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Chapter Two "Shifter of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Director Fury," Melinda May nodded her head in acknowledgment of her superior; her voice even. It masked any emotion of surprise of this unexpected visit. Agent May made her way up the ramp into the cargo bay of the plane and extended her hand to shake Fury's.
"Agent May," Fury answered shifting a thick file in his right hand to his left then clasping the female agents firmly. "Coulson?" he asked noticing that only one of his two lead agents on his team had returned to the plane.
"Ohh, I ran on ahead," Agent May replied pressing the com in the cargo bay and speaking into it. "Ward, Coulson is 20 minutes out," she updated her team-member before turning back to the director and straightening her leather jacket she had dressed into only moments before in the forest.
"And I am sure with you Agent May, that means literally," the dry humor of the bus's pilot threatening to grate on his nerves. Looking at his watch impatiently, Fury spoke once more "May, I must speak to you privately before the briefing. Coulson's office."
May let Fury lead the way climbing the steps behind him noting Fitz and Simmons in the lab and suspecting Ward was probably in the cock-pit. Reaching into Coulson's small fridge, she grabbed a bottled water opening the cap and drank it down thirstily. "You want one director?" she inquired closing the fridge when she shook his head side to side with-out comment.
"Agent May," Fury spoke instead handing her a file. "This is your private copy of the mission I am presenting. It is a little more personal than what I will share with the team in the briefing. You can read it later but suffice it so say what happened at Bahrain in Centipede's lab did not end when you and Barton were injected with Dr. Malus's serum that changed you into shifters. "
"But the facility was blown up with all of the equipment and serum," May spat incredulous her angry outburst masking her inner conflict. "Dr. Malus was killed. We found his D.N.A. at the scene."
"Let me be frank Agent May," Fury continued ignoring the slight growl that erupted in the back of his agent's throat. "They took a sample of your d.n.a. They then harvested some of your eggs after they injected you with that serum that had turned you to a shifter. The same similarly occurred with Barton, removing his d.n.a. and seminal fluid. Woo, Blake and Carter on your strike team were treated likewise." Deciding to give his agent a moment to gather her thoughts, Fury turned away from May and moved to look out of the window. Fury spotted a S.H.I.E.L.D. S.U.V. turn into the remote airport silently noting Coulson's return. He sighed then turned a around to speak to May once more holding out his hand up for a moment when she started to speak "Someone got out of that facility and someone has sought to take the research to the next level."
A knock on the door caused May to un-characteristically jump as she fought with her leopard to remain calm until she heard the rest.
"May?" Fury asked seeking permission for the shifter's mate and superior to join their private conversation. Seeing a slight nod and noting the growling had stopped Fury called, "Enter Coulson."
Phil Coulson entered quietly not saying a word just moving to stand against the wall directly behind May in silent support.
Not addressing him further, Fury turned his attention back to May. "May, bottom line we have reason to believe there is credible intelligence to suggest that Centipede has moved beyond merely injecting subjects to become super-human and shifters for their own devices. Centipede is using your genetic material as well as probably those that were the strike team in Bahrain to breed into biologically created shifters."
May felt Coulson instantly beside her. He did not say a word but did take his partner's hand. May's brown eyes flickered with grief a mere second before hardening with anger. Flickering feline eyes drilled into the director as her mind turned over the possible implications of his statement. "My baby, MINE," the agent voice roared as her leopard's possessiveness to her offspring sprang forth. Only Coulson's strong grip that suddenly was around her waist pulling her backwards kept Fury from feeling the full power of a mother leopard seeking to protect her young.
Refusing to be intimidated by May's instinctive emotional response, Fury looked into the angry agent's eyes. "I want you in on this," he spat getting into the shifter's personal space. "But you are no good to me, no good on this team or your possible offspring if your leopard goes off like this." His voice fell to a whisper as he observed May now leaning into Coulson with his arms gathered around her gently. May's eye were slowly shifting to brown as he watched on. "Are you in?"
After a few tense moments, May straightened in Coulson's arms and walked from both agents to stand by the plane's window. Melinda May looked outside at the breeze blowing in the trees focusing on soothing her dual nature. When her leopard calmed, May turned to address the director as well as Agent Coulson her superior officer. "I apologize for my outburst Director Fury as well as you Agent Coulson," her voice soft and regret. "This news and the possibility that I have off-spring out there some-where under Centipede's imprisonment clouded my reactions for a moment." She shook off the negative emotions physically like a cat and walked back to the director and her commander. "Thank you for coming to me Director Fury. I'm in."
Neither Coulson nor Fury spoke merely nodded. Fury left the office first. He was followed quickly by Coulson and May as the three agents left to brief the team.