Chapter One (City of Lost Souls)
(Approximately Two Weeks After the Events of 2X08.)
"What is that?" Skye asked, looking at a diagram of some kind of structure that Coulson had pulled up as a hologram in his office.
"It's the city I've been searching for since the drawings revealed its layout." Coulson said, motioning towards the hologram. "We've found it. Well, more like the ruins of it anyways."
Skye raised an eyebrow, "It's on this planet?" she asked. "I thought it was alien. Where is it?"
"A small, previously unmapped island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean." Coulson said. "The diagram that the drawings revealed had coordinates hidden in them. Took a while, but eventually saw them. At first they looked like random numbers, but Fitz suggested that they could be coordinates. Plugged them in and it gave us this exact location. Smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean." he explained.
"So if it's really in the middle of the freaking ocean, then how the hell do we get to it?" Skye asked. "Do we just fly there on the Bus?"
"Did you think we were going to swim?" Coulson asked sarcastically. "Of course we're taking the Bus."
"I didn't need that sarcastic reply." Skye grumbled.
"Your question was stupid." Coulson said. "Anyways, yes, we do go on the Bus. But remember, Hydra is looking for the city as well. And there's no telling if they know the location of it or not. So there's not telling to what could be waiting for us at the ruins."
"How do you know that they're ruins if it's 'previously unmapped'?" Skye asked.
"I have my ways of getting a view of the island." Coulson said. "I have connections."
Skye shook her head, "Never mind. But aren't the ruins supposively alien?" she asked. "There could be hidden alien tech and weaponry lying in the rubble. Impossible things could be there. Why is there an alien city on Earth anyways?"
"I don't know, but we really need to be cautious investigating the ruins." Coulson responded. "There's no telling what on Earth could be lying there in waiting. Be vigilant."
(Elsewhere)
The Doctor smiled as a map of abandoned ruins shone on the Hydra screen. "Yes, yes." he muttered.
Whitehall glanced at the screen as well, "So, I'm assuming that this is the city that the Diviner is the key for." he said. "The alien city."
"Yes, this is the Diviner's city." the Doctor replied. "Well, more or less. It's not exactly the key to the city as it is the key for a structure inside of a fallen temple in the city. Whoever the Diviner deems worthy can go inside the temple, others are kept out. The structure 'reactivates' the city." he explained.
"What is the city called?" Whitehall asked.
"Attilian, the Earthen city of the Kree and Inhumans." he replied.
Ward looked over to the Doctor's crazed gaze, "Inhumans?" he asked, frowning.
'Those with Kree blood running through their veins." the Doctor responded. "Basically part-human, part-Kree. Those with Kree blood are the only ones that the Diviner allows into the Temple of Attilian." He looked to Whitehall, "But sometimes it's not just by their blood." he continued. "The Diviner tests how worthy, just how strong their blood is."
Whitehall gave a smug smile, "Good thing not all of me is human." he said.
Ward frowned, "Wait, what?" he asked.
"That isn't a concern for the likes of you." Whitehall stated. "You are merely a rat in the ranks of Hydra. A rat that has valuable information about the enemy. Information that will help Hydra's cause."
Ward flinched and clenched his teeth. He wanted to kill the man, but Whitehall was too useful for his own plans. He only needed to hold out a little longer. Whitehall didn't know it, but Hydra's leadership would start to crumble with him. Ward had his own agenda.
Whitehall continued, now looking back to the Doctor, "So is everything ready to go within the next couple of days?" he asked. "The Diviner?"
The Doctor nodded, "It should be. And it's our only way into getting into the Temple of Attilan. If the Diviner has not, well, proved your 'worthiness' you cannot go in."
"So SHIELD cannot get in. They themselves do not have the blood." Whitehall stated. "They don't have the bloodline to get in."
The Doctor smiled slightly, "Not all of them." he said. "Possibly one or two of them could get in."
"And what will you gain from this, Doctor?" Whitehall asked. "Why are you joining along with Hydra with this?"
"There's, uh, something I want to find. Something that was taken from me long ago." the Doctor replied. "And hopefully, it should be there by the time we get there.
"As long as Hydra doesn't find a need for whatever it is you're looking for, then it's all yours." Whitehall replied.
He nodded, "I'm sure Hydra won't find a need it." He glanced at Ward and mumbled to himself, "Not everyone."
Ward frowned, sensing that the Doctor knew one of the reasons to why Ward was really here. Skye, to see why the Doctor was pursuing her so endlessly and maybe give her the chance to finally see him. And perhaps the fact that he would eventually be the one to take down Whitehall and deliver him to Coulson like he did with Bakshi. But no one had to know any of that just yet.
Author's Note: I don't own AoS, Marvel does. Trying another fic to go along with 'Vigilance of the Soul'. And hopefully this one will work better. Don't worry, the real beginning arc of the story will take place in the next chapter, this was an introductory chapter to show what Hydra and SHIELD were doing. (Remember, Ward's with Hydra for some God forsaken reason since the end of 2X08.) Hope you enjoy! Keep reading and please favorite, follow, and/or reivew! ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.