Chapter 4

Maria slept three hours, no dreams, no nightmares, the blank rest of a quick nap. When the alarm goes off she grunts and stires in the sheets. For a few minutes she is peacefull almost, and she knows it is the after effects of Natasha. If she closes her eyes she can relive the softness of her skin under her fingerstips, the velvet of her hair curving in all directions in the back of her shirt, the green of the fabric enhancing the color of her captivating eyes...

Maria knows what it is now, the effect Natasha Romanoff has on her. She is hooked.

She likes her. She feels easy and normal with her. Safe. Not safe in a tactical mission harm kind of way, but safe in the quiet of their exchange. There is an understanding between them that Maria never shared with anyone before. They don't have to speak, to fill the silence, they are at ease in the quiet. They don't even have to look at each other for knowing how the other will act, what mood she is in. Maria didn't remark it before now, but she has always been able to read Natasha on some level, even when she was keeping her cards close to her chest, hiding under a neutral mask.

Of course, it is part of any spy job, further more it is part of the Deputy Director's job to assess her agents's state of work, but somewhere along the line, Maria developed a special and invisible link with Natasha, one she didn't even know existed before yesterday.

She is lying on her bed, scanning the chronology of they past encounters with new eyes. She remembers watching Natasha join the group after the battle in the helicarrier when Loki escaped their custody. When Coulson died. Maria remembers how particulary in tune she was with Natasha's emotional state. The woman was closed off, but she had sense how lost and broken she was inside. Still, being the Deputy Director she had no time to support one agent when the Tesserract was about to bring hell on Earth.

She remembers witnessing bits and pieces of scenes over the years, never being part of it, she was a silent spectator watching over her with a hint of concern and care she didn't have for her other agents, but she never analysed it until now.

She thinks Natasha never suspected it either. From her behavior it was clear from day one that Agent Romanoff respected Agent Hill, trusted her professional judgement and saw her as a perfect machine soldier, nothing more. Aside from their mission related interactions, Maria had no place in the woman's personal world. Maria wonders when that changed, because never before Agent Romanoff would have stopped by her office to spontaniously take care of her.

Maria has no idea when the Russian started to see her as more than an efficient soldier. Maybe one day she'll know, for now it doesn't matter.

She is stretching lazely on her mattress, and she choses to relive much recent events. She brings her fingerstips to her lips. She is actually surprised by her own boldness, touching Natasha like that in the lockerroom, but when the woman had move her head to the side, giving her better access to her neck all her doubts had vanish in seconds. Her hand had move with certainty, stroking skin as if her fingers belonged there. It was amazing.

A daydreaming Commander... That wont do.

Maria allows herself one more moment in memory land, then puts her usual guard up and gets out of bed. As commanding officer she has her personal bathroom attached to the bedroom, and she takes good use of it. After puting on her neat uniform and arranging her hair in a bun, she heads to her office next door, starts her coffee machin and waits for her fix. She is just sipping the last of her mug when there is a nock at her door.

Maria glances at the clock on the wall above the office couch. 0800am. May's team is perfectly on time for debrief. Nothing surprising from the Cavalry. Commander Hill doesn't leave her spot, standing in front of the window wall facing the ocean. The helicarrier is sailing on the Atlantic for now. There is an exploration team searching the abyss for an ancient relic which apparently, according to the Doctor Zikwik Barton and Romanoff retrieved two days ago in Switzerland, is part of a mystic cult ritual aiming to call upon a god of apocalyptic powers. SHIELD is in a race to recover the artefact before the fanatics of the mystic society do. Knowing how the Asgardian's gods are not just a legend but are actually very real and very powerfull people, Maria doesn't want a repeat of New York anytime soon. Never. Who knows what kind of mystical very real god this object would bring. Again.

It is a neverending job, keeping the planet safe, safe from outside alien threats, safe from it's own human inhabitants looking for... basic destruction out of pure madness ? Honestly the world would be such a sweet environnement if not for all the stupidity flying around with giant egos. Maria can't help but see the cummun point between all the disruptives of peace. Whatever the species, whatever the time in History, it is the male's need for power and ego boost that always bring the horror and chaos.

She shakes her head and sighs. Thinking about it doesn't change anything. Still, she is grateful to be the second in command of SHIELD, for she already had to do interference with Nick, a lot, sometimes to a yelling level close to fighting fists, to make him come down from his high horses. She isn't the obedient soldier she once was before Loki. If she had step up more then, maybe the catastrophy of New York wouldn't have happen. As it is now, she cannot rewrite the past, but she is glad Fury lets her at her post and accepts her harsh remarks. They are bickering a lot, but their friendship is strong and unwavering.

At the end of the day, they make a good team. When he doesn't play dead or sneak outp to develop a project on the side. She keeps a close eye on him, as close as she can do while managing the agency.

Her job is tiring. She desperatly needs some time off.

'Enter'

She says it loud enough for her agents to hear through the massively armed door. The smooth sound of the sliding door preceds the arrival of the four women. They fill into the room in a neat line. Maria can see their reflection in the glass. She indulges in the view one last time. She always loved the colors of the morning sky. Then she turns around, faces her agents with a nod of salute before walking to her desk. As soon as she is sitted, May breaks her formal stance and joins her to the chair in front of the desk, while the three women stays at attention behind her.

'Report'

Commander Hill's strong voice rings in the office. It is just a formality. She was present on the main desk during the operation yesterday, she heard everything unfold and they already used the intel to move the helicarrier to the coordonates. Still, it is protocol.

Agent May leans in and gives her the file she brought with her. Maria knows the Agent to be thorow and her methodical handwritting – something she cannot says for everybody, unfortunately -, all the details of the mission are in there, with pictures and documents as added bonuses. If only all of her agents had the same efficiency...

'Everything went according to plan. We retrieved the data, destroyed the hardware and facilities.' Maria is flipping through the report while listening to Melinda. 'But there is more. Daisy found an other lead while she was there.'

Agent May turns her head slightly to the side, and Agent Johnson continues the exposé.

'I saw a list hiden in their network. A hit list. A lot of our agents are on it. They had locations and a lot of informations on all of them.' She pauses, her chin high, the posture of obedience and respect. The girl went a long way from her days at the Rising Tide. She is a good agent now, reliable under May's guidance.

'Did you get the list ?'

'No, Commander. There was no time left. I barely had the time to collect the coordonates of the artefact before everything got hot.'

Well fuck. She doesn't like the sound of that.

'So, you're saying this fanatics are on to us ?'

'I believe they are, yes.' Daisy's voice is resolute.

Maria clenches her jaw.

'Do you remember any names on this list ?'

'Again, sir, i only had a quick look. What i recalled i immediatly wrote down.'

She points to the folder on the Commander's desk. Maria turns the pages and finaly finds what looks like the photocopy of a napkin with two names written on it. Carter, Coulson.

'Is that all you have ?' Maria tries not to raise her voice.

'Yes' the agent answers shippish. 'I read their file on Coulson and they had the right adress, his cell number and some recent transcripts of phone conversations. It all lines up.'

Fuck. This is major security breach.

'Does Coulson knows about this ?' Maria asks May.

According to protocol all the intel must come through the Deputy Director first. She is the one deciding who gets the clearance to which information. Melinda is a reliable agent, but she is also loyal to Phil.

'I only told him to stay on the ship tonight, and to not go anywhere until his briefing with you.'

'Good'

Maria pinches her nose and takes a deep breath.

'Alright. Agent May, i want you on this. Make out the team you want, choose the best of our tech agents, contact even Stark if you need to. I want our entire system scanned. Find me this security breach, this takes priority. Cut their supply and if you can, find them.' She puts her hands flat on the desk. 'I don't have to tell you the emergency of this.'

Melinda nods and gets up in one fluid motion, already heading to the door. Quake is furiously taping on her phone while the rest of the team fallow their handler out.

As soon as she door slides back, Maria breaks her straight composture and sags on her chair. Security breach. This is uge and extremly alarming. She didn't thought those fanatics were able to do that. If they have Coulson's name and accurate informations, a level 8 agent no less, they probably have much more. This is dangerous.

For a moment Maria moves to the com button, but she changes her mind. Before giving any orders she'll listen to Coulson's team and see if there is more to it.

She doesn't have to wait long. When Coulson nocks at 0830am she calls for him to enter. He, Agent Barton and Agent Romanoff stand before her at attention, both former assassins in SHIELD uniform, Phil in his suit. He is the only one getting away with it. Fury has a soft spot for him.

'Report'

As usual Coulson gives her the file and sits on the chair May was in minutes ago. Barton and Romanoff go for the couch, each on opposite side. It isn't long before Clint starts drumming his fingers on his thigh, making Natasha tense and send his warning vibes. It is always the same with them, like a routine circus.

'The mission went without too much trouble.'

They hear Hawkeye snorts but ignore him.

'Agent Romanoff successfully went in with her cover, got inside the vault and eliminated the target. The group doesn't have any financial support anymore'

Maria nods, looking at the details in the fold. Coulson's handwritting is readable.

'As for the lab part, it wasn't planned but we managed.' He shrugs with a casual tone.

By that he means Natasha took care of the three men guarding it, getting hurt in the process, before setting the place on fire in an 'accident' having nothing to do with clumsyness during the fight but everything to do with Natasha hating lab environnement. They had to cover it with a 'domestic fire' story poped out of their hat and crossed their fingers hoping it would to the trick. They managed, as Coulson puts it, and it is true. Knowing this two bickering on the couch, it could have been worst.

Maria doesn't comment as she scans the pictures taken by the small camera of Romanoff's pendant. The room under the vault wasn't in the house's scheme. She'll have consultants looking at those images. They need to know what they are up to, and they need to know fast.

Maria has a bad feeling about all of this.

'Alright, anything else ?'

'No, Commander'

'May told you to stay on the ship, do you know why ?'

'No, but of course i am curious.'

He doesn't push. He knows Maria will tell him eventualy. He is her closest adviser, after all, and her friend from many years.

The Commander closes the file, puts it on top of May's.

'Agent Barton, agent Romanoff, you are dismist for now. No assignment until further notice. Agent Coulson, you stay.'

The two friends stand smoothly, bumping the cushions on the couch unceremoniously. They were just starting a fighting match. Maria can't help but roll her eyes at them while the move to the door. Barton goes out first, happy face in place at the idea of free time and family, no doubt, Natasha lingers just a little. She chances a glance in Maria's direction and Maria takes it. For a moment they just look at each other, concern written on Natasha's face as she can read the worry in Maria. Maria smiles her soft smile at her and Natasha answers in kin before leaving.

Maria's gaze stays on the closed door, her mind already running possible scenarios. Being only with Phil in the room she allows herself to sigh and collapse on her chair.

'We have a problem'

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A/N

Okay so i didn't plan that at all but i'll roll with it.

Just so you know, i put my nose on the Marvel chronology of events and it got me a headache – seriously it didn't come to that but you get the sentiment. So i chose to not care about the background and accurate chronology and facts. I'll try to stay close to it but it still will be slightly AU to serve the story and characters developpement.

Enjoy !