Jemma Simmons marveled at the sparkling stone that now adorned her ring finger. It was a really simple design, yet it captured their story perfectly. The thin white gold band which was studded with tiny glimmering diamonds lead to the large center stone, a two carat oval shaped brilliant cut diamond that was made out of a lock of Leo's hair. She and Leo had been visiting her parents when he proposed, and now they were on their way back to the base in a quinjet.
Jemma knew Daisy wouldn't be there. She hadn't been there in months, but with Bobbi gone, and with May's history with marriage, it was Daisy who Jemma wished she could talk to the most. During Daisy's time at Shield, she had become like a sister to Jemma, especially because she was an only child. Of course everyone else would be excited, but it just wouldn't be the same. Jemma needed to talk to her sister. Jemma's thoughts were interrupted when the quinjet landed with a thud in the base. Fitz turned to her excitedly.
"So are we going to tell them or are we going to let them figure it out?" he asked with a glimmer of mischief in his eye.
"It isn't like it will take them very long to figure out." Jemma said with a little eye-roll and a big smile. "They are all spies. It's their job to notice details." She continued.
"Well let's see how long it takes them anyways. My money's on two days" Fitz nodded in approval of his own statement.
"Two days? Fitz, they're bound to notice within the hour." She smiled and shrugged.
"How about this." He began a compromise.
"If I win, I get to live the fantasy..." He said this with a toothy grin, Jemma was well aware of what 'the fantasy' was. "… and if you win…?" Fitz trailed off to let Jemma decide on her own prize.
"I get a full body massage with kisses all over." Jemma declared.
"Deal" they shook on their bet in which they would both be winners either way it played out.
The door to the quinjet begain to open.
"Ready future Mrs. Fitz-Simmons?" Fitz asked as he stood up and turned toward the opening ramp.
"Ready future Mr. Fitz-Simmons." Simmons smiled brightly and stood up as well.
They walked together into the hangar. They were not, however, greeted by the welcoming party that they had expected. Instead they were surrounded by agents hustling to and fro. Suddenly a disheveled May emerged from the crowd and marched right up to the startled lovebirds.
"We have a superhuman alert. Coulson thinks it might be Daisy. You two with me. Mac and Coulson are meeting us there." May barked and walked onto the very quinjet that they had just emerged from.
She stomped up to the cockpit and dismissed the pilots that had brought the Bio-chem-tech duo back across the pond. She plopped herself into the pilot seat and began flicking assorted switches. The machine that had just powered down roared back to life and the ramp shut. Fitz sat back down and Simmons ran up to the cockpit.
"Where did the alert come from?" She asked with her heavy eyebrows lowered.
"Hell's Kitchen New York." May answered grimly.
"Oh…how fitting." Jemma gave one of her half nods that indicated she was slightly uncomfortable. It did make sense though. Since Daisy was now technically a vigilante, Hell's Kitchen would be the place to attract her. With the Devil, the Punisher, Jones, Cage and Elektra, Hell's Kitchen was quickly becoming the vigilante capitol of the world. After gathering this information Jemma went back over to where her new fiancé was sitting patiently. She sat beside him and took his hand. They entwined their fingers and Jemma again basked in the glory of the brilliant diamond, now contrasted with Leo's rough calloused fingers. She sat back and tried to relax. Totally unaware of what was ahead.
As they closed in on the location of the unknown superhuman they were able to notice that something wasn't right. The unknown was indeed a young woman, but it certainly wasn't Daisy. The girl's features could not be seen for red flashing lights surrounding her obscured them. She was merely a curvy silhouette against the darkness of the alleyway she was being backed down. As they got closer they realized that the girl was in trouble. She was surrounded by burly men, all of whom were armed with assorted makeshift weapons. Jemma was now standing at the exit of the quinjet. It was still hovering but May began to lower the ramp.
"Get them Jemma!" May shouted through the roar of the engine.
Jemma pulled an ICER out from under a seat and took aim. The ramp lowered just in time for Jemma to see one of the thugs delivering a lethal seeming blow to the girl's forehead with a crowbar. The girl crumpled to the ground and the other men attacked.
"We're still out of range May!" Jemma shouted as it occurred to her that the fate of this girl was unfolding before her eyes.
May responded and inched the quinjet backward as much as she could. Jemma's hair was whipping around her face and obscuring her vision, but she could see well enough and now she was almost in range. She stepped out onto the ramp. The harsh cold wind whipping at her even harder now. She was close enough. Jemma took aim once more and fired three precise shots. The thugs hit the pavement violently and Jemma could now see the girl clearly in the glow of the streetlights. She was covered in blood. Without hesitation, Jemma grabbed one of the med packs and shoved an auxiliary comm into her ear. She strapped on a belay and then ran to the edge of the ramp. With a click she was attached to the tether, and off she went. Sliding down through the buildings and landing mere feet from the scene. She unclipped and rushed to the girl's side. Soft moans were escaping the girl's lips. Jemma assessed the situation and pressed the button on her primitive comm.
"I need a gurney down here!" she shouted, her voice growing shaky as yet another life was put into her hands.
The girl was covered in random slashes from one of the thug's pocket knives. Jemma opened the med pack and began to wrap bandaging all over the girl in an attempt to quell the bleeding, even though she knew the girl would need stitches. In that time May was able to land the quinjet and the ramp was now flush with the pavement. As if on cue, Coulson and Mac ran up to the scene and retrieved a gurney from the quinjet. Mac lifted the girl onto it and Coulson secured the straps. Jemma wrapped her slender fingers around the bars of the gurney and wheeled it onto the aircraft. She placed the gurney in its designated spot. It clicked into place. Mac and Coulson, who had arrived there on foot, ran onto the quinjet and strapped themselves in.
"We'll drop her at the nearest hospital." Coulson stated as he walked up to the co-pilot seat and settled in.
"Sir, we can't. She's an enhanced. I recommend we take her to the base." Jemma said as she smoothed the girl's long dark hair away from her pail skin.
"What makes you think that she's enhanced?" Coulson furrowed his brow and craned his neck toward Simmons.
"When we first saw her she was producing what seemed to be red flashing lights?" Jemma said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Fair enough." Coulson turned back around in his seat. "To the base May."
Jemma looked at the girl again and noticed that she had a red purse draped over her shoulder.
Jemma reached into the purse and pulled out a black leather wallet with chains adorning it. She opened the snap and looked at the ID. Her heart began to race as she made the connection.
"Sir, I think you may want to see this."
Coulson obliged. He got up and padded over to where Jemma was standing.
"Oh my god…" His voice grew soft as the realization hit him.
"What is it?" Fitz asked and ran over to look at what Coulson and Simmons were gawking at.
"Great god." He uttered as he saw what was making everyone so nervous.
In the ID window of the wallet was not a US ID, but a card that had a picture of the girl on the left. Directly next to her likeness were three lines of text that read in all caps,
'WANDA MAXIMOFF'
'AKA THE SCARLET WITCH'
'AVENGER'
