Jai Xu is a happy-go-lucky biochemical scientist for Hydra. After Hydra defeats S.H.I.E.L.D., she continues to experiment with an unknown alien substance with tragic repercussions.

After doing her time with the X-men, Coulson brings Halle Rhodes in to assist in the training of an agent who has recently acquired special abilities. Rhodie must balance her new job and her all of a sudden clingy boyfriend Loki Laufeyson.

Hello All, I'm back! I'm experimenting here with some new characters so I could really use your feedback. I'm really excited to see where this story goes, and I hope I can update it often. Enjoy!

Three Years Ago

Jai

Running here, running there, why does this job require so much running? I wondered as I sped down the hall, making sure none of the files or papers I was grasping flew away. Even though it was the dead of night and no one was around, my eyes darted around suspiciously. I reached the only lit room in a hallway of darkness and I felt as if I were inside a horror film. I giggled in spite of myself, thinking of how the people in the audience of the theater would probably be yelling at me to stay away from the room.

I immediately wiped the smile off my face as I slipped into a seat surrounding the table in the middle of the lit room. The light hung lonely in the middle of the room, and the aquamarine tint radiating from it would've worked better as a camera filter than a lighting source. I lay my files on the table and prepared myself for what would be a long meeting.

At the head of the table was a tall, grey haired man with coke-bottle glasses. He wore a grey suit, which I thought complimented him nicely, and I had told him that many times before. He was often extremely serious, which is why I always made it my personal goal to make him cookies or tell him about a cool movie I had just seen. I looked up to him, even though I was pretty sure he didn't even know my name.

The room was not as full as I had expected. To my left and right sat people in black suits or dresses, sitting politely in their plastic chairs. I knew everyone in the room by name, I had made them all cakes on their birthdays, and I went out of my way to say hello every morning. Most would thank me kindly, few would return the favor, and some wouldn't even say anything at at. One in particular was a chiseled, dark haired man with a permanent scowl on his face who always sat beside the man at the head of the table. Every time I would try to strike up conversation, he would always answer my questions in no more than two words. It got so frustrating that I stopped saying hello altogether. Leon would always wonder why I kept giving him cakes on his birthday, and I would reply that if I didn't, no one else would!

"Jai," he would say, "you have the kindest heart that I have ever known." He would laugh, his thin lips would curl into a sideways crescent moon, while his eyes would scrunch as he let out a low laugh. The laugh I had come to find as a comforting sound. Leon and I were inseparable, so close that people often confused us for siblings. We have the thick obsidian hair and brown almond eyes. Our parents had been friends for ages, having both lived in China when they were young. We were flung together from the earliest of moments; it was never just Jai or just Leon, it was always Leon and Jai. We both became interested in biological science, and both headed into the same career field.

Leon sat to my right at the table and I was glad he was here, these meetings always left me feeling stressed out. But he would always take me out for ice cream afterwards and we would end up playing video game until two in the morning.

The old man in glasses asked me to close the door to our room and the meeting began.

"There's nothing to be worried about," he began. "This get together is nothing more than a check-in. I'd like you each to go around and say what your current project is."

This was usually how we started out, even though everybody knew everything that was going on at all times. But this time, I was excited. Leon and I had been working with some new alien technology and I was excited to mention it to the group.

A woman sitting next to Leon spoke first. "In the communications division, we have been working on cleaning up the mess after Tony Stark's little show. The media is having a field day with it, and it's our job to make sure we maintain face through the situation."

"Very good," nodded the man. "Who's next?"

I looked to Leon. His eyes faced forward, he was incredibly serious. He didn't say anything.

"Agent Wen?" asked the man. Leon turned his face down, obviously not wanting to speak. I thought it was odd, so I spoke instead.

"Agent Wen and I have been working with the new-"

"-engineering and biochemical recruits," interrupted Leon. I looked at him incredulously, why did he not want to tell the man about our new discoveries?

"They brought in a new batch from the academy and Agent Xu and I have showing them around," continued Leon, staring at the table.

"Is this true, Agent Xu?" asked the furrowed brow man sitting beside our leader.

I paused, my heart started racing. I had to trust Leon; there had to be a reason why he wasn't revealing our finds to the group. "Yes, it is true."

"Well than, nice work."

I looked to Leon, pleading for a glimpse of eye contact, a reason for lying. But I received nothing as we continued around the circle. People talked of their work in aviation, combat, and other areas which I tried to find interesting. Finally, the meeting seemed to be coming to a close.

"Great work everybody," commended the grey haired man. "You have all contributed to our cause, never lose sight of it."

He stuck out both fists outstretched. "Hail Hydra."

We echoed. "Hail Hydra." And the meeting concluded. I made sure to say goodnight to Dr. Whitehall and the sour-faced Mr. Bakshi.