All of Me - Agent's of S.H.I.E.L.D

Chapter Forty Three

The room was completely silent and had been for long minute. It felt like time had stopped as everyone in the room processed the news. Nick knew it would be a lot for his agents to take it. S.H.I.E.L.D wasn’t just an agency to a lot them, it was home - their safe haven.

“Compromised?” Melinda and Phil asked with disbelief in unison after a moment. Phil had Melinda enveloped into a side hug as one of her hands was pressed against his back while the other one rested on his chest.   

“How the hell is that even possible, Fury?” Clint piped up as he turned his gaze sidewards, observing his partner. There was no emotion on her face and she looked to be miles away. He placed his hand on top of her’s, giving her hand a squeeze as their fingers laced. He didn't give a damn if their boss was present. His partner needed him. 

Natasha was in shock, plain and simple. How could S.H.I.E.L.D be compromised? It was her second chance. It was were she was redeemed. Where she made up for all the bad that she had done the past. It was her home and where she found her family. “By whom?” she inquired in a deadpanned tone as she locked her green orbs on her boss.

Nick looked at his agents, hell his kids. He knew that they all wanted answers. He released a heavy sigh as he folded his arms. “I don’t know for certain yet,” Nick revealed with a heavy heart. “But I do know that there are wolves within our organisation. A war is on the rise and we have to be prepared for one hell of a battle. The people in this room are the people I trust with my life. I know you will stand by me when the time comes and fight for S.H.I.E.L.D’s soul. That is the reason I am warning you and the reason why I am picking up Liam Hart personally.”

“What has Liam got to do with all this?” Phil asked confused.

Nick turned his good eye onto the his senior agent. “We think that the people he is working for are a part of the organisation that has implanted themselves inside S.H.I.E.L.D for a take over,” he explained, stoic.   

“We?” Emma asked from her section of the couch. She felt her husband give her hand a squeeze. “Whose ‘we’?” She still couldn’t believe that there were traitors inside S.H.I.E.L.D. She had grown up in it and a lot of the best agents were practically her extended family. She didn’t know who she could trust now, well besides the people in this room.

Nick turned his attention onto his god daughter. “Command Hill and myself,” he expressed. “Hill is currently keeping an eye on things at the Triskelion while I’m not there,” he shared. “I don’t trust anyone else.”

“I know Maria is a great agent,” Melinda began. “But is it safe for her to be there if there are traitors within the organisation?” she questioned, concerned evident in her voice. Maria was like another little sister to her. She had been her last Rookie before 'the event' and she didn’t want to see any harm come to her.

Nick turned his attention onto one of his surrogate daughters. “I would never put Hill in harms way,” he assured the female agent. “Just like you and Romanoff, Hill is like another daughter to me … I have Rogers working closely with her. He doesn’t know that he is acting as her bodyguard, but she does. She wasn’t happy about it, but knew that it was for the best. Rogers just thinks that he is being updated with all of S.H.I.E.L.D policy and protocols. As Romanoff and Barton are aware, Hill has been his handler since the 'battle of New York' since he isn't a normal agent,” he shared in a casual tone. “They’ve slowly built a friendship and trust with one another.”

Natasha felt a smile tug at her lips as she thought about Steve and Maria working closely together since she knew that Maria had a thing for the Captain, but pretended she didn’t. The two had become friends, since the ‘Battle of New York’. Natasha knew that Steve also had a thing for her friend, but for some reason he was being stubborn about it. Natasha had tried setting him up on dates with women in the past hoping it would nudge Maria to admit her feelings towards him, but she still refused to which didn’t matter much since Steve turned down every woman she suggestions - even Clint’s ones.