SHIELD Agent Eleanor Flint

Chapter 12

I received a call from Henry the day after he left with the STRIKE team. This wasn't uncommon, STRIKE missions were either a one hour job, or a two day job. I had yet to go on a STRIKE Team mission. Natasha and Clint were lucky enough to go on multiple due to the fact that they were on the first STRIKE Team: Delta. I wasn't terribly jealous, but I would appreciate to go on at least one thrilling mission with one of the most high-level units.

I was finishing my lunch when I got the call from Henry.

"Hey, how'd it go?" I asked.

"We need you to come in," Henry said.

I blinked. Once, twice, and three times before Henry spoke again.

"Nell, now."

"'We' need you as in...?" I began.

"SHIELD, Fury, everyone," Henry answered.

He sounded flustered. I set my plate by the kitchen sink and began walking to my room.

"Did something happen?" I asked.

I walked to my closet and pulled out my gear bag. I slung the bag over my shoulder and left my room as Henry was practically shouting into the phone.

"Mission went sour. The agents that went in thought they had it finished, but when we went in for clean up-" he stopped. "Nell, just get to HQ for the debriefing, I'm not going to explain the whole thing."

"Okay, okay," I said. I reached for my room keys and rushed to the door to put on my shoes. "I can be there in twenty minutes."

"Can you make it ten?" He asked.

I slipped on my shoes and laughed into the phone. "Yeah, I'll just tell the cab to speed through Manhattan. I can only go as fast as the cab will take me."

"Fine. Just get here soon." Henry was about to hang up when I stopped him.

"Hey."

"What?"

"Take a deep breath, I'll be there soon," I said.

"Yeah. See you there." Henry's voice had a bitterness to it before he hung up.

I lowered my phone and huffed before stuffing it in my back pocket. I left my apartment and locked the door behind me then jogged to the elevator. In the two minutes it took to reach the lobby, I pondered what could have happened on the mission that needed more agents to be called in. Nothing reasonable came to mind and I shook my head as the doors opened and focused on getting a cab.

~~~

Henry was waiting outside of HQ when my cab pulled up to the curb. I paid the driver then slid out of the cab and approached Henry. His brows were tightly knit together in a scowl and his shoulders were tense. As soon as I reached him he took my upper arm and led us into HQ without a word.

As Henry walked (I jogged) down the hall, I glanced at his hand that held my arm. I looked up at his frustrated face and made an unintentional 'tsk' sound. What could have him in such a mood? I redirected my gaze down the hall and saw that we were heading to the debriefing room.

"Henry, I can walk on my own," I said.

Henry let go of my arm and allowed me to speed walk next to him. His boots made a heavy thud each time he took a step and a couple agents had to side-step out of his way. I had never seen Henry with such an attitude and I felt the need to question him. But if I did it may only frustrate him more. We were only a few feet from the doors to the debriefing room so I only had so much time to ask him before we reached- too late.