I searched through my handbag, trying to find Mrs Talbot's ID. "I could have sworn it was in here somewhere." I said as her, to the young soldier behind the desk. "Unless I left it on the kitchen bench." I sighed.
"Is everything okay, Mrs Talbot?" the soldier asked. Clearly, the mask was working well.
"I can't find my ID anywhere." I replied.
"It's not that, Ma'am. It sounds like you have a cold." He said and I remembered that the mask changed looks, but not voices.
"Oh, I did. I'm just getting over it." I replied.
"How about I just call the General, get this all straightened out?" he offered, picking up the phone and I smiled gratefully at him.
"General, your wife's left her ID at home again." He said into the phone. "Okay…Thank you, sir." He finished and put down the phone. "You're all set. I hope you feel better."
"Thank you, dear." I said to him as the glass doors opened and I entered the base. I made my way down the hallway. I passed another woman in military gear and I smiled at her as the mask scanned her face. As she disappeared around the corner, I changed into her as I pulled off my coat, to reveal the Navy lieutenant uniform underneath. I headed towards the security room and opened the door. There was no one inside, so I hurried over to one of the computers, where I short circuited the security cameras at the front desk, so no one would see Ward take the soldier's ID and keys.
Once the cameras were out, I started towards the door as a soldier came in. "Major." He said startled. "What are you…" he started but didn't finish as I punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious. I scanned his face and changed into his uniform, before leaving the office.
I marched back to the front desk when Talbot and another soldier rounded the corner ahead of me.
"Get to the Sat room. Make contact with Phil Coulson. Tell him the nanomask is in play." Talbot said to me, not stopping as he marched past.
"Yes, sir." I replied and continued on my way to the front desk, where I saw Ward standing over the soldier at the front desk. He looked up quickly as he saw me standing there and reached for his weapon. I raised one hand to stop him and he relaxed.
"Any luck with the security clearance?" I asked. He smiled and held up the soldier's ID. "Come on. Follow me." I said, and I lead him down into the cells.
We arrived outside Bakshi's cell and I told Ward to wait, out of view. I unlocked the cell door and stepped inside.
"What is it you want?" Bakshi asked grumpily and I smirked, before turning off the mask.
"Agent Straten." He said and I saw his scheming eyes, light up as he stood. "Loyal to the very end." He smiled as I stepped aside to let Ward in. Bakshi looked up at him and his face quickly turned fearful as he backed away.
"What are you doing here?" Bakshi asked him.
"Just lending a hand." He replied.
"Whose orders are you following?" he asked me.
"My own." I replied.
"Agent Straten, you need to listen to me very carefully. You've lost your way. Take a deep breath. Calm your mind. And your compliance will be…" he began but I punched him hard in the face and he blacked out, falling back onto his bed.
"Let's get out of here." I said and Ward stepped forward to pick up Bakshi's limp body.
Back at our drop house, Bakshi was all set up in the lounge room. Strapped to a chair, with his eyes forced open, staring into the same illusion that had been used on me. I stood in the kitchen, thinking over everything that had happened. I didn't know what it was or why, but somehow, after today I was seeing Ward differently. I heard Ward come into the kitchen and I felt my heart warm, which never happened. I hadn't felt this before, but when I saw him smile at the back of my head, I thought that I knew what it was. I think I was starting to like him. I turned around and faced him.
"Thank you, Ward." I said, walking towards him. "For everything."
"Don't thank me. You did this all yourself." He replied.
"You know what I realised?" I asked. "Ten years ago, today, is when I first met you." I said. "And, after my parents and sister, you're the only one who stood by my side and really cared for me." I continued, moving closer to him. "You were my best friend." I said, reaching my face up to his. "But, I realised that, maybe there could be something more to this." I said. "I like you, Grant. And I think I have for a while, but I just didn't realise it yet." I finished, my lips only a few centimeters from his. I waited for him to say something. Hoping that he would say he felt the same, but when he said nothing I looked back up at his eyes and backed away.
"But…you like Skye." I said, looking down, feeling my cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry." I said, and turned out of the room and into the hallway. I leant against the hall table and I stared at myself angrily in the mirror. I was such an idiot. Of course he didn't feel anything for me. He loved Skye and I'd just made myself sound like a lovesick school girl, and probably just made our friendship incredibly awkward. I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing I could sink into the floor. But, try as I might, I was still in the hallway, and when I opened my eyes, Ward was standing behind me.
"I'm sorry." I said again, looking at him through the mirror. "You have feelings for Skye. I shouldn't stop you from going after her." I finished.
"I did have feelings for Skye. But you picked me up from the floor after she shot me. Whatever I may have thought there was between me and Skye, she made it pretty clear the feeling wasn't mutual." He replied. "Besides, I was so focused on getting her back, that I didn't realise what I've always had. What's in front of me. Who I've had by my side since the beginning and I didn't know what I had until it was gone." He said and he slipped his hands into mine. I looked over my shoulder at him and he smiled, before leaning down to press his lips against mine. I closed my eyes and sighed contentedly. He pulled away and smiled at me.
"Shall we get started?" he asked, nodding towards the lounge room.
"It's gonna be a long night." I said and started towards the room, with Ward following behind. I walked over to Bakshi, still strapped to the chair and ripped the duct tape off his mouth.
"If I obey, will my compliance be rewarded?" Bakshi asked, twitching slightly.
"It really won't make a difference." I replied and he twitched more violently.
