The secret is out. For decades your organization stayed in the shadows, hiding the truth. Now we know, there among us are Heroes. And monsters. The world is full of wonders.

"What does SHIELD stand for Agent Ward?" Agent Hill asked. "Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistic Division." Agent Grant Ward replied, his usual cocky self. "And what does that mean to you?" Hill asked. "Somebody really wanted our initials to spell out shield." Ward replied. Hill stared at him unimpressed. "It means we're the line." He amended, "between world and a much weirder world. We protect people from news they aren't ready to hear. If we can't do that, we keep them safe." Hill almost smiled. Almost. "Something turns up." Ward continued, pulling something out of his pocket. "Like this Chitauri neural link." He slide it over to Hill. "We get to it before someone bad does." "Any idea who Vanchat was planning to sell it to?" Hill asked, standing up and placing the neural link in a briefcase. "I'm more interested in how this Rising Tide group found out about it." Ward replied. "I thought they were just hackers. What changed?" He asked. "Everything's changing." Hill replied. "A little while ago most people went to bed thinking the craziest thing in the world was a billionaire in a flying metal suit. Then aliens invaded New York and were beaten back by, among others, a giant green monster, a costumed hero from the 40's and a god." "I don't think Thor is technically a god." Ward said. "You haven't been near his arms." Hill replied, flinching slightly as a low growl came from the corner of the room. Ward frowned, but shrugged it off as a dodgy radiator or something. "The battle of New York was the end of the world. This, now, is the new world. People are different. They have access to tech, to formulas, to secrets, they're not ready for." "Why was I pulled out of Paris?" Ward asked, leaning forward. "That you'll have to asked Agents Wolfe and Coulson." Hill replied. "Ah yeah." Ward said. "I'm clearance level six, I know that... Agents Wolfe and Coulson were killed in action, before the battle of New York. Got the full report." Phil gave Izzy a look as she tried not to giggle. She took a deep breath and they both walked out the dark corner they'd been standing in. "Welcome to level seven." Coulson said. Ward stood up and his mouth dropped open. "Nailed it!" Izzy cried, high fiving Phil. "Sorry... That corner was really dark and we couldn't help ourselves." Phil said, turning back to Ward, who looked more than a bit confused. "I think there's a bulb out." Izzy added, as her and Phil smirked at each other.


"Director Fury faked your deaths?" Ward asked, walking behind Izzy and Coulson. "To motivate the Avengers?" "Well the death of common allies is a particularly effective team builder." Hill replied. "It wasn't that much of a stretch." Izzy added, as the computer scanned them. "I stopped breathing for about forty seconds." Phil said. "While I remained dead for a whole eight minutes." Izzy grinned at Ward as she told him that. "Eight. And four." Hill replied, "It gets longer every time you two tell it." "Yeah well you get shanked by the Agardian Mussolini, you can tell it your way." Phil said, while Izzy pulled a face at Hill's back. "I was looking at the big white light." Izzy said, glancing at Ward, who did not look entirely comfortable. "And it felt a lot longer than four minutes." "Do they know?" Ward asked. "The Avengers? That Fury played them?" Neither him or Hill saw Izzy and Phil wince at his words. "They're not level seven." Hill replied. "We get out the ICU. Fury stuck us in a grass shack in Tahiti." Coulson said, leading the way. "Rough gig. Mai Tais, Travis McGee novels and a physical therapist who's command of English was...irrelevant." "But something put you two back in the game." Ward stated. "What's that?" He asked, walking up to the big screen. "That's a superhero, Agent Ward." Izzy replied. "Don't tell me you've never seen one before." "An unregistered gifted." Hill added. "Identity unknown." "Those were the days." Izzy whispered, leaning over to Phil. "When Superheros were unknown." "And didn't give the address to their holiday homes away." Phil replied, with a nod. Messages and videos began to play on the screen. "Another little present from the Rising Tide." Phil said, looking at Ward, as he felt Izzy bristle at the name. She'd had a run in with a few of the Rising Tide a month ago. It hadn't ended well. "How are they getting this stuff before us?" Ward asked, gesturing to the screen. "Same way they cracked our RSA implication." Izzy replied, making Hill look up. "They're good." Phil narrowed his eyes. "That was supposed to be my line." He muttered. "We practiced this." "I'm going improv." Izzy replied. "You can say the next line." Phil smirked and looked up at Ward with a stern look. "So we need better." He said, before walking off. "That was awesome." Izzy said, walking after him. "Delivered with perfection." Phil agreed. "Agents Coulson and Wolfe had requisitioned a mobile command unit, to which you are assigned." Hill informed Ward. "The Rising Tide is trying to draw us out." Phil said, picking up a folder. "It's time they succeeded." Izzy finished, high fiving the hand Coulson had held up. "You want me to cross them off?" Ward asked. "Wow! No." Phil replied. "We want to use them to get to him." Izzy said, nodding at the picture of the hooded hero. "This man's world is about to get very weird. He's going to need some help." Phil added. "I'm sorry." Ward said, looking at Hill. "I was trained from day one as a specialist. I go in alone. I get it done. Diffusing a Nuclear bomb? I'm your guy. But the welcoming committee?" He asked, looking at Coulson and Izzy, who looked quite offended. Did this Ward not know how easily she could rip him to shreds? Hello! She turned into a giant Wolf! "Not my speed." Ward finished. "I know it's not what you want." Phil replied. "Agent Hill did a very detailed assessment on your three missions. Combat...top grades. Espionage... Your the highest marks since Romanoff. Under people skills she drew a... what is that?" He asked, pointing to the picture Hill had drawn. "I think it's a little poop." Izzy replied, peering at the drawing. "With knives sticking out of it." Ward went to look at the drawing. "That's bad right?" Phil asked, "Given your family history, I'm surprised it's not worse. But... Your the guy for this. If I'm wrong, you can go straight back to your bombs." "Teams approved." A Doctor said, walking in. "Physicals are all fine. Fitz-Simmons is not clear for combat, but that shouldn't be an issue. Agent Ward here, is almost too fit." "That's a issue." Ward replied, walking forward. Coulson and Izzy rolled their eyes, before looking at each other and fist bumping. "That should be an issue. Maybe I can't join the team because-" Hill cut him off."God are your dismissed." She said, making Izzy and Phil snigger. Ward scowled and walked out. "It was a Porcupine. It was not a poop." Hill said, looking up at Izzy and Coulson, who immediately turned back to the page. "It just means that-" "No I'm pretty sure." Phil cut her off. "It's obviously a poop." Izzy added. "And it's not just Ward. Your whole roster is sketchy." Hill said. "Well they're cleared." Izzy replied, with a shrug. "I would of been very happy not to clear you, Phil." The Doctor said. "I'd like for you to rest up more." Phil gave him a sarcastic smile, while Izzy settled on glaring at him. "We've had plenty of that." Phil replied, as Izzy stood next to him defensively. The message was clear 'Phil goes where Izzy goes.' "Thanks." Phil said, whether it was to the doctor or Izzy, nobody but Phil knew. "You sure?" Hill asked, looking at Izzy and Phil with concern. "You should go some time." Izzy replied. "Where?" Hill asked. "Tahiti" Phil replied, before sharing a look with Izzy. "It's a magical place." They both said, smirking at each other. "Three days in I'd be begging for an assignment." Hill replied. "Exactly." Izzy and Phil said, before high fiving and walking out. "Are they always like that?" The Doctor asked. "Ever since Tahiti." Hill replied. "And the talking together?" The Doctor asked. "A recent development." Hill replied. The Doctor went to say something, before pausing, then saying it. "Tahiti." He said. "They really don't know do they?" "They can never know." Hill replied, watching the two agents joke around as they walked away, before shaking her head and walking off too.


"Agent May." Coulson said. "No." May replied, making Izzy smirk. "Pay up Phil!" She sang, holding out her hand. Phil grumbled and handed her a fifty, before walking over to May. "So you've been briefed." He said. "I'm not going back in the field." May replied. "Yeah." Izzy said, standing on the one side of the little square May was sat in, while Phil stood on the other. "You got such a nice setup here." "Ever though about adding a moat?" Phil asked, causing May to give him a dirty look, while Izzy nodded in approval. "We just need you to drive the bus." Izzy said. "Liaise ground transpo wants onsite supervision. This isn't a combat op." Phil added. "Then you don't need me." May replied, making Izzy throw her hands up frustration. "We do." Phil said. "Cus we'll be running ourselves. Picking the ops. Making the calls. No red tape...This is where they actually make the red tape, isn't it?" He asked, walking round to stand next to Izzy. "I always wondered." Izzy shook her head at him and tried not to laugh. "Melinda." She said, serious once again. "You're really just asking me to drive the bus?" May asked. "We're not asking." Phil replied, as he and Izzy began to walk away. "It's a really nice bus." Izzy said, turning around for a moment. It was a really nice bus.


Izzy pulled in shortly after Phil, who of course had brought Lola, his vintage Flying car. He parked her and Izzy waited at the bottom of the ramp, wanting to annoy Phil and make a entrance all at the same time. "Don't touch Lola." Phil said, as a man went to touch the shiny red car. With a roar, Izzy shot up the ramp on her Harley, barely skimming Lola and skidding to a stop about half a metre from the lab. "Izzy!" Simmons squealed, while Ward watched his climb off the motorbike, take off her helmet and shake out her long blonde hair. Damn she looked good in leather. "Hey Simmons." Izzy replied, bounding past Ward to give the other English girl a hug. "Izzy." Phil growled. "What have I said about Lola?" Izzy shrugged. "I don't know. You should know by now, that when you start talking about your vintage collectibles I zone out. Now go do something while I talk with the Science People." Phil rolled his eyes and led Ward up the stairs. "Lola's not just a car..." Izzy caught the start of the conversation, before rolling her eyes and following Simmons into the lab. "Fitz!" She called, waving at the Scottish man. "Hey Izzy. Recovered from Siberia?" He asked, catching the comm she threw at him, and promptly smashing it with a hammer. "Yeah. I tell you, nothing like breaking into a top secret lab at half three in the morning to wake you up." She replied. "And then running ten miles through a blizzard." Simmons added. "Now open wide. We need another DNA sample." "Another?" Izzy managed to ask, before a cotton wool bud was stuck in her mouth. "I've explained this before." Simmons replied. "Every time you phase, your DNA mutates and changes, making it completely different to before. So every time you phase we'll need another sample. Now when was the last time you phased?" She asked. "Erm...Yesterday. At noon. Phil took my doughnut." Izzy replied. "So you wolfed up on him?" Fitz asked. "He shot me." Izzy replied, making Fitz nod. "Fair enough."