Chapter Three

The mission was over. They had saved the world yet again. Okay… not really. No, in fact, sometimes the likelihood of saving the world felt like it was falling further and further away from Agent Phil Coulson's hands. Mike Peterson was dead and Centipede always seemed to be one step ahead of them. Not to mention the truth behind what had happened in 'Tahiti' had finally come to light.

Sometimes Coulson wished he could go back to not knowing, to dreaming of a beautiful island where he was getting to relax for the first time in his life. He wished he could hear the rushing waves again, instead of the beeping of machines. He wanted to smell the salty air instead of his own blood. He wanted the blissful memories of Tahiti.

But they were gone.

Instead, he had the truth. For the first time in a life and career built on lies and secrets he wanted nothing to do with them. He was tired of hiding behind a smoke screen, ready for once to live his life free of lies. No matter what any one tried to tell him, Phil Coulson was a changed man.

But he didn't have time to think about that. He had more pressing matters to worry about, and right now that was the location of his two scientists. Coulson thought he was doing his team a favor when he had given them a chance to go out there own and relax for a few hours. But like many things in Coulson's life now, nothing seemed to be going right. What did they call that – Murphy's Law?

"Do you have any leads?" Melinda May's voice was calm, her face stoic as usual, but Coulson could see a flicker of concern in her eyes.

"Nothing. It is not like them to be two hours late," Coulson replied, looking around at the rest of his team.

"We need to go get them." Skye said, her voice rising in panic. "Maybe we can track their movements through the town."

"My thoughts exactly," Coulson replied with a curt nod to Skye. "May and I will go down to the town and take a look around."

"-Sir-"

"-Coulson-"

"-We can help-"

"-You need us up there-"

Both Skye and Ward objected at the same time. Coulson closed his eyes and held his hands up, keeping his calm. He looked at both of them, seeing the worry and fear in their eyes. He was glad to see that they cared for the other members of the team just as much as he did. It was that which set them above and beyond other SHIELD units. They were a team. He managed a small, comforting smile as he looked at them. "I know you can help." He put a hand on Skye's shoulder. "That's why I need you here. I need you to man the coms, just in case they try to contact us. Maybe you can find something on your end. It is just as important that we have someone here as it is that we have someone out in the town."

Coulson looked over at Ward and gave him a curt nod. His eyes said everything he needed to portray and he was sure that Ward got the message. Watch her; make sure nothing else happens to our team.

With barely a glance in May's direction, the woman was ready to go. It was time to get their team back together.

"Can I sit here?"

Jemma Simmons looked up from her microscope into the face of a young, curly haired boy. He looked about the same age as her, which, in a sea of older students, was a relief. She gave him a friendly smile. "Of course, please." She moved the books that she had strewn across the other half of the desk, giving him room to sit.

"May I see that?" The boy asked curiously, looking at the microscope in front of her.

She moved to the side, giving him access to the eyepiece. The entire time he looked through the microscope she watched him, amazed at how she could see him think, like she could actually see the wheels in his head turning. It was the same look of concentration she had on her face when she worked.

"That is brilliant."

"Sorry, what?" Jemma hadn't even noticed that the boy had looked up from the microscope and had started leafing through the papers she had been working on. She blushed when she noticed she had still been staring at him, but he was already off, talking about some idea he had and how her work could compliment it.

"This is brilliant," he repeated. He stuck out his hand, like he wasn't used to talking to people the way he just had. "Fitz. Leopold Fitz."

Jemma searched him with her eyes for a split second before a smile widened on her face. She took his hand in hers, "Jemma Simmons."

"Jemma!"

Stars danced in front of her eyes as she looked up. The same curly head boy was looking back at her, but his face was different. It was no longer filled with the hopes and dreams of a young schoolboy; instead it was filled with pain and knowledge of a hard world, a hard world that they had discovered together. Tears had streaked his face and his eyes were filled with emotions that Jemma didn't recognize.

Where was she? Why was Fitz screaming?

Pain like she had never known was coursing through her body and everything came back to her in an instant. The cell. The unknown German man. Mike Peterson. Extremis. They wanted the Night Night gun technology, but they couldn't let them have it.

"We won't tell you anything," Jemma said weakly, barely able to keep conscious. Her body was limp as she was hit again. She let out a cry of pain, but it was nothing compared to the blood-curdling roar that came out of Fitz's mouth. He was clawing at the bars, trying to get through them. Trying to get to her. The look on his face was murderous, nothing that she had ever seen before. They had been together, side-by-side forever. She thought she knew everything about him. But the look on his face was new. She watched as he shook the bars as if he could break through them with his bare hands.

The light was getting dimmer again and her head spun violently. She looked at Fitz, trying to show him that it was all okay, that whatever happened he needed to stay strong. She felt her body impacted once more, sending her back into darkness.

All the while the German man stood in the shadows and laughed.

Laughed.

Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter of Murphy's Law. Please stop by and let me know what you think!