Thank you to everyone who read or reviewed the last chapter. You are all absolutely wonderful. Hey look, a new chapter in under two months. This is pretty good considering I went on vacation (I was proofreading in the airport) and moved apartments in the interim. Okay, I managed to get this off to proofreading before I disappeared.

There's a time jump of about a week in this chapter. We really do need to start moving things forward timewise.

Chapter 24: Breakthrough

"Where am I?" The voice from the bed called. He was tied down in restraints that even Steve couldn't break. Natasha was sure that if his training was anywhere near as extensive as hers, he would be able to get out if he hadn't been drugged for several days. At least the super antibodies in his system only made him slightly less susceptible to various sedatives and not the Dendrotoxin immunity that several others have managed to acquire.

"You know I can't tell you that." Natasha responds impassively.

"So I'm in hell?" Natasha rolled her eyes at his dramatics.

"You are still at an undisclosed location. You have been out for more than a week." Because Marcy Carter-Jones tried to kill you for what you did to her nephew. Of course she doesn't say that part out loud.

The day after her attack, the truth of Stark's parentage came out to most of the Avengers and May who was on base by that point. The truth came out because Stark wouldn't let Natasha hurt his sister (Apparently, the man has lots of sisters that he was just finding out about. She wondered if he would be as nonplussed about Natasha Stark/Natalie List as he was about Marcy). They weren't even allowed to keep her locked up in vault E.

"You're probably wondering why you're not dead." Natasha said turning to her prisoner.

"You still need information from me."

"Not need, want." Because they did have other sources including Trista, who was already being brought into the confidence of von Strucker's estranged wife. Natasha knew she would be meeting with the director soon to exchange information.

"There are several people here who are perfectly okay with a very angry CIA assassin strangling you to death. It wouldn't be the first time she's killed a Hydra agent for hurting her nephew. I doubt it will be the last either." It was decided to let Ward know about the familial connection between the two and Natasha decides to do it in a way that would frighten the captive.

"SHIELD was a big organization, but I remember Agent Carter-Jones only having a niece that was SHIELD and I never worked with her." Ward told her.

"Agent Triplett's real last name is Carter-Jones." Natasha watched his face closely. No reaction except for the eyes.

"That explains why Garrett wanted Triplett, despite his reputation."

What did he mean by that?

"Carter-Jones nephew is Leopold Fitz, your teammate. The man you tossed into the Gulf of Mexico like garbage even though he was the only one who still had any faith in you." Her words were carefully chosen for maximum effect.

"Nice try, but I'm not saying anything else. I remember Fitz's file and there were no mentions of Carter-Jones or Stark anywhere in there. Just Alastair Fitz." The prisoner said before turning away from her.

"Alastair Fitz was Agent Fitz's stepfather. He was also a Hydra sleeper agent. Did you know that? Maybe not, if you didn't even know Agent Triplett was the grandson of SHIELD founder Margaret Carter-Jones." She paused again gauging his microresponses. "It seems there are quite a few things you don't know about your former teammates." Natasha said pointedly.

"You're trying to get me to talk and as I've stated many times, I'm only going to talk to Skye."

"That's not something we can give you because she doesn't work here anymore. She is now an employee of Fitz's father working as a programmer for Stark Industries." Technically, it wasn't a lie as they were a subsidiary of Stark Industries now.

"Again, I don't believe you. Because if that was true, I'd doubt the man would have pulled agent Carter-Jones off of me. Not that I needed the help."

"You got your larynx crushed by an almost 50-year-old little Asian woman just a few months ago. Marcy Carter Jones is just as deadly. If we want you dead, you would be. And make no mistake, without our intervention, you would be dead." The prisoner rolls his eyes at her words.

"Nearly 18 years ago Agent Carter Jones slit Alastair Fitz throat after he broke her nephew's arm in two places. They have yet to find the body. You're lucky that she went for this slow method considering you tried to kill her nephew by dumping him into the ocean."

"I was trying to save him." The captive argued.

"Or were you trying to kill him in a way where you could absolve your conscience."

He looks away from her and doesn't say another word for the next 30 minutes making her realize that this attempt was over for the day. She reactivated the barrier and made her way out of the vault to director Coulson's office. She knew the man would be watching the feed from Ward's cell. However, she wasn't expecting Fitz-Stark and his father to be watching. Or at least they had been. Now they were arguing. This was a regular occurrence recently.

"Absolutely not. You're not sending my friend- no, no, no." Fitz-Stark yelled at his father.

"But we need to know what he knows and I've would really like to be assured that Hydra is not breeding an army of little Fitz's to be raised by sadistic Hydra bastards. Who knows who you would've become if Marcy hadn't killed Alastair." Someone like her, Natasha thought to herself.

"She's not even -here." Fitz stuttered out. "She is on a mission."

"And they can tell Janice that Trip needs to visit his mom, who's recovering from a nasty car accident. Stephanie would really like to see her son." Stark argued. He would know since he's been spending a lot of time with his sister in the time since her shooting.

"Let me talk to him." Fitz-Stark volunteered.

"Hell no." Stark yelled. Natasha agreed with him.

"I don't know if it would be best at this time." Coulson said from his seat. "I also don't think we've reached the point where we need to pull…"

"I'm an adult- not an inv- I'm not broken." Fitz-Stark said forcefully.

"Of course, you're not broken. You beat Steve at chess last night. Maybe you should be playing another game with him instead of watching interrogations that go nowhere." She wanted to agree with Stark but couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

"You're still one of my best agents." Coulson interjected. "It's why I'm okay with you being here because you can obviously see things we don't, but I don't want anybody who has a connection with Ward down there. More accurately, Dr. Suarez does not want anybody with a connection to him down there, not even me. I'm going to be out of the country for the next week trying to recruit more people. If we don't have something by then, we will look at other options."

"I'm just the money, so it's not like my opinion really matters." Stark said almost sounding annoyed. "I mean, I would really love to know what they did. Could I have other Hydra created kids out there? That something I would like to now."

"And that is what Trista is looking into." Coulson reassured.

"Have you received an update from her yet?" Stark asked.

"We are meeting for burgers on my way to the airport. Why am I still flying commercial?" Colson glared at Stark.

"Because I have to make it look like I'm actually running a real agency. Be glad I'm letting you splurge for business class. This is not the first time I've done this. I bet you're all happy that the DODC was running the salvage operations in New York and not Shydra."

Except for the companies you put out of business. Natasha thought to herself.

"When will you be getting back to New York?" Natasha asked instead.

"Whenever Leo is ready to leave at this point." Stark told her. "Sooner might be better to get out of DC since the government is on a SHIELD witch hunt again due to the incident at Georgetown medical center.

"I'm not going back." Fitz told his father. "I want to stay here. I need to stay here. I am an agent." Tony looked over at Coulson.

"Fitz, you are still an agent." Coulson reassured.

"One who is in rehabilitation." Stark said pointedly.

"I'm doing better."

"You are." Tony reassured. "I just want you with me. But you don't want that. Is this because I lied to you? Because honestly I was still trying to wrap my head around a lot of it. I wanted to find answers before I told you."

"I need to help find answers too."

"And you are helping. When Dr. Campbell clears you for duty, you will be going back to the lab Agent Fitz. Or are you going by Stark?"

"Fitz-Stark," he corrected.

"But just the lab right?" Stark asked. "No more trying to chase down Hydra agents in Havana?" Fitz-Stark just glares at his father in response. "Now I know how Pepper feels."

Before or after you cheated on her? Natasha manages not to say that out loud either.

Stark finds her in the lab attacking a punching bag an hour after she was dismissed. She's frustrated that she still nowhere with the Hydra traitor and hasn't heard a word from agent Carter regarding her other mission.

"Next time you visit the asshole, I want to be with you." Stark requested.

"I think Coulson said no to that idea multiple times over the last week." 12 to be exact.

"Director Agent is in another country which means Agent May is in charge. She'll say yes because it's better me than her protégé." Natasha sighed at Stark's point.

"You wanted to send her into the lion's den a little more than an hour ago." Natasha pointed out.

"Because I need to know if I have any more family members that Hydra is hiding from me," At least one more, which she doesn't say. She's starting to feel guilty about her silence because she can see firsthand how much Stark actually cares about his family. He tried to relocate Dr. Triplett to a private island in an effort to keep her safe. She said no.

"Fine," she acquiesced wondering if the small amount of guilt she was feeling altered her decision.

"But you follow my lead and do what I say."

"As long as I'm in the room, I'll do what you want."

Trip has been on many stakeouts during his career. He has also been on lots of undercover missions. But he can't remember feeling this restless before. Maybe it's because he watches Janice paint strange alien writing all day when she is not asleep like right now. Her waking up at 2 AM to go on a painting jag is starting to scare the hell out of him mainly because he wonders if one day soon he's going to wake up to find Skye doing the same thing.

What happened to his mom last week while he was away wasn't making things easier on him. If he wasn't worried about Skye acting like Janice, he was worried about Hydra finding him. They murdered his former fiancée and tried to kidnap his mom. Was he next? Maybe it was best that he was in upstate New York watching the screen in front of him.

He was also worried about his mother. Yes, she was supposedly healing and safe in West Virginia, but his mom had a nasty habit of lying to him for his protection. He thought about texting Sharon, but he knew she was deep cover to as Trista's girlfriend in their effort to keep an eye on Natalie. He still can't believe that Miss 'I make rice crispy treats for the entire nursing home' married the head of Hydra and may actually be Hydra herself. Thankfully, Sharon texted him instead.

Cousin Sharon: Hey, you know you should call or text every once in a while. Your wife's dad said this wasn't that type a job. I've spoken to him more recently than you. While he is talking to Tristan over milkshakes, I thought I would text you.

Cousin Sharon: We are having 'lunch' with him before he leaves for wherever he is going. He's really a burger enthusiast. He knows all the best places in DC, even ones that are still open after midnight.

Me: Because he worked there for a long time. It makes sense that you're spending so much time with him because he's your boss too.

Me: I didn't write because I wasn't sure what type a job you were doing. I know you're living with Trista.

Cousin Sharon: We're not talking about that, but it is okay for us to talk. Seriously, what type a job are you doing?

Me: One that involves too much time at clubs with all eyes on my wife. Other than that I can't say much.

Cousin Sharon: Well, your wife is pretty.

Me: I'm talking about the target. She keeps trying to talk Skyler into a three-way.

Cousin Sharon: Is it just me or does it seem like everybody who did not go to the dark side at our former place of employment are members of the LGTB community?

Me: I used to think you weren't, but you are now living with your girlfriend, so obviously there are things I don't know about my cousin. How is living together going? Or is that something we're not talking about?

Cousin Sharon: Well, actually. Trista likes her new job. Most of her coworkers seem nice.

Me: What about the boss?

Cousin Sharon: We're trying to decide if her boss not being in contact with her soon-to-be ex-husband is a good thing or a bad thing.

Me: I'm not sure either. Of course, if they were in contact, the job would be over sooner.

Cousin Sharon: Not necessarily. Sometimes good people fall in love with bad people. You had no idea that your ex-boss was a member of the black and red. Skyler had no idea that her ex-boyfriend was one as well. I think Natalie didn't know who she was married to. It happens a lot.

Me: Are you watching Married to the Mob again?

Cousin Sharon: Possibly. I have a lot of free time on my hands. I've known Natalie for years. I just really think she didn't know who he was.

Me: And you're not just taking her side because she always brought you the flourless chocolate cake that you like from Buzz?

Cousin Sharon: + the ham and cheese scones. You can't be evil if you bring ham and cheese scones.

Me: Except her family is part of the red and black mafia.

Cousin Sharon: And as both you and I have been saying for years, we are not our family.

Me: We still somehow ended up in the family business.

Cousin Sharon: But the family business is saving the world on a regular basis, so it's probably good that we followed in the family footsteps. That being said Uncle Tyrone ended up being a mild mannered accountant and an asshole.

Me: Uncle Antonio wasn't even raised by Granny and still turned out to be a big damn hero.

Cousin Sharon: Which is giving me hope in a way. How's your job going beyond the clubbing and the fact that your wife is constantly being hit on?

Me: Worrying.

Cousin Sharon: You can't tell me why, can you?

Me: It's better that you don't know.

Cousin Sharon: How are you dealing with Rob being dead?

Me: As well as can be expected. It's been over between us for a long time. I'm just upset that the red and black mafia got to him.

Cousin Sharon: You mean not at all. And it's only been two years. Despite how you guys left things, I know that you still loved him.

Me: Well, I would be better if the red and black mafia did not go after mom as well.

Cousin Sharon: We're trying to find him, but it's a hit-and-run.

Me: You mean they made it look like a hit-and-run.

Cousin Sharon: Yes, but we are going to find them. It's just going to take a while.

Me: I know you're working on it; I just want this over.

Cousin Sharon: Have you talked to your mom?

Me: The day after. She was groggy and upset at Margarita.

Cousin Sharon: Because we all wanted to take a swing at your wife's ex, especially because he fucked our recently discovered baby cousin, literally as well as figuratively while he was chasing Skyler.

Me: Seriously?

Cousin Sharon: Yes. But you can't tell anybody I told you that. Trista told me in confidence and I'm really not supposed to tell you, but no one fucks with our family.

Me: And Uncle Antonio still kept Margarita from beating the asshole senseless? Did he know?

Cousin Sharon: Considering how much cursing he was doing afterwards, I say yes. However, he does have intel on the black and red mafia.

Me: Or Uncle Antonio wanted to do it slow and painful as possible himself after we get the info on the red and black mafia.

Cousin Sharon: Possibly. I'm sure he learned some torture techniques during his extended stay at the 10 Rings Hilton.

Me: Probably.

Cousin Sharon: You should call your mother. She misses you.

Me: Not that type of job right now.

Cousin Sharon: Yet you can talk to me?

Me: Text messaging while observing. Mom would require Skype and dealing with more baggage than I can handle at the moment.

Cousin Sharon: Considering what happened, maybe it's time you guys work through some of that baggage.

Me: And we will, once I get back into town. I think we'll be back in a week or two unless something's wrong.

Cousin Sharon: Again, she's fine just annoyed with Margarita. She also refuses to go to Uncle Antonio's house in the Caribbean. They've been fighting about that all week.

Cousin Sharon: Guess what our new uncle is so rich he owns an island. An island!

Me: Were you not at his boyfriend's party on the yacht? We are related to money now. I expect an Audi for my birthday.

Cousin Sharon: The thing is I think you might actually get one. He gave me some of his special toys for work and he gave Trista an Audi for her work with our cousin, the doctor. Trista is letting me borrow it, since she already has a decent car.

Me: Because your car is still probably at an impound lot in Bethesda.

Cousin Sharon: I wish it was just in an impound lot somewhere in Bethesda. It's a total loss because the thing is stuck in the garage of our former place of employment buried under at least 30 tons of materials. My insurance company does not cover cars getting destroyed due to acts of terrorism.

Me: That sucks.

Cousin Sharon: It was the reason why I was living with Margarita until Trista decided we should live together.

Me: Trista has to be a better roommate than Aunt Margarita.

Cousin Sharon: Yes. I think the other reason why your mom doesn't want to leave is because Aunt Margarita will go with her.

Me: And mom can only take her family in small doses - especially her siblings. I assume Montana's off the table because of that.

Cousin Sharon: Yep. We're trying to avoid family members killing each other.

Me: Skyler's ex wasn't family.

Cousin Sharon: But he screwed over family.

"You know, I'm reading over your shoulder and know your cousin and yet I'm still completely lost about what you two are writing about." Skye said from behind him, startling him.

"And that is why we have a family code. You're not supposed to be reading my cell over my shoulder." Trip said, placing the phone in his pocket. He wonders how much Skye actually read. Hopefully not much, because as a specialist he should've realized she was behind him immediately. Maybe the stress is starting to get to him. This is supposed to be an easy mission, but it wasn't.

"You're supposed to be paying better attention. Actually, you're supposed to be watching the monitors in Janice's apartment." Skye told him.

"She hasn't woken up yet." Trip said, pointing to a sleeping Janice. Looking at the clock though, she would any minute. The compulsion was too great.

"Great. I don't like watching her spend the entire night painting that design. I was hoping she'd already gotten it out of her system for the night." Skye said as she sat down next to him.

"Are you afraid that you'll have the same compulsion?" Trip asked.

"Possibly, but Coulson's not doing this and he's had the drug in his system a lot longer. You would think he would react first?" He did.

"Did he react first?" Skye asked after a moment of silence.

"Why are you asking that question?"

"Because you're not looking at me."

"I am looking at you."

"No you're not. You're keeping something from me and I hate when people keep stuff from me. You know I'm not a fan of compartmentalized classification. It's why I'm glad Coulson is getting rid of levels."

"But there is still the need to know."

"That drug is in my system. I think I have a need to know." Skye tells him.

"You're right. You do." Trip took a calming breath and looked into her eyes. "He is having episodes like Janice."

"For how long?" Skye asked.

"Since we stopped Garrett and he found the writing on the Bus. At least that's what May told me. That's why they called in my mom."

"Because she's a specialist?"

"Yes."

"Is he as bad as Janice?" Skye asked fearful.

"No, his episodes usually only last an hour. They also happen no sooner than about a week apart according to May. He hasn't even had an episode since Cap's birthday party." Skye responds by lying down on the bed.

"Every single day. Janice paints that design every day. We've had cameras in her apartment for more than a week and she hasn't taken a day off. Shit! You're telling me that AC is doing this to which means I'm going to be doing this to and…" Trip put an arm around Skye as it becomes obvious that she is on the verge of hyperventilating.

"It's okay. Maybe you won't react the way she is. May said Coulson didn't start until after he saw Garrett's writings." Trip told her.

"And I've been seeing that pattern for several days and nothing." Thank God, Trip thought to himself.

"And even before then you were exposed. I know Coulson had you searching deep web contacts for it. If you were going to be triggered, I think it would've happened by now." Trip hoped that would be the case anyway.

"Why am I reacting differently than the others? Even Coulson is acting differently. Why do you know this and I didn't until just now?"

"May only confirmed I was right when I came to her with my hunch. She told me I could tell you if you needed to know." Trip explained.

"Good thing that we have separate rooms because if we did actually have to share a bed right now you would so be on the couch."

"If we were actually sleeping at the same time."

"You that's not the point. Is your mom the only one working on this?" Skye asked.

"I'm sure Simmons is still working on it. I don't think Coulson trusts that many of the new people that were brought on probably to include the new doctor my mom brought to the base."

"Just-in-time apparently."

"Definitely." His mom did tell him all about Dr. Campbell saving her life.

"Great, this means I need to talk to Simmons."

"Not my mom?" Trip asked.

"Your mom is recovering from being shot multiple times. Also, she's really good at lying to people."

"Too good really." Trip remarked.

"Simmons sucks at it though, which means she might actually tell me what I need to know. You know what she accidentally told Fitz?"

"Too much." Trip told her.

"Also, she's been writing me. She's been writing me drunk, but she has been writing me. Like for example, I know who Uncle Antonio is. How did your grandmother have another kid in her 50s?" Trip actually groaned when she said that. Did Simmons learn nothing at the Academy?

"We think Hydra. She said that in an email to you? Please tell me you destroyed that?"

"Kind of and yes. She was really drunk and it was heavily encrypted. I think JARVIS is doing it automatically."

"You should at least let her know about the drunken emails or Coulson. Probably Coulson."

"Technically, she now works for your uncle, so I should probably report the bad behavior to him, but I need answers about what is in me. I don't think we're going to get them here." Skye said, pointing to the screen where he could see Janice waking up.

"She's waking up."

"Do you think she'll paint something different today? Butterflies would be nice." Skye asked, almost hopeful.

"No." Trip said grabbing his phone to send another message to Sharon.

Me: Skyler came in to talk. Sorry, I ended things abruptly. If Uncle Antonio wants mom out of DC so badly, maybe she can come visit. Besides, you're right. There are a few things we need to talk about face-to-face sooner rather than later.

Cousin Sharon: I'll talk to our uncle.

"You bring me the great Tony Stark, but not Skye? I don't know if I should be offended or flattered." The prisoner said as soon as Black Widow pressed the button on the Stark pad allowing the screen that separated them to become translucent. He liked this piece of SHIELD technology.

"Skye works for me now and I really don't want her to talk to you considering you fucked my son when you were supposedly in love with her. That just makes you seem like an extra sleazy guy. Not to mention your dumping my son into the Gulf of Mexico thing. I'm still furious about that." Tony said, waving the gauntlet he had on at the bastard that tried to kill his son.

He wanted to wear the whole suit, but Steve put his foot down. Okay, he threatened to withhold sex, so he was doing this Natasha's way with Steve watching in Coulson's office with one of the brothers K. "I'm pretty sure this can kill you even if I don't take the screen down. I'm just looking for an opportunity to test that theory."

"As I've told your friend and Coulson, I will give you whatever you want as long as Skye is the one I'm talking to."

"I don't think Skye is going to want to talk to when she finds out that you fucked her friend, her other friend, all while pretending to be in love with her."

Natasha snickered at him. She really can't get over the cheating thing. If Pepper is okay with it, it's none of Natasha's damn business

"I want to talk to Skye." The asshole demanded.

"I want to know if your bosses made me a grandfather. I'm hoping at least one of us gets what we want." Tony smiled viciously at the man in front of him.

"Probably. Although, I doubt Hydra had anything to do with it, considering how promiscuous you were." Natasha actually smiles at the prisoner's remark. This is probably part of her plan.

"What do you know about Project Lullaby?" Natasha asked, standing behind him.

"Where is Skye?"

"Not here." Natasha responded.

"New York, working on a secret project." Tony said, moments later.

"Then I have nothing else to say. If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my morning workout routine. It's the first time in a week that I've been conscious enough to do it."

"I'm starting to really wish I had let Marcy kill you." Tony mumbled under breath.

"Go upstairs, Tony. I'll deal with this." Natasha yelled.

"You've been dealing with it for weeks. I feel like trying out some new toys." Tony said positioning his gauntlet to blast through the invisible wall.

"So do I." Widow said pulling out one of the ICER's and shooting him, which hurt like hell. The Dendrotoxin had no effect on him anymore thanks to the serum in his system. This meant he had to mimic the effects of the weapon which was hard because it still hurt.

"Did you just shoot him?" The prisoner asked.

"He was annoying. It was an ICER." So she could gain your trust, you idiot, Tony thought to himself as he lay on the ground.

"We have a lot in common." Natasha tells the prisoner.

"You're the only person who has espionage scores higher than me. You also have no trouble shooting your teammates." He remarked flippantly.

"I had no trouble killing my teammates, at least before I switch sides. I grew up chained to my bed at night, and fed propaganda each day. I was made into a perfect little assassin to the point that I was okay with them taking a part of me away." Natasha told him and Tony wondered if Natasha forgot that the Dendrotoxin doesn't work him anymore at all.

"I'm sure it was more pleasant than living alone in the woods for five years."

"Did you have to kill your friends so they wouldn't kill you first? I was six the first time I killed someone."

"Garrett made me kill my dog." His voice was cold and emotionless.

"You always have a choice." Natasha tells him.

"Did you?" The prisoner asked.

"I left. I couldn't bring myself to kill a small child and his mother. I left and made it to the other side." Why did Tony have a feeling there was more of a story there.

"And the only reason why you didn't end up with a bullet in your head was because Hydra wanted you on their team." Tony wishes he could see her reaction, but he doubts it would tell him anything that's going through her head.

"I don't doubt that, but that doesn't mediate what I did." Natasha tells him.

"And are you here to interrogate or rescue me?" The prisoner asked.

"You can only rescue yourself. No one can save you, but you." Natasha tells the prisoner.

"I'm currently locked in this room, so I doubt that's an option."

"Or you can start being honest. Were you ordered to have sex with Agent Fitz?"

"No, that was me."

"Why?" Natasha asked.

"You have seen that ass and the curls are cute. Unfortunately, we didn't get that far. It's very difficult to do that on the Bus." Tony felt a little nauseous listening to this. There are some things you just don't want to know about your child and this was one of them. He's been trying to repress this information for most of the last week. Tony is almost certain the only reason why Leo isn't madder at him for lying was because he was keeping this secret for so long.

"Which is why you opted for a blow job. Although, I'm surprised you were the one on your knees. Actually, I'm surprised you went that route at all, if you were trying to get a sample for the Lullaby project I would've thought you would go with a hand job." Why did Iwant to be present for this conversation?

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He did sound genuinely confused. Considering who this person was though, it was probably an act.

"What do you know about Natalie von Strucker?"

"That you should use Google." The prisoner responded.

"Her husband took over for Pierce, or rather ex-husband. I'd doubt that would be on Google."

"How do you know that? Or is this another lie."

"Stark being Fitz's father is not a lie. He was a product of Project Lullaby. We discovered that much without you. Do you really think you are our only source at Hydra?"

"Then why am I still alive? Why did you knock out your teammate, who obviously wants me dead?"

"Maybe because I see a little of myself in you. The person who gave me a second chance, probably hates you too much to do the same for you, but I'm still here. Did you really give Leo Fitz a blowjob because you wanted to?" Did she really have to phrase it like that? Tony thought as he continued to lie on the floor.

"Yes." The prisoner answered.

"Why?"

"Because he actually believed in me and looked up to me as if I could be somebody. And after what happened in Vegas, I needed that. Garrett didn't know; I would never tell him about those encounters. He wouldn't have approved."

"Of you having sex with somebody other than your target?" Natasha asked.

"He was okay with that, if they were female. Contrary to what you and Skye think, Hydra doesn't hold the same values as it did in the 1940s. And never did." Bullshit. Tony thought to himself.

"You want to take over the world. That seems pretty fascist to me." Natasha retorted.

"Some branches did. Others were in it for the science. Pierce definitely wanted to control, but there were certain resources at SHIELD, he wouldn't touch. He avoided GLASS like the plague." If Tony remembered correctly, that was the name of the LGTB affinity group at SHIELD pre-implosion.

"So what loyalties do you have to an organization that will not accept you for who you really are? Garrett is dead now. Coulson killed him. You could be next. You're only still here because of me. Coulson would like shoot you for fucking with his current girlfriend. When Stark wakes up, he may leave you alive until he's 100% sure you didn't turn his son's sperm over to make an army of super geniuses. However, I'm sure he would have no trouble torturing you until you give him what he wants. You should be really glad we brought in a new doctor otherwise you would've been seen by the wife of the woman you killed in cold blood. I'm sure she would've had no trouble finishing the suffocation process."

"What do you want from me?"

"Whatever you're willing to tell."

"Well, if Fitz got to find out who his real father is then I think Skye deserves the same courtesy."

"And you will only tell her this information in person?" Natasha's voice sounded skeptical.

"It is personal."

"Why should I pass along this message?" Natasha asked.

"In the meantime, you might want to check the quantum distribution channels on the old SHIELD frequency. Maybe you'll find what you're looking for underneath the white noise." Note to self, have JARVIS check that out immediately when he gets out of the room.

"Maybe if you find what you're looking for, you'll send Skye ne…" The prisoner was cut off mid-word as the barrier went back in place.

"I think I want one of those for the limo." Tony said pushing himself off the ground, now that he no longer had to pretend to be unconscious.

"Do you think he actually gave us something other than an explanation for why most of the SHIELD members who were not part of Hydra are members of the LGTB community?" Natasha asked.

"Possibly. JARVIS do your magic."

"Of course, Sir." JARVIS said as they exited out of the room. Steve kissed him as soon as they were through the door. He glared at Natasha once it was over.

"I didn't know you were going to shoot him."

"I'm fine, baby. I'm not even groggy, probably because I got several doses of the good stuff last night."

"I did not need to know that." Natasha said impassively.

"You shot Tony." Steve said visibly and audibly upset.

"But it got us our first breakthrough with the prisoner," Natasha rebutted.

"He may have given you nothing."

"If I may interrupt, please turn your attentions to the pad that Mr. Stark is holding." JARVIS directed and Tony did as instructed to find a world map on the screen covered in blue and red dots with more red than blue.

"What are the red dots?" Steve asked.

"Locations of Hydra outposts." The AI responded.

"Shit!" Tony exclaimed. This was not good.

To be continued