Authors Note: All characters belong to Marvel. I also apologize for any continuity errors that might occur, I do my best to make sure there are none. Also for the lateness of this chapter, I've been having some issues with fan fiction and trouble uploading chapters.

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Chapter 2: Secrets in the walls.

Agent Maria Hill panted as she looked down on Director Fury, seeing him struggle to breathe with her elbow restricting his airway. She released her hold and sat down beside him, composing herself.

'I'm sorry Director Fury, that was completely unprofessional.' Maria stated in a clipped voice. She reluctantly brought her eyes to her superiors face, hoping to see an expression of forgiveness. Instead, she found Nick Fury talking instructions into his walkie talkie and ordering a ride to a second S.H.E.I.L.D. base. She tried to determine whether he had heard her or not, so she began to repeat herself.

'I'm sorry Sir for my rash actions, I let my anger get the better hal-'

'-Agent Hill, we are at war. The tesseract has been stolen, our entire station has crumbled to bits at the hands of something out of this world, and we lost many agents and scientists in the endeavour. This is no time for talk about what you did in those vaults, of what you should not have even looked at, correct Ms. Hill?'

'Yes Sir.' She responded.

'Good. Now there should be a helicopter coming in one minute, you will come with me and we can start to plan our attack, now I don't know who took the tesseract or what happened to Clint and Selvig, but it looked extra-terrestrial. And that's your field, so our first order of business is to find it, and I know just the team to help…'

'Right Sir, but are you sure you don't know what happened, during my chase, I saw their eyes we bright blue , and that somehow connected with the word Chitauri Sir."

'Agent Hill I have no idea what your talking about, maybe you got banged up by a piece of flying rubble, but you need to not speak this nonsense to the other agents, it will confuse them.'

'Of course Sir," she responded, back in her strong and curt voice. Maria began to wonder whether Nick was lying, or truly did not know, which meant that S.H.E.I.L.D. kept secrets even from Directory Fury. As the agent was pondering, the wind began to blow her hair away, and she looked up to see a helicopter coming in. The noise was shattering, both Fury and Hill covered their ears. The helicopter landed 20 feet away from the two agents, and they became to rush towards it, Maria supporting Nick.

She looked up and saw Agent Phil Coulson leaving the passenger seat.

'Hello Agent Hill,' he said, he motioned for them to come aboard.

'Hello Phil, thank-you for coming.'

'Are you hurt?'

'No.' There was a thick tension in the air you could cut through with a knife. The rise and rumble of the engine broke the silence as they begin to lift off into the sky. Director Fury sat beside the pilot, with Maria and Phil crouched in makeshift seats behind them, as they flew. Agent Coulson leaned forward and he and Director Fury whispered for a moment before sitting down once again, not paying attention to Maria's inquisitive stare. It was quiet for nearly five minutes before the pilot shouted out, 'Here we are!' As the helicopter descended, Agent Coulson leaned in to Agent Hill and whispered, 'Maria, I'm going to need you to follow me when we land.' Maria gave a curt nod and he resumed his previous position. The helicopter landed and Director Fury and Agents Hill and Coulson sped out.

They had landed in front of a secluded S.H.E.I.L.D. base, one not specified to project P.E.G.A.S.U.S, just on the skirts of the Mojave Desert. It was an abandoned canning factory on the outside, however as the three approached the building they could see there was more than what meets the eye. Upon reaching the glass doors to the unlit building, Director Fury pulled out his I.D. and swiped his S.H.E.I.L.D. card. He then leaned in for an eye scan, while Maria and Phil discreetly held their guns by their sides, looking out into the night. The helicopters makeshift landing had left black marks on the side-walk, and other than that, Maria noted that it was a completely plain location. No buildings or houses within 50 feet, no cars sped by, no people. It was barren. It was silent. It made Agent Hill uneasy.

After Director Fury successfully unlocked the building, the three entered. Maria felt beside the entrance in the dark for a moment before finding the light switch. The floresent lights of the abandoned cannery lit up in rows, causing the agents to briefly squint. Maria slowly walked forward holding her gun out, looking for any signs of danger.

'Agent Hill,' said Coulson. Maria glanced over to see him and Fury waiting for an elevator to rise. Her shoes clipped as she walked the tiled floors to the two men, and then waited in silence. The doors sprang open and a small ding echoed through the room. They entered and Director Fury began to enter a passcode in the elevators buttons. A moment after he stopped the doors closed and they began to descend. Further and further they dropped, past where the buttons indicated where the final floor was, until the doors slid open with another ding, letting in a gust of cold air.

Agent Hill took the first step out into the room. The walls were grey, filled with a dim light pouring down from the ceiling. Both Fury and Coulson stepped ahead of her, correctly assuming she had never been to this base. They walked quickly and quietly with Agent Hill a step behind. Turning a corner in the hallway, they faced a small desk with a S.H.E.I.L.D. agent sitting behind it. Maria recognized the woman, she hadn't been a part of project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., but she was none the less vital to S.H.E.I.L.D.

Director Fury spoke first, 'Hello Agent Hand, when did you get here?' She looked up from the computer screen, closed whatever she was working on, and walked towards them. She wore a fitted black suit and held a briefcase in her hand. 'Hello Director, Agents,' she added, smiling at them. 'Just a few minutes before you did. I've just set up some higher level security, and a few more agents should be arriving at the moment who will secure the perimeter until the three of you leave for the helicarrier tomorrow morning.'

'Thank-you Victoria,' responded Agent Coulson, 'Are the rooms free?' She nodded, handed Phil the briefcase, turned with smile, and returned to the desk in the corner. Director Fury started to speak orders on his walkie-talkie, and Agent Coulson began to walk to the door across from the desk. Agent Hill remembered their conversation and followed at his heels, he pulled the door open for her and she entered the room.

It was a secluded room, it would have had an intimate mood if it weren't for the blinding florescent lights hanging from above. They sat down in the two chairs that surround a large round table in centre of the room.

'Maria, Director Fury told me something worrying today…'

'You mean what I said about the Chitauri Sir?

'Yes. Well it seems you were correct about that, they are Loki's army.'

Maria remembered the man with the smirk and the sceptre, 'Of Asgard.' She stated simply.

'That is correct. But what I want to know Agent Hill, is how you knew this before your Director did.'

'What I want to know Agent Coulson, is why you are so worried about my task in the vaults.' She said quietly.

'Good, we can cut right to the chase now. Director Fury told me about your little mission, right before it was all blown to pieces as well… I know, I know, you're Level 9, higher than myself, I shouldn't look so closely, but this time I did. And it's a good thing too because you looked at things, didn't you? That's how you knew about the Chitauri.'

Agent Hill's heartbeat began to flutter, it was the first time she had ever disobeyed Director Fury in full. She kept her composed manner on the outside, her face giving away nothing when she leaned in an inch. 'Sir I am the director of the planetary defense/intelligence service, I see things like this every day. I am an expert in my field, I have researched over 2000 different planets and their people in extent. This has nothing to do with my work in those vaults, where I discreetly handled exactly what Director Fury asked of. Is that clear Phil?' She stood up. 'I know you do great work Phil, wanting the best for S.H.E.I.L.D. , including the best agents. But there is nothing to report.'

Agent Coulson slowly rose from his chair, a small smile on his face. 'Of course Maria, now if you'll excuse me, I have to call a certain spider.' he said before departing from the room, closing the door behind him. Maria whipped her head around, a puzzled look on her face, before she saw he had left the briefcase under the table. Cautiously, she reached over and pulled it onto her lap, opening it with a snap. Inside were surveillance pictures of herself in the vaults. Of her entering, of her deleting the files looking away, and of her glancing at the content. Underneath the photos there was a scribbled note on a yellow legal pad, it looked like Agent Coulson's penmanship.

Agent Hill I can imagine what you're thinking. You're thinking that S.H.E.I.L.D. has betrayed the people, betrayed you by keeping these secrets. But when you started here you knew how much we hid, how much we hide. There are secrets all around you, in the walls. You know that we are not saints or heroes. We will treat the alien hostiles as we need to, you cannot question our humanity, because they are not humans.

After reading this, close the briefcase, before anyone can see it, including the cameras. Who knows who is watching now. Burn it.

Agent Hill did exactly as was instructed of her from the letter, without a moments pause. She guessed this was the only explanation that would be given to her for now. She left the room to see Director Fury and Agent Hand in discussion, he pointed to the other door in the hall, and then turned back to Victoria. Maria walked to it slowly, her mind racing, to find a lone bed in the room. She un-zipped her catsuit down to her underwear and laid down on the bed for a restless night.

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter, everythings fixed with fan fiction now so there shouldn't be anymore uploading glitches. Also hoped you liked the Agent Victoria Hand cameo, there might be more of her if you all want. Tell me in a review who else you might like to see and I think things can be arranged, also tell me your opinions on the chapter: things you liked, didn't, or who you want to see Maria interact with (don't worry there will be lots of LOKI soon!). Please review, follow, and favourite if you want more chapters, your support will motivate me! The next chapter will be up next week, I have a lot of work right now, but after that you should be getting at least 2 a week if their is demand for it. Thank-you!