*Rated M for possible future content. There will most likely be strong language, violence and sexual content ~S
Weakness: Chapter 1
'That' Mission
Every well-seasoned agent of SHIELD had 'that' mission. That one mission that completely and utterly destroyed their lives forever. Nairobi, Amsterdam, Kiev, Shanghai. For some, it was a mission gone south. Maybe a partner died, or a mentor, or a handler. Maybe they'd been captured; maybe they'd been tortured. Maybe they blew up an entire apartment complex packed with innocent civilians just to eliminate their one target.
For others, it was the complete opposite. A mission gone so perfectly, so cleanly, that they began to question even their own morality. A mission that made them question what exactly it meant about them that they could kill someone so flawlessly, so effortlessly, without a hint of hesitation or conscience or doubt. Maybe the target reminded them of someone – their daughter, their brother, their uncle. Maybe the target seemed innocent – maybe it was a child, a mother, a veteran. Maybe years ago you fought on the same side.
No one knew when their 'that' mission would appear. For some, it came right away. Their very first steps into this new life, barely out of training, and they were shot down and subdued like an animal in a cage. For most, it came after a few years, when they were least expecting it: when they'd grown comfortable, when they'd grown cocky, when the universe decided they needed putting in their place.
But no one escaped it. And no one forgot.
Sometimes an agent shared 'that' mission with other agents. Perhaps it was 'that' mission for an entire STRIKE team. Occasionally entire squadrons were rendered compromised for years to come by the same single operation. Other times an agent had their own personal 'that' mission. Maybe it had been a solo mission, or maybe no one else was affected in the same way. It didn't matter: either way they were left alone to grasp at the shambles that once was their life, with no hope of ever putting it back together.
There was no returning from 'that' mission. No way for an agent to revert back to the person they were before. For most, it marked the beginning of the end. Honourable discharge followed by a downward spiral of self-hate and destruction. The nightmares were the worst, and no amount of therapy or medications could stop them from following. Support groups were made, hoping to reach out to ex-agents who understood what they were going through. It soon became apparent that no one would ever relate, because they weren't there, and they hadn't lived your life. Maybe they could sympathise, or offer an ear to listen, but they'd never understand.
There were very few who returned to active duty after 'that' mission. Even fewer that came back after a second. And a third. And a fourth. But they existed, so the rumours said. Maria Hill still stood at Fury's side even after Steckborn and Bavaria. The Cavalry returned after Manama, and even Phil Coulson himself had returned after, what the stories say was, a blood bath in Košice. They never recovered, but they persevered. It made them stronger.
And then there was, of course, STRIKE Team Delta – a whole league of their own. Abidjan, Kinshasa, Cairo, Havana, Warsaw. These were only a handful of operations that sprang to mind when talking about STRIKE Team Delta. It's what made them the best. Some believed even untouchable. How wrong they were.
Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff and Alexandra Denton. Three of the world's most deadly assassins. Skillsets too vast and too broad to list; too many to count. And only one weakness. Each other.