Jeeeeez louezzz its been a long time. How's everyone's summer?

Agent Melinda May had known Phil Coulson for a very long time. It didn't really matter the exact number of years, just that it was long enough to know when he was hiding something. A little twitch of the hand she dismissed to another episode of writing, but it was other things that caught her attention. The way his eyes steeled and softened whenever Skye was mentioned. The way his fingers bounced up and down, before curling into fists. And most of all, the way he returned to his office for hours at a time, not letting anyone in at all. May had caught a glimpse inside, and had found him staring at a bundle of papers intently, as if expecting them to reveal something they hadn't the past hundred times.

This was what worried her. Coulson had been distant, yes, but these papers were something else entirely. Her first hypothesis had been disproven immediately, that they were some more unanswered questions about TAHITI, and so had her second one, that he was preventing the team the grief of knowing that Skye had died somehow. But no, everything from TAHITI was out, and Skye was still alive and well according to him (and she could tell if he lied). So the real mystery was what made him lock eyes with Fitz before the two of them hurried away to the lab and talked in low voices.

May had her orders. She followed them, and she wanted to say it was good enough. It wasn't. Not anymore. Not when May knew he was losing control. She saw it in his eyes, in his voice, and in the stray carvings in his desk that he tried hastily to cover up, his face hardening into a guarded expression all too much like the one she used. She doubted the team didn't notice anything out-of-order. Well, any more out-of-order.

The clock on the wall suddenly ticked loudly. Actually, quietly, but May caught the sound in the dead silence and looked up. 1:39 am. She sighed, gazing around the dark kitchen. There were times when the silence of the base was comforting, especially knowing that though barely a sound reached her ears, people still dwelled in their rooms, whether it was under soft light or piercing darkness. Very rarely did anyone else's footsteps join hers, and sometimes they just sat on a chair without noticing a second figure. A second figure always watching, always waiting, always wondering if the sun would rise for everyone there the next day.

And May wondered. She did. She wondered every day if she would wake up and everyone would be gone. And as much as they thought she didn't need them, didn't want them—as much as she thought that…she did. And the best way to stop thinking she'd wake up to them in the hands of Hydra, Ward, cruel amusement in his eyes, staring at her as he slowly, one-by-one shot Coulson…then Fitz…Simmons…Skye…Mack…Hunter…Bobbi…and Andrew….well, the best way to stop the dreams was not to dream at all.

In the times when she let her guard down, her dreams twisted and clawed into nightmares. Sometimes he shot them, sometimes he did worse. Tortured them till they were nothing put a pile of flesh and bones begging to stay alive. Sometimes everyone turned out to be Hydra and Coulson's voice echoed; "Let the girl go."

"May! How—how long have you, um…"

May turned, hearing Coulson behind her, preparing to question him. But her surprise turned to shock as a mop of curly brown hair and blue eyes stood in the kitchen.

Fitz took a breath. "That's…ok. I guess. I just…couldn't sleep. Had some..erm…things to—to…well…never mind."

May looked at Fitz, head down, wringing his hands nervously, and felt a sudden burst of authority. "What have you and Coulson been working on in the lab?" Fitz looked up, stumbling over his words.

"Um…nothing important. Nothing. Really. Just—just samples." Fitz opened the fridge and brought out a sandwich, keeping one eye on May.

"Of what?"

"Some...of the bio tests from the team. It's…complicated. Would take too long to explain."

"I have time."

Fitz shook his head. "Well, I—I would, but…" he paused, his eyes glancing around the room. "Am…tired. I'm tired. I'll just go back to my bunk, then, right."

May grabbed his arm as he headed off with a sandwich. "Does this have anything to do with the papers I saw Coulson with?"

Fitz stopped. "Pawpaws?" he asked, mouth full of mozzarella. He swallowed. "Did you…um…" he motioned with his hand. "Did you see. Any of them." Shaking his head, Fitz took another shaky breath. "It..um…shouldn't matter. I'll just go back now." May raised her chin, listening to Fitz's footsteps hastily residing, his figure slipping back in the darkness.

Coulson was nowhere to be found. May had checked everywhere, ranging from his office, to the lab, to the kitchen. The more places she looked, the more she realized it wasn't just Coulson who was missing, but Fitz too. She had run into Simmons, but when she'd mentioned him Simmons just turned away, mumbling something indistinct. She couldn't find Bobbi either, which was odd. Hunter was looking for her too, but his version of looking was stealing looks away from the television every couple of minutes, or glancing around between swigs of beer. Mack was missing as well, which was even more of a mystery. Unlike Bobbi, Fitz, and Coulson, Mack didn't have a reason to want to be alone.

She was just walking back to the shooting range to practice when a flash of light caught her eye as she passed the bunks. May turned, narrowing her eyes and set her foot down lightly so not to be heard. The door to Skye's bunk was opened, by less than a half-inch, but still open. Light crept under the cracks of the door, brightening up the floor. May slipped her fingers between the wall and the door, sliding it open.

The wind caused a rustle of papers to fly off the bed and the two people inside hastily tried to gather them up. Fitz was the first to see her, and he tapped Coulson on the shoulder. He turned, clearing his throat and standing up. "May."

"What's this?" May couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.

Coulson looked dead serious. "May, where's Mack?"

The question startled her. "That's not what I meant. What are-"

Fitz pulled out a replica of Lola, which she recognized. The one Mack had given him. May smirked. "Does it fly?"

Coulson shook his head. "Sadly, no. But it is something else besides a nice-looking paperweight. I know Lola like the back of my hand, and that," he motioned to a component under the hood, "is not supposed to be there. I was having Fitz check it out in a secluded place. No one...no one really comes in here, so…"

"I haven't seen Mack. Can't seem to find Bobbi, either."

Coulson's expression hardened. "Oh my god. Fitz, take the car and get it to the lab. I'll confront Mack, and May, guard my office. It's a scanner. He's looking for the toolbox."

Fitz looked confused and shocked at the same time. "W-what toolbox?" he stammered, but she had already left.

May could see movement behind the office door. She burst through, aiming her gun at Bobbi. The blonde-haired woman put her hands up, setting Fury's toolbox on the desk. May raised an eyebrow, and Bobbi put down her baton as well.

Bobbi's voice wasn't shaky or scared, more like she was trying to be as convincing as possible. "May, put that away. There's no need-"

May aimed her gun at the ceiling, firing a warning shot that echoed around the small room before setting the barrel back on Bobbi, the dust from the first shot making her eyesight tinted brown.

"You better give me one good reason not to shoot you right now, or the next one goes through your skull." May snarled. She could hear more gunshots and voices yelling outside, but didn't let her eyes go off of her target.

"Listen. I work for S.H.I.E.L.D. I do, I promise. But you don't. What Coulson is doing here, that's not S.H.I.E.L.D. I-"

May smirked. "Try again."

Bobbi shook her head. "You have to agree, Coulson's done some shady stuff. But we've been researching everything he's done, and there's stuff here that you wouldn't believe. Stacks and stacks-"

Something pulled in May's gut and she lowered her gun slightly. "And the papers?"

Bobbi put her hands down. "Papers? We haven't-"

"The ones he and Fitz have been looking over them. Maybe fifteen in all? He's been obsessing over them."

She saw Bobbi eyeing her lowered gun, and realized what would happen a half-second too late.

In a blur of light, Bobbi whipped a second baton out of her jacket swiping at May and knocking the gun to the floor. May bent backwards, using her foot to deliver a painful kick in the kidneys to Bobbi. She dodged with a flip, but May chopped her knee as she landed, and curled her fingers around Bobbi's ankle so she got a hold. Bobbi gasped in pain, but somehow used the second of imbalance to push May against the wall. May used to momentum to flip upright, kicking Bobbi in the chest.

May's eyes met Bobbi's, and both women went for the pistol on the floor. Halfway through the race, Bobbi jumped up, grabbed the toolbox off the desk, and started sprinting away. May snatched the pistol, shooting wildly, but it was too late. Bobbi crashed through the glass window, sending clear shards over the floor. More gunshots echoed in the hall, and then silence. May waited, not daring to breathe.

Either there were six agents knocked out in the hallway, or Bobbi Morse was dead.

Hey guys! Which FRICKING AMAZING show did I reference in this chapter? If you don't get this I will be disappointed. Shout-out to anyone who gets it right! Review if you have a prediction, know which show, or love the Flash.