LOKI

Loki led the way, following Dr. Lukas outside towards Tony's favorite walking place, as Dr. Lukas said.

"We've already had people comb the grounds for evidence. There's nothing here." They walked along the paths. Loki watched Juliette and Clint search the brush, and the walkway for something—anything that could lead them to the kidnappers, if there were any kidnappers.

"Dr. Lukas, I'm starting to think that perhaps you're just desperate to keep the security of your establishment on the good side of the spectrum." Loki said.

"I assure you, Tony and Leo had no reason to run." Dr. Lukas snapped, "Besides, you think this is secure? Two of my patients have been kidnapped! That's far from secure."

"Speaking of secure, do you have any security footage from that day?" Clint gasped.

"You think if I did, I wouldn't show you? No. I don't. We have security cameras, but they're mostly focused on keeping people in, not other people out. When Fitz was taking out the trash we got some footage of him leaving the building, but there's no security cameras by the trash bins, and..."

"Can we see these trash bins?" Juliette asked.

"This way." Dr. Lukas led them to a path that led from the side of the building down towards the front, with space enough for a garbage truck to come through. There was a fenced area where the dumpsters were. Juliette stood before the wide circle of pavement, staring at it with wide blue eyes as if analyzing it.

"There's skid marks." She knelt down and traced her finger over black marks on the road.

"Yes..." Dr. Lukas frowned.

"Did anyone hear anything?" Loki asked, remembering the squealing tires of New York City.

"I don't believe so. No one reported anything to me."

"Juliette!" Clint held something in his gloved hand. He came dashing forward, grinning from ear to ear.

"What is that?" Loki asked.

"Cigarette butt. Do any of your patients or staff smoke, Dr. Lukas?" Dr. Lukas shook his head vigorously.

"No! That is strictly prohibited."

"Looks like we found ourselves a lead." Juliette grinned.


JULIETTE

"How long are we going to have to wait to get this stupid cigarette butt tested for DNA."

"Alright! That's it! I'm sick and tired of listening to your shit! Now shut your pie hole and eat your dinner!" Juliette screamed. Loki and Clint stared at her and she shook her head, her cheeks burning. After a moment of silence Clint jumped up,

"Gospodi, I'm sick of fast food. I'm gonna go make a stop at Safeway. I need a nice cooked meal. You guys want anything?"

"No, thank you." Loki sighed.

"I'm good." Juliette looked down at her sandwich and her stomach churned. She groaned inwardly and shouted, "WAIT! Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I need..." she froze. "You to throw this stupid sandwich away on your way out."

"Why...?" Clint raised an eyebrow.

"Because I feel like I'm gonna throw up! Do you need me to explain it better to you, cupcake?!"

Clint rolled his eyes, "Okay... who woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" He grabbed her sandwich and rushed out the hotel door. Juliette evacuated from the area where Loki was eating and groaned. She had thought that morning sickness was over with. Her phone burst forth it's regular ring tone and she ran outside to answer it.

"Good evening, Jules, how are you feeling?"

"Bruce..." She sighed with relief.

"Is everything okay?"

"No..." Depression engulfed her. "I miss you! I'm sick again too! I thought it was supposed to stop! And I'm really mad at everyone and I don't think I can take this!"

"Hey! Stop!" Bruce demanded. "I want you to think positively about this, okay? You're only fifteen weeks along, okay? Your morning sickness should stop soon, probably, and it's normal for you to have really crazy emotions. Your body is raging with hormones right now. It's all normal." Juliette shook her head.

"I know you're worried."

"About what?" She paused.

"Our baby... You're worried about how... if... you're worried about whether or not he or she will be like you."

"Right now, I'm more concerned about you."

"Don't lie, Bruce, please."

"Juliette, don't. Don't do this to yourself. You need to stay strong. Tell you what, I'm making an appointment for you with a doctor tomorrow, understand? You're going to hear our baby's heartbeat."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm making the appointment right now. There! Just go in tomorrow at ten. It'll make you feel better, I promise."

"Okay. I will."

"Good!" Suddenly there was a muffled shout.

"What's going on?" Juliette cried. Bruce said something, and then returned to the phone.

"Jules, do me a favor and put Loki on the line, will you?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Please?" Juliette returned to the hotel room, and handed Loki the phone,

"It's for you."

"Hello?" Loki frowned. "What?! Oh my- I'll call a cab right now! Alright! Tell her I'll be there soon! Okay! Thanks!" Loki shoved the phone back into Juliette's hands, "I've gotta go! Joy just went into labor, and she's progressing at a nice pace. I'm catching a flight back to New York."

"What about the investigation?"

"Can't talk! Gotta run!" Loki flew out the door before Juliette could say anything else. She put the phone back to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey! I'm sorry, Jules. I've gotta run. Joy needs help getting to the hospital. And then I've gotta go analyze a crime scene. I'll talk to you soon okay?"

"Okay."

"I love you, so much, dear! So much! Remember!"

"I love you to." Juliette murmured.

"Goodnight."

"Bye."

Juliette collapsed onto her bed, tears in her eyes. She was all alone now, left feeling broken and sick. Then she remembered. I'm not alone anymore. She gently rested her hand on where her little one resided. I have you, my sweetest blessing.


MARIA

"Oh my god! Steve!" She ran towards him, her arms outstretched. He pulled her against him tightly, and she met his lips with hers, quickly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. If anyone needs to be worried, it would be Glass." Maria looked over to the gruesome scene and shivered. "What happened?"

"It would appear that he's been shot right through the chest." Bruce said, letting Glass's body drop to the table again. "It's a very clean shot, but it makes quite a mess, doesn't it?"

"Sure. What can you determine from this, Dr. Banner?"

"Well, I can determine he shot from a high angle."

"Something I already discovered." Steve said.

"The bullet passed clean through and hit here." Bruce pointed to a hole in the wall of the cafe near the floor. "And I might be able to determine what type of gun was used if I can retrieve the bullet."

"Who in the name of heaven cares!?" Steve screamed. "The only thing that matters is that I should have been able to catch that bastard!"

"Captain!" Bruce looked up with a glare, "None of this is your fault."

"I can't believe this. Some careless assassin got away from me. I should be able to run faster than that."

"Steve-"

"I've got to find that murderer, that... vigilante, before he kills someone else."

"Well, it's not like he's doing any harm to us." Bruce said, "He meant to shoot Aaron Glass, a HYDRA agent."

"It doesn't matter. I'm going to find him and he's going to answer to SHIELD."

"Steve!" Maria grabbed Steve's arm. "Settle down! Okay?" Steve looked down and she stared into his deep blue eyes. "Everything is fine! Right now, we're going to work together to catch the vigilante, okay?"

"I don't-"

"Bruce and I, we will be with you and help you, alright?"

"Yes. Good. Okay." Steve nodded.

"Good. Don't worry, Steve, we'll find him. I promise."

"I know." Steve smiled.


FITZ

"No... no... no..." Fitz stared at the results and angrily kicked the cupboard next to him. "These aren't right. They don't make sense." He looked over at the machine, shaped quite like a gun, or a scanner. It scared him. The whole idea of how it worked terrified him. Nothing like this should exist. And the fact that the science behind it was so strange could only mean that it was part way Asgardian technology.

"Well..." Simmons smiled brightly, "Perhaps... you should start with a smaller hypothesis, or smaller hypotheses and begin again.

"I don't want to start with smaller hypotheses!" Fitz shouted.

"Fitz, you need to calm down. Take a deep breath."

"I shouldn't have to start with smaller hypotheses! I'm a genius! They always said I was a genius..."

"And you are! But sometimes geniuses, they need to think smaller to find the results."

"And what happens when I do find the results!?"

"You can get out!" Simmons smiled happily.

"No..." Fitz frowned, looking at his friend, "That's not Simmons."

"What are you saying, Fitz? You don't look very bright, perhaps you're sick."

"Jemma would never say that. Because, you and I both know... we both know that... that the machine is used to steal the...umm...the..." He snapped his fingers, "The..."

"Genetic code." Simmons supplied.

"Yes! Genetic code! No! Shut up. Don't say anything. I can figure it out myself! The genetic code off of innocent people and in the process murder them."

"Fitz... it's the only thing that will allow you to live. We have to fix the machine."

"I know... but maybe there's a way for me to fix it to steal the... the genetic code without the victims dying, maybe they'll just become normal. That's not as bad, is it?"

"We don't have time to do that, Fitz."

"Yes we do. I can figure it out, I know I can. Ow! Dammit! Bloody...!"

"Fitz, you ought to be careful." Simmons reached for Fitz's hand. "Let me see."

"No! Leave me alone!" Fitz jerked away from her.

"What's wrong with you, Fitz! I'm just trying to help."

"Well, it's not helping!"

"You've got to focus, we can get out of here still if you just focus."

"But... I can't just leave Mr. Stark and that little girl to die!"

"Fitz, you and I have to survive to go warn Coulson and Ward." Fitz froze. He turned slowly towards Simmons.

"I said, leave me alone." His voice had an edge to it, like poison. Simmons looked horrified.

"You know, I don't mean to hurt you Fitz, but Ward is-"

"I said, get out! GO AWAY!" Tears were coming now. He missed Simmons more than anything in the world, but this... this was not real, and it was not helping.

"Fitz-"

"GO AWAY!" 'Away' turned into a wail as he collapsed to the floor, sobbing. "You're not real! You're not real! I know you're not real!"

"Not real? Don't be ridiculous. If I'm not real than how am I talking to you?" Fitz wiped away his tears, and looked up at his PTSD, right in the eyes.

"You're not here." He breathed. And in one instance Jemma Simmons was gone.

I love you, Jemma... I love you... I'm so... so... in love... with you... He choked on his sobs as he rocked back and forth, praying that perhaps he might at last find some closure somewhere in the small prison lab that he was forced to call home.