Shaylene's POV:

Something is wrong, I can feel it in my bones. It's like an ache that is so dull that it's barely noticeable but yet is so consistent that it needles away at your very being. Though as much as I'd like to delve into the issue causing my unease I unfortunately do not have that luxury. Strucker has a plan for me and I must complete it with the utmost haste.

Unless I want him to doubt me. I cannot allow that to happen, he must put his absolute faith in me or else everything will fall apart. My plans to protect the others and get us out of this mess will be for naught.

Creeping around in the dead of night is quite easy when you've had years of practice. I was surprised that he wanted me to complete such a simple task. Break into an old S.H.I.E.L.D. base and locate a chip that had been left. This was one of the bases that HYDRA had successfully taken over during the Helicarrier disaster.

Though the CIA and FBI agencies have rifled through everything, there is apparently a secret level underground that contains the most important files. Those are what Strucker wants.

They contain traces of the targeting system that was supposed to be used to take down targets with the Helicarriers. This will allow HYDRA to use the data that was collected to locate the threats they detected and with the teleportation device they managed to acquire from Avengers Tower, they'll have an easier time defeating their enemies.

Apparently a new organization is rising up from the ashes of S.H.I.E.L.D. and they are currently guarding the damn doors. With a frustrated sigh, I launch myself forward, grabbing the arm of one of the guard and using the momentum to launch him into the man beside him. They both topple as another guard rushes forward. I kick at the gun in his hand, sending it skittering across the concrete.

I twist away from his throw fist and throw my own into his stomach, he heaves over, breathless. The two guard who were knocked over were now back on their feet and rushing towards me. Using the hunched man for leverage I push myself skyward and catch one of the men with the back of my knee, yanking him down with my movement, I release my grip as his face crashes against the ground. I swipe my leg out and knock the other guard over.

A firm kick to his head puts him out.

Rushing forward I throw a heavy-handed punch, using as much strength as I've got, to hit the third guard in the face. He collapses to the floor in a heap.

"That could've been worse," I mumble, turning and grabbing the key card from one of the unconscious guards. I wave the card in front of the sensor and wait as the doors slide open.

The once pristine building was in disarray. Paper is strewn everywhere like someone had a fight with the copy machine, desk chairs are knocked over, desks drawers are open. It's almost a sad sight.

Moving forward I press the button for the elevator and am surprised when the door opens. Stepping inside I push the button for the basement. There is no music playing, only complete silence. The kind that would be in any horror movie every. The girl enters an abandoned building and is chased down by ghosts or murderers.

Except I'm more than capable of fighting any enemy. Now anything paranormal would be a whole new issue entirely. Then there's a ding and the doors open slowly.

It's pitch black in the basement, no windows — not that it would help as it's the dead of night — and no light switch in sight. Reaching into my pocket I pull out a small flashlight and use the small burst of light to guide my way. The air is ten times colder than it was upstairs.

It feels like walking into a freezer.

Strucker said the secret room was somewhere down in the basement and that none of the other HYDRA agents who were here never knew about it. That means that the chip should still be here. Starting at one wall, I start knocking against it. None of them seem odd. All of them made of plaster with, more than likely, concrete or bricks behind it.

Then I notice a spot on the floor, it looks like all the other wood pieces, except there's a small chip in the wood. Almost indiscernible. Moving over there I kick the spot. It's hollow.

I kick it again, harder. My foot throbs but I keep going until the wood gives way and splinters beneath my feet. Not stopping until there's a hole just big enough for me to slip through.

"There you are," I say, smirking. Then I jump down into the hole.


Third Person POV:

Shaylene was hiding something and Tara had resolved herself to finding out what it is. She just didn't realize just how boring it was to dig through tons and tons of video footage was. How did the police manage to do this? It was exhausting...

Surely there must be a better way of doing this. That's when an idea struck.

"Hey, JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Tara?" the AI replied.

"Are you able to search for specific people in video footage?" she asked, hoping that the AI would be capable of something like that.

"Of course. Mr. Stark programed me to be able to observe and recognize the facial features of individuals for the purpose of identification."

"Then would you be able to help my search through various databases for anything connected to Shaylene Rogers?" Tara requested.

"I suppose I could, Mr. Stark did not give me orders against helping any of you in the case of searching for information so it will take me some time but I should be able to locate anything connected to her should I find anything."

"That's fine, just let me know what you find out."

Tara cleared the browser on her computer and headed out towards the kitchen when she ran into Nathan. He was seated at the table, his red hair a mess and his eyes heavy with dark bags under them.

"You look like death, ever heard of sleep?" Tara said cheekily, opening the fridge.

Nathan says nothing for a moment before looking up. "You know Shaylene is doing something too right?"

Tara sets her can of pop down. "Yeah. I've got JARVIS looking in on it for me. He's an AI and can dig through a lot more data than I can without getting tired. Hopefully he'll find something that'll give us some information. The Avengers have been really keeping an eye on us since Shaylene got away."

"Not surprising really, we're dangerous. At least according to them."

"Where's Clara? I feel like I've barely seen anyone in a while."

"I think Barton got permission to take her to his home."

Tara quirked an eyebrow. "Really now? I didn't know he had a house."

"Apparently there's a lot of thing we don't know about our parents. How are things going with your father, are you getting along?"

Tara shrugged. "I guess so, we're doing pretty good. Better than Shaylene and Rogers at any rate. What about you and your mom?"

"She's... distant. I expected that though, she's a spy after all. I-I think she does care though, sometimes she looks at me like she doesn't believe I'm really there. Perhaps she wanted children but is unable to have any. I believe that was something the Red Room wanted to prevent in their agents."

"I can't imagine that," Tara said. "Wanting to have a family but can't."

"Miss Tara, I've found something you might be interested in seeing. I suppose you're fine with Mr. Nathan seeing this as well?"

"Yes, show us."

The TV comes to life and grainy footage appears.

Tarben and Shaylene stand outside in the darkness, completely alone. Then a man dressed all in black approaches them and they follow him into an alley. The footage cuts to show the three of them entering into a metal door and the loud bang as it closes behind the trio.

"Tarben know's what Shay's doing. We have to go find him."

As if summoned by Nathan's words, Tarben steps out of the bathroom and immediately stares at the two in confusion as their eyes are glued on him.

"Who did you and Shay meet with?" Nathan asks, his voice a warning.

Tarben, not wanting to anger Nathan and Tara, decided that things were getting to complicated. He didn't want to break Shay's trust but he also didn't want to be at odds with the other so he confessed to everything. That Shay was working with HYDRA and she was doing mission for Strucker.

"That's all I know, she hasn't told me anything else and then she disappeared on us."

Tara was fuming and Nathan was strangely passive in his expression.

"That... idiot! How dare she do something like that, surely she's not actually... I mean she wouldn't actually be working for HYDRA would she? Surely not. Shay's not the type. She's always put us before anyone else so there's no way that she could actually be with them, Nathan, answer me?" Tara asked panickily.

Nathan only looked at her. "I don't know. It sure doesn't sound like something Shay would do, but then again, she's been acting strangely ever since we were captured. Maybe she's finally lost it."

"No," Tara shakes her head. "No way, Shay wouldn't..."

Tarben and Nathan just stare blankly, neither having the will to say anything at all.

"Please let this been a nightmare, Shay..." Tara mutters, closing her eyes.


A/N:

There it is, a year later and another chapter. I hadn't planned on writing this but I wanted to write something and didn't know what to do so I just picked something that was in progress and just started writing. So here's what you all got! Maybe I'll actually write another chapter before next year. And in case you didn't know I wrote a new story called "To Start Again" and it's about Morgan Stark and Peter Parker so you should check that out.

Until next time.