know know a broken bone when I see one. I don't know how to help it though. But I know someone how does. Maddie.

Maddie is a vet. Well training to be a vet. I decide to take the elevator to our floor. Its smoother than me running up the stairs. While I wait dust comes off the puppy onto my hands. The dark patches on him was dirt. Was he a stray? Neglected, abandoned? I let the matter pass, as I step out of the elevator, Maddie comes bursting through the door. She wraps her arm around me but jumps back when she hears the puppy whince.

I remember why I came up here after the adoration "I think he has a broken leg."

I hand him to her and and she utters to herself things I don't hear or understand. "That's well and truly broken, I can help though." She says so I can hear her.

I cross the room and sit on the sofa. Maddie places the puppy on the kitchen counter top and smooths his fur. She leans down to a cupboard and pulls out a box. I watch intently as she tries to find his ID chip, with no luck. Next she arranges three different sized splints next to the puppies leg. When she agrees that it is the right size she starts to fit it.

"Is it done?" she asks not even looking towards me. When I don't answer, she peers up and sees my face. She knows something is disturbing me. "Jazzy?" (Jazzy is the name she calls me.)

I give a sigh of hesitation "In a way." I say tracing the embroidery on the sofa with my finger. I haven't satisfied Maddie and I know she is going to want to know more.

"What does that mean? Is he going to leave you alone or not?" Her demands get more considerable, the longer she waits.

I might as well tell her, but I will ease her into my hardship. "He won't be coming back, that's for sure." She shoots a look of confusion and annoyance at me. She will just keep biting on me so I let it out, but in a way I know she will get as figures it out. "It's just one less person for the world to have to worry about."

"Jasmine, please tell me you didn't..." She covers her mouth with her hand. She can't find the voice to speak anymore. But I have an idea of what she wants to say.

"I didn't have a choice, Maddie. He held a knife to my throat. He would have slit my windpipe if I..."

"... If you weren't a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent." She butts in.

"I wasn't going to say that., and you know it!" I jump up in frustration. Maddie knows I'm not an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. She's not actually supposed to know about S.H.I.E.LD., but she heard me mention it in a phone call with Agent Maria Hill. I had to explain everything to her because she wouldn't stop nagging me. Still, say I have the speculations to join. I'm smart, fast and now she can add a couple of new ones: I fight like one, act like one, I might as well be one. But it's something I have to live with now. Maybe I tried to think of an alternative to fighting, but it all happened so fast, I'm not sure what I thought.

"I'm sorry I woke you." I say dimly

"Don't be, I wouldn't have been able to help this poor thing." She says ruffling the fur of the puppy. "Speaking of which, he has no ID chip, you can keep him if you want to."

"Maybe. You won't mind will you?"

"Of course not. But what are you going to name him?"

I can't think of any appropriate names for him but then I hear Maddie whisper to the puppy

"Pippin." I say

"Who?" Maddie says "Oh. That's cute."

I set up a cardboard box and place an old cushion. I fill a plastic bowl with water and place it in the box. Maddie places Pippin in the box, and laps up the water greedily. Maddie yawns and heads back to bed. I glance at the clock, 1:37. I can barely close my eyes. Too scared to see what the night holds in store for me.

But I do eventually sleep. But not long. It's only 2:13 when I wake. I can't hold in what I've done. I have to tell someone. I strip off my stained clothes and put them in the bin. I find some new clothes and throw them on. I decide to take some extra clothes with me. I sling my backpack over my shoulder along with a few of my sketchbooks. I am about to head downstairs when I hear a slight whimper. I see Pippin's small head poke up out of the box. I decide to take him. Maddie doesn't have the time to care for him. I take the stairs. they are quieter. Even if it takes 5 minutes. I'd rather get fit than wake the entire building.