Hello! This is my new series of one shots. I am totally open to people leaving requests in the comments and I will get to them as soon as possible! This fic was inspired by the song Do You Hear the People Sing from Les Miserables. Enjoy!

When Tomorrow Comes

"Absolutely not." Melinda almost flinches at the viciousness in Phil's voice. It is not often when he turns authoritative and when he does it often means the subject is not up for questioning. Melinda is stubborn, however. "I will not approve of any of my agents sporting in a walk to their deaths."

"They're doing it anyway." She comments her arms linked behind her back, her spine straight. She had received a report from Maria Hill about the rumors of a war sparking between SHIELD and Hydra. Agents getting sick of waiting for the next rain of attack, insisting upon striking first and marching into battle. She'd be lying if Melinda said she wasn't tempted herself.

"Then tell them they're fired."

"That's the thing. Either they're anonymous or they've deemed themselves a martyr. They don't believe they'll make it out of there alive. They might be right to believe so." She mutters quietly bowing her head to the side. She knows good people going out there. People from the Academy. People she used to laugh with. People she used to work with. The man that would greet her every morning after the events of Bahrain was leading the front lines.

"Just make sure our team does not hear of it." He frowns bowing his head to sort out the paperwork of names that they did obtain from Hill. A lump builds in her throat as he stamps the name "AWOL". She almost flinches at the bright red ink against the white. She has to make a choice and she has to make it now.

"Maybe it's not a bad idea." She states. She meets his eyes without fear as his head snaps up. His gaze burns as if she had just shot him. It was the same way he had looked at her all those months ago. Betrayal, sadness, and disbelief flashing all at once.

"Agent May I gave my orders." Phil's voice breaks slightly.

"Well then I guess I'm just another martyr." Her chin tips up not breaking her stance as he rises from behind his desk. He moves quickly to stand in front of her. Her heart lurches as he comes so close he looks down upon her. Her words catch in her throat as his eyes study hers. Searching, no begging, for her to be lying in any sort of way.

"You're not a martyr. You're not going." Gone was his authoritative voice. Replaced was the young boy from the Academy pleading with her not to commit an act that would get her expelled.

"Try to stop me." She whispers her jaw set.

"Please Melinda." He whispers his fingers capturing the tense muscle, forcing her to meet his eyes once again. "Please don't go." He dips down his lips brushing against hers.

"Ward started a war." She says sadly. "I intend on finishing it." With that she disappears as fast as her feet carry her. For she fears if she might slow for a second, they would carry her back into his arms. Back where she felt safe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of marching feet pounds in her ears, her hood flipped up as she walks in the middle of the crowd. She doesn't need the recognition. None of them will get it anyway. None of them will be truly memorable outside of SHIELD. They will not be legends. She never wanted to be a legend. Yet a legend she had become.

The door splits first and the gunfire becomes deafening. The front line falls first. Their bodies crumpling to the floor just as suspected. They sacrificed themselves to be there after all. She makes quick work of vaulting over the bodies, she takes out three before she can even blink. Blood pounds in her ears as she flips over the ones already dead. She fires quickly at the man attempting to disappear into the halls. She takes satisfaction in watching him crumble. Another Hydra member dead is another ten civilians saved. There's no time to mourn the enemy.

Her breath catches in her throat as she spies one man staring her dead in the eye. One presumed dead. One who was supposed to be dead. She moves quickly dashes out of the range of whatever gun he may have. She dashes into an empty room shutting the door behind her. Melinda reaches down snapping open the case she was carrying with her.

Her heart lurches at the sight of the object lying inside. The Berserker staff broken in three once more teases her gaze. The only way they might have a chance of winning but she would have to lose herself. Her fingers curl around the cool metal latching them into their correct position. The blood rushes to her face in effort not to cry out at the onslaught of memories. Her hands burn from the markings etching themselves in her skin. Her palms tremor as she lifts the fully intact staff from its container.

"May aren't you tired of running?" Ward's voice teases from behind the door as the knob begins to twist. With a deep breath she slams her body backwards against the door sending him flying backwards. She kicks the gun away from the crippled body before he can rise once again. He lunges at her knocking her backwards. She uses the momentum to pull him with her flipping him onto his back once more. The gunfire is beginning to die out, the background isn't as explosive as it had been when the battle had begun. She swings sending the man spinning in the air once again as he tried to get up.

Melinda stands above him watching as he struggles to stand. He jaw twitches as memories flash before her eyes.

Daisy crying late at night over how easily deceived she had been. Fitz stumbling over his words. Simmons flinching at the smallest gesture in her direction. Lance curled up next to Bobbi's unconscious body. The way Coulson had slowly lost himself over the days, locking himself in his office for hours upon end. The way Ward had smiled and laughed and fooled them all. The way the each of them had fallen for the act. The wins they shared. The drinks the shared. The moments they shared.

A pained cry rips through her throat covering her victim's as she forces the staff through his chest. Blood covers the once pristine metal as his body goes limp. The blood pounding in her ears feels like it's going to consume her whole before a voice cries out her name.

"Melinda!" She spins the staff still in hand now pointed towards her next threat. Concerned blue eyes meet her own. Her heart hammers in her chest as the staff slips from her shaking fingers.

"Phil…" She whispers.

"Melinda no!" She registers the scream before she registers the pain ripping through her abdomen. A hand reaches from behind her piercing her with a sharp blade. Her eyes fall shut as she drops to the ground with a dull thud.

The sound of commotion is drowned out by the sound of her heart beat in her ears. She watches through blurry eyes as a flame erupts from behind her. She tries to tell her body to crawl away from the flames but she can't find the energy to. She watches as Simmons swoops something off of the ground, dangerously close to the flame. The young scientist's eyes meet hers shining with tears unshed. She turns her head weakly to the screaming as the ground begins to tremble. Mack is by Daisy's side pulling her backwards as she screams. Tears pour down the young inhuman's face as she reaches for her. Weakly Melinda lifts her hand trying to reach her before it falls limp to the ground.

A body slide's to its knees beside her and she finds her head being cushioned by a very soft lap. The smell of peppermints and cinnamon lull her to close her eyes and drown in the smell.

"No Melinda! Open your eyes!" Her eyes snap open as she looks up at Phil. His cheeks stained with tears. His hands push on her abdomen forcing a groan of discomfort from her lips. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He whispers his hand stroking her dirt stained face.

"Hey." She whispers.

"Hey."

"Do you remember that mission in Berlin?" She asks softly.

"When you threatened to kill me if I died cause I almost bled out on the plane?" He chuckles lightly through the tears.

"Don't kill me." She whispers.

"No." He breathes. "No May! You're not dying on me that's an order."

"Yes sir." She mutters struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Just keep talking to me. You're going to be fine. Simmons just has to get the medical supplies. You're going to be fine." She takes her time memorizing his face in this moment. His hair was slightly disheveled and his face was blood red. The taste of iron fills her mouth as crimson begins to leak from her lips.

"Is it over?" She asks.

"Yeah." His hand strokes through her hair cupping her jaw lightly. "We won. You did good." Her eyes drift closed once again as the desire to sleep draws them shut. "No! Melinda stay with me! Stay with me!" His throat aches from screaming his face pounding.

"Take care of them."

"No please! I can't do this without you." His voice breaks on the last word as a tear traces a path through the dirt coating her own cheek. She looks up at him one last time with a sad smile and red stained teeth.

"Phil… I'm…" Her head lulls to the side staring blankly as the flames illuminate her now resting features.

A scream tears through the building littered with bodies as her body goes cold. The noise crying for a broken heart. The sobs of the survivors fill the silence as the blood of the martyrs stain the concrete floor.