Agents of SHIELD: Agents of Redemption

by JFuzzyWraith0587

With dangerous change on the horizon, Director Coulson tries to stem the tide, but he can't do it alone. With his team still recuperating from the Jia Ying/InHuman assault and Simmons missing he has to recruit an old ally to aid him. Jaxx is a former soldier and a 0-8-4, but are his skills alone enough to help rebuild SHIELD, or will the secrets from his past make him a danger.

3. EP1 CH 2 Cause and Effect

Disclaimer: Hey guys just wanted to let you know that I will be posting a new promo art for the beginning of each new episodic chapter. Also I do not own Agents of SHIELD, or any part of the Marvel Universe, just using it for my fanfiction. I own nothing but my own imagination and the OC's I create. Thank you for reading and give me your thoughts and reviews, do be kind.

15 minutes earlier

Ernie Ballow has come in early to work every day for the last 54 years and begins opening up the shop. He runs and operates Ernie's Model Toy Shop, a shop he himself started shortly after World War II. He always enjoyed working with his hands even when he was a little boy in Normandy; to him the hands were an artist's tool, and thus he did his best to keep his in pristine condition. During the war, he served as a medic and translator for the United States, but was later captured by German troops and thrown into a POW internment camp. It was here that he learned what the Germans were truly capable of in terms of torture and interrogation. He had been there through most of the war, that is until he and the others interned with him, were rescued by none other than Captain America and his Howling Commandos.

Ever since that day he has pledged his life not only to the United States, but to the S.S.R. as well. During his 13 years of service with the S.S.R, he found that he trusted few people within the agency one of which was responsible for his rescue, none other than Peggy Carter herself. She tried to recruit him for her new SHIELD agency, but sadly he refused and instead focused on being a husband and a father, therefore giving her his resignation. Years would pass and eventually his own children would come to serve SHIELD as would his grandchildren. Unfortunately during Hydra's rise against SHIELD, he not only lost his two sons and only daughter, but also nearly lost his grand-daughter as well if not for one man.

That is why like so many others before; he has been letting the man stay here in the loft above the store. He knows not where the man will go to next, or what he will do; all he knows is that the man called Jaxx saved his grand-daughter from the clutches of Hydra and therefore Ernie will be forever in his debt. He brushes away the curtains leading to the back, where he makes all the latest model toys for children and collectors alike. The room itself was pitch black, but not for long however as he turns and flips the light switch on. He turns to the table and is suddenly startled for a moment when he sees the man sitting at the table working on a clay model that had been barely started on the day before.

Jaxx

"Sweet Je-you trying to give an old man a heart attack!" as soon as he says those words I can't help but smile a bit. I mean I don't like to scare him, but I've been here for nearly 3 weeks now; he should know that I don't sleep much and so I usually come down here and work on some of the pieces, plus I like the dark.

I stop carving in the wrinkles on the model and look up at him; he looks almost outta breath which makes me feel like crap, but only briefly. "Sorry bout that Ern, couldn't sleep again." Lately that's been the only constant.

He takes off his coat and fedora and places it on the hook just above the light switch. "You know the best way to get some sleep? Try closing your eyes for more than a few seconds. Does wonders for me." His sarcasm never gets old, but does get annoying sometimes.

"Hmmm, I might have to try that." My comment is a little light on sarcasm, which is a bit unusual. "Well…" he starts to say, as he walks over to the table, "Another thing could help you sleep, is lying next to a beautiful woman; in fact I know a certa-" I look back at him and cut him off.

"Are you seriously trying to hook me up with your grand-daughter?" after saying that he puts his hands up and tries to play innocent. "What? She's a nice girl, and I know for a fact that she has a little bit of a thing for you."

I shake my head before turning my attention back to the model and try finishing the wrinkles; I say under my breath "Wow!" sarcastically of course. He takes a closer look, but I can tell he doesn't see much due to the fact that he doesn't have his glasses on.

Looking outta the corner of my eye I can tell that he's squinting, trying to see, and I've noticed how stubborn he can be when it comes to his sight; fortunately for him he left his glasses here the night before. I hold them up in front of his face and jokingly reply "Here old-timer, these might help."

He snatches them outta my hand and puts them on, after which he nods and says "Ahh yes; much better. That's some good detailing. I've never seen such skilled work come out of a Marine before. Not bad."

I can't help but crack a smile, because I know that he's just hazing me; he grabs the other chair and sits down beside me, and somehow I know that things are bout to get serious.

"So, how much sleep did you get this time?" he sits there staring at through those thick-ass lens, the kind that makes his eyes 10x larger than they actually are; it reminds me of those old cartoons I used to watch.

I try concentrating on the model, not wanting to have this conversation again. While I remain silent, he gives me a heavy grunt before saying "Humph! So that's how you wanna play then huh?"

Great, now he's cranky; it's when he's cranky that he starts putting the pressure on me, so somehow I've got to defuse this before it starts. "I'm not playing old man. So I don't get much sleep, big whoop; what soldier doesn't have a hard time sleeping sometimes?"

He takes his glasses and tosses them on the table, which means my answer wasn't to his liking. "Don't give me that crap; you know as well as I do that it has nothing to do with your former life as a soldier. It does however, have everything to do with SHIELD; am I right?"

His words hit hard, like a punch to the face; so I finally stop working and place the sculpting tool on the table. Turning my attention to him I try once more to defuse the situation which has now become tense at best. "Look, I just…" damn. How can I tell him what's going on when I don't even know?

"Look son, I'm not even gonna pretend that I know what you're going through or what's going on inside of that head of yours; but I will say this much. You can't keep running from it forever; sometimes you have to draw a line in the sand." He's one of the few people that I know, who won't bullshit you; it's one of the few aspects that I actually like about him.

I look down at my clay-covered hands and gently sigh. I ask him "And what if I have no idea what I'm running from? What then?" I look back at him only to see his eyes staring at me intently. It somehow felt like I was being analyzed by some therapist, which I don't care much for.

He grabs his glasses, folds the up, and puts them in his shirt pocket and says simply "Well, if that's the case; then you're screwed." That was not the answer I was expecting from him. I though he was gonna give me some sort of answer, not just saying I'm screwed; I mean hell even I knew that, tell me something I don't know.

He just shrugs and replies "What? You think just cause I'm old that I'm just filled to the brim with wisdom and knowledge. I only know what I know kid, anything else, go see one of them whatcha callits…hoodoo doctors." Once again, he successfully surprises me, and I can't help but grin once more.

"You mean a psychiatrist?" As long as I've known him he just can't help but call psychiatrists Hoodoo Doctors. He throws his hand in the air and says "Ahh, you know that whole profession is a sham right? Getting paid to listen to people's problems only to use made up words to describe what they supposed have? Humph, nothing but Hocum is you ask me."

Can't help but laugh a little, and as I shake my head I begin to feel a little bit better. He brushes away the curtain and says "I'll be out front." I lean back in the chair a bit and look at the ceiling. After a minute I take the sculpture and put it in the kiln letting it set in there for a couple of hours. I go over to the old leather sofa over by the staircase and I lay down.

Placing a hand behind my head I can feel my eyelids getting heavier and heavier until they are finally closed. I begin drifting off to sleep, and the last thing I say to myself is "Maybe today won't be so bad after all." And then there was darkness…

2 ½ hours later

Jaxx

When I open my eyes I'm pleasantly surprised by what I see. The first thing is the massive ocean in front of me, splashing up on the shore of the beach where I lay on a comfortable chair. The ocean itself shimmered as the sun rises to high noon, during which I begin to feel the warmth of its rays.

I don't remember how I got here or even where here actual is, but frankly I don't give a damn. I continue to lie there, and decide to close my eyes once again, only to be interrupted by a familiar face.

"Beautiful isn't it?" my eyes snap open and I look to my left and there she is lying right next to me on a beach chair, Maria Hill. Although I've never seen her wear a sexy black and white striped beach two piece swimsuit like that, which means I must be dreaming.

I turn away letting out a heavy sigh, after which I say under my breath "Damn!" I'm pretty sure she heard that because she looked over and said "Now, now, that's no way to be."

Even in my dreams she's a pain in my ass, why the hell is she even here. The least she could've done is shown up with no top, at least then I- "Sorry Jaxx, maybe next time." How the? Did she just? Duh Jaxx, it's a dream, of course she can hear your thoughts you dumbass.

"Now he gets it. Took you long enough to figure it out." Looking over and seeing her just lying there basking in the sun's rays making sarcastic comments. So I let out a sigh then reply "You know, I expect this level of sarcasm from Natasha, but you Maria…tsk, tsk, I expected more from you."

She lets out a fake laugh then says "Mmmm Romanoff…yes she is a firecracker that one. And yet she seems to be AWOL and I'm here instead, now why is that Jaxx? Still have some unresolved feelings for little ol me?" This dream just went from relaxing to just plain pain in my ass; I look away and readjust myself in the chair, after which I say "Are you here to tell me something or are you here just to piss me off?"

She looks over and replies "I'm just here to catch some rays; you're the one who dreamt up this whole beach vacation dream sequence." She then points over to me and says "He on the other hand…"

I look to my right and I see Ernie standing there, wearing his red sweater vest over his turquoise sleeved-shirt, and brown slacks with his black loafers. He lifts up his right foot, trying to shake away the sand; that's when he starts in on me and says "Seriously…you have any idea how hard it is to get sand outta these things. Oui, you couldn't have dreamt of a walk in the park, besides look at ya. You're way too pale to be out in the sun; you know what's gonna happen don'tcha?"

I close my eyes hoping that this dream as an ending to it at some point; maybe I can have the Hulk drop in and- "Don't even think about it!" They both say it simultaneously that's it's actually a little freaky. When I open my eyes I notice that Ernie is now focused on something else or more accurately someone else.

"Hello there and who is this lovely beach goddess here?" He walks over to Hill, giving her his charming smile and even more charming words. She smiles and replies while holding out her hand "Maria." He takes her hand and gently kisses it and says "Ernie and it is a pleasure."

She giggles; as I look over I'm starting to get a little creeped out by this whole thing. She continues to smile as Ernie once again turns his attention back to me. "Where have you been hiding her huh? I don't know how you do it or how these beautiful women put up with you but…you certainly know how to pick."

THAT'S IT! I'm done with this, I quickly stand up from the chair and turn to him and ask "Ernie…what the hell is it?" He looks at, all confused and says "What's what?" I let out a heavy sigh and say "Ernie!" He throws his hands up in the air and says "What a friend can't stop by and say hi and meet the woman of his dreams?"

I shake my head and say "She is not-" she chimes in before I can finish "Don't have an aneurism Jaxxy." I take in a deep breath, then I gently place my hands on Ernie's shoulders and say "Ernie…Did you have something to tell me or not?"

He nods saying "Ok, ok fine. I have a very important message for you and it cannot wait." Finally we're getting somewhere, "Ok, what is the message?" That's when I notice Hill leaning back against her chair, to which she says "This is gonna hurt."

Huh? Before I can even register what she says I look at Ernie who tells me "Time to wake up!" he then smacks me across the face. That felt real! It's then that I open my eyes only to see the old man standing over me staring.

I gently rub the left side of my cheek, which still tingles, and then I look at him and ask "Did'ja just smack me?" He stands there looking innocent and asks "Does your cheek hurt?" I give him a nod which only lets him reply sarcastically "Then yes I smacked you. C'mon get, there's something you need to see."

I slowly sit up, still a bit drowsy from the dream, but Ernie isn't a very impatient man. I'm lucky, he couldn't done more than smack me to wake me up…I'm just glad he didn't pull out the ice water again. He waits in the doorway holding the curtain, "I'm sorry did I disturb you're slumber. Hurry up!"

Something's got him riled up; he's not usually this grouchy. I quickly stand and follow him out to the front of the store and that's when I noticed that all the blinds in the windows were shut. I continue to follow him to one window where he just barely lifts a space between the blinds.

"There." He points to a car parked across the street; a red 1962 Chevrolet Corvette, it's license plate reads 381 PCE. There are two people inside the vehicle; a young 20' something woman with long dark brown hair, fair complextion and actually kinda cute. In the driver's seat was a man I recognize all too well.

"How long they've been out there?" no time for jokes, only direct questions from here on. Ernie replies quickly "2 hours. They haven't move, or attempted contact. They here for you I take it?" I nod before saying "Well, I'm pretty sure they're not here to place a order."

I knew I'd eventually have to leave here, and to think I was just getting used to the old man's charm. I turn and he to me and says "You know, it is about rush hour." I shake my head before looking back out, "No…I wanna know what it is they want exactly and who they really work for."

I look back at Ernie who starts to rub his scruffy beard, until he looks at me and that's when I can tell he has something up his sleeve. "You know…" He lifts his left sleeve up and takes a gander at his watch, then looks back at me and says "It is almost lunch time. Besides I need to lock up shop for a bit; gotta go run some errands, pick up a few things."

Can't help but grin; I know what he's planning, and it's a good plan. I look at the clock above the backroom doorway, then back to him and say "Say…45 minutes for break." He grabs my coat from the chair behind him and tosses it to me, then replies "Sounds good. It'll be ready when you get back."

He may be old, but I'll give him this much; old age hasn't dampened his guile. As I open the door I give him a nod and he nods back as I close it; whatever happens now, I have to make sure that it doesn't blowback on him. The best way to let you're prey think that they are hunting you is to simply pretend that you don't even know that they're there. It's the best and easiest way to control what they do without tipping them off. So as I begin walking, I have to fight the constant urge to just run for it. So for now, I take a nice 5 minute trek to the one place where I know have the advantage.

5 minutes later

There are very few people in the world who can say that there is no such thing as being too cautious; Jaxx is one of those few. Being cautious and trusting his instincts is what got him through the war and it is also what made him a great tracker and hunter. Knowing when and where a target was gonna be moving, knowing their patterns, and especially how to lure out ones' prey as well. In some instances, the use of live bait was needed to coerce the prey to come out of hiding. And sometimes, the hunter becomes the hunted; Jaxx knows this, which is why he is using himself as bait in order to get his prey to follow him.

He stops at the cross-walk and waits for it to turn green. As the light turns green the cars come to a stop, he crosses over and walks into the diner. Picking the booth closest to the door, he sits down placing his back to the door. Jaxx knows that this could leave him open for an attack from behind, but he also knew he had to continue playing the fool no matter what. It's a big risk to take, but he is confident that they will take the bait.

Meanwhile Director Coulson parks the car just down the block and shuts off the engine as he watches Jaxx carefully; from first glance it appears that he has no idea that he's being followed, and yet the situation just doesn't sit right with Coulson. His companion, Skye, knows that something is off too, she can feel it.

Skye

Something about this doesn't feel right. A.C says this guy is essentially a bad-ass, and that he's been trained by the best, but he doesn't act like it. He doesn't seem to know we're following, hell he didn't even check. Could this all be some sorta act? No one could be that good…could they?

Looking at A.C I can tell that this situation doesn't sit right with him either. He's looks around suspiciously, as if he's expecting trouble; "So, what's our next move?" I look back at the diner briefly to see The Sword chatting up the waitress. He must be flirting with her cause I can see her laugh and twirl a strand of her hair around her finger.

Hearing no answer from Coulson I look back at him only to see that he's just staring at this Jaxx guy. His lower lip twitches a bit, and I've gotta say that I've never seen that before. He reaches into his inner jacket pocket and pulls a pair of earwigs.

He hands me one and says "Here. We'll stay contact with these." I gently place the wig in my left ear and drape my hair over it. He then says to me "Open the glove compartment and get me the box." His tone is neutral again; nevertheless I open the glove compartment, pull out the box and hand it to him.

Curious, I ask him "So what's in the box? Is it some sorta super, secret spy gadget thing?" Coulson opens up the box and pulls out a…is that what I think it is?

"Is that a-" he nods and says "Yep, limited edition WWII Captain America action figure. I've had it since I was 5; it's one of the few things that I've kept in mint condition." Sometimes I forget how much of a fanboy A.C is when it comes to Captain America.

"It's a toy A.C." the minute I say that he turns to me and gives me a look like I just snatched his ice cream away or something. "It's not a toy. It's a limited edition action figure, with highly detailed paint job and hand brushed shield. Only 500 were made and I've kept this one in near mint condition." Jeez, I didn't think he'd go all defensive on me. "O…K." nothing else left to say really.

He gets outta the car and I follow suit but not before grabbing my messenger bag. I swing the shoulder strap over my head and we meet at the front of the car and as he places the "Limited Edition Action Figure" back in the box. I ask him "So what; is he a collector too or something?" He shakes his head and replies as he closes the lid "Nope. He just fixes them. Besides, I wouldn't give him an item this valuable."

He holds the box tightly in his hand; guess that figure must mean a lot to him. "So how valuable are we talking here?" He looks back at the diner in time to see 3 construction workers walking in; "Close to $500,000." WHAT THE HELL! That toy is worth more than my van, holy shit. He drops the box on the ground and I'm a little shocked that he did that. He then proceeds to stomp on it and I can hear the toy break under the force of his shoe.

Looking down at the crushed box, I can barely find the words, yet I somehow manage to say "WHAT THE HELL A.C?!" He picks up the box and begins dusting off the shoe print he left on it. Looking at his face I can see his lower lip curl a bit, indicating that he hated doing it.

He looks at me as he hands me the box, then says "Had to be done. Here." As I take the box, I can hear the pieces of what was once a limited edition toy worth over half a million dollars rattling around. Now even more confused, I ask "What am I supposed to do with this?"

He turns away and replies "He thinks I'm still dead. Which leaves you, but don't worry, I'll be listening the entire time." I take turns looking at him and the box; he looks at me with a reassuring expression as he says "Don't worry; he'll be able to fix it." He sounds so sure; there was just one problem.

"How am I supposed to convince him to fix it?" He gives me a grin and says sarcastically "I'm sure you'll think of something." Greaaaat, now I gotta use my charm in order to get the guy to fix a half-million dollar toy that Coulson broke. Fantastic. Ok then…time to go play spy.

Coulson

I don't know what I hate more; letting her go in there alone with no backup, in order to find out if Jaxx is in fact on our side. Or that I just destroyed my near-mint condition World War 2 Captain America action figure. I'd say it's 50/50.

Still, as I get back into the car, I can't help but wonder that something about this is off; I know Hill wouldn't send me or any other my agents into a trap yet that's what it feels like. It's like we're stuck in the crosshairs, with no way out.

Or maybe it's just my nerves, because right now I feel like a father watching his daughter going off to her first day of school. Except this school has a highly trained and lethal former Marine as a classmate. What could possibly go wrong?

Skye

Ok Skye you got this. My first undercover mission I was nervous as hell; it took everything I had to keep myself from shaking out my dress. It feels different now; I feel ready for anything. I grab the handle and push the door open; as soon as I'm in I walk past where Jaxx is sitting and take a seat in the next booth.

I lay my messenger bag on the table and try to get a better look at this Jaxx fellow. I barely get comfortable when the waitress stops by to take my order. "Hi there, the names' Mary. Here's the menu and would you like anything to drink while you decide what to eat?" her tone is so freakishly nice that I'm a little taken back for a moment.

"Umm, I'll just have a coffee, black with two sugars." I put on a somewhat sincere smile, as she writes down my drink order. After she finishes writing she says "Not a problem hun, I'll be right back with your coffee." I say "Thanks." And she nods and walks off to get the coffee.

Now have a chance to study The Sword; my first impression is that he doesn't really look like a Marine. His hair is dirty brown, he holds himself well, and he's kinda cute; I can see why Simmons would have history with someone like him. There is something familiar about him though, but I can't place it; it's something about the way he just sits there all stoic as he takes sips from his cup.

Mary the waitress comes back with my coffee and says "Here you go. So what has you visiting the big city? Here to catch a glimpse of Iron Man flying about?" been there done that besides today is probably not the best day for sightseeing anyway.

"Um, no; as cool as that would be I'm not here for that. I came to here to get my uncle Phil a birthday gift. It cost me a small fortune, but he's worth it." As I finish I get a strange feeling that Coulson is out there, sitting in Lola, smiling a bit.

She places a hand on her hip and asks me curiously "Really? Aww that's sweet. Whatcha get'em?" I open up the bag and pull out the box, and then I reply "Well, my uncle is a huge Captain America fan. I mean stalker-ishly huge fan." I sense that I'm gonna pay for that one when we get back to the Playground.

I stop briefly in order to build the anticipation, "So I managed to find collector with a bunch of Cap A stuff that he was willing to sell. And that's when I bought him…" time for lure. I open the box and the moment she sees it I can tell I got her hooked.

"What the- Nononononono." after my dramatic finish I see Mary placing her hand over her mouth in shock; that's when I know that I'm totally pulling this off. Maybe I should've been an actress, but this is a lot more fun. She lowers her hand and says "I'm so sorry hun."

I kinda feel bad, fooling her like this but it's for the greater good. Still, telling myself that doesn't make me feel any better. "I spent over 5 grand for this. I had to dip into make college fund to pay for it." Ok so I left out a few zeros, so what no big deal.

As I drop my head, as part of my act, she places her hand on my back and begins gently rubbing it while trying to sympathize "Damn, that's just…wait a minute; I think I know someone who can help." That's it, my plan is working; maybe I should be Director of SHIELD, but I'm not gonna tell Coulson that. "Unless it's a pro-bono lawyer I don't think anyone can help."

She gives me a reassuring smile and says "I have someone better. Hey Jaxx!" We both look over at him a Mary catches his attention, and as he looks over at us curiously I can't help but wonder; is he really this gullible or is he just playing?

Jaxx

When I hear Mary call my name, that's when I see the girl. She's kinda cute, still I have'ta wonder what her angle is exactly. However, I'm supposed to be unaware; that I don't know about her or her friend watching me outside, which means I gotta play bait for a little longer.

I get up outta my booth, grab my cup of coffee and walk over to the girls. I put on my best Aww shucks expression because maybe just maybe, I can get this girl to let down her guard. So I stand there taking a sip of my coffee and ask curiously "What's up Mary?"

She gives me a flirtatious smile and replies "Well Jaxx, this here is…I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?" the girl smiles at me and I can't help but grin; she says "Skye." She then holds out her hand and I gently take it; using my charming personality I say "Pleasure. So what can I do for you ladies?"

I already know of course, I mean I heard the whole damn conversation, I only pretended to not listen; of course now that means I gotta hear about the whole conversation all over again. It's one of the downsides of the whole spy verse spy crap.

"Well long story short; Skye hear bought a gift for her Uncle and it turns out it's busted all to hell. Do you think you can use your special touch and fix it up for her, honey?" Mary just can't resist flirting with me every time I come here. Never really understood why, but I return the favor nonetheless.

"Sure, I can take a look. May I?" I signal to Sky if I can sit across from her, to which she eagerly nods. Placing my cup of coffee off to the side she hands me the box. It's a disaster of a scene; this figure is damn near destroyed and in pieces, but still, I can fix it.

Mary places her hand on Skye's shoulder and says "I'll be back in a few to take your order hun. And don't worry, you're in good hands." The girl looks up at her and says "Thanks." Mary winks at me before she walks off to serve the other customers, and leaving me with the lovely Sky.

Now it's time for the dance; the part where both spies, who in this case are me and Sky, use our guile and charm to try and get information out of the other. I've never been particularly fond of this part. "So what happened here?" I ask with a sincere tone even though I don't really care, but I am curious as to how she's gonna play it.

She takes a moment to think before answering, "Well, it's like I told Mary, it was supposed to be a surprise gift from my uncle, but now…" I nod, pretending that I believe her, even though everything she saying is nothing but a heaping load of crap.

From what I can tell, the only thing that she has told the truth about so far was her name. Taking out the broken figure slowly piece by piece and I lay them on the table in front of me. That's when I look up and see those eyes those big, dark brown eyes of hers.

They are almost hypnotic, so much so that i lose my focus briefly "I…uhh." Damn I'm fumbling around like it's my first day of basic training, and I'm sure she's noticed. Just gotta get back on track, gotta focus.

"Everything ok, you look a little-" yep she's noticed, now what? Well, guess I can always play into those eyes of hers. "Nothing it's just…I've never seen such gorgeous brown eyes like yours before." I didn't plan on just blurting that out like that, but apparently she liked my comment because she started blushing.

"Wow, that's uh…that's very nice of you to say, thank you." her smile isn't fake this time, it's genuine. So I give her a genuine smile in exchange, but now I gotta focus and put attention back on the figure. "So, yeah; this figure is busted all ta hell, but I believe I can fix it."

She seems somewhat taken back by my answer, like she wasn't sure what to expect, which is why she said "Really?" I give her a nod as I grab a napkin from the dispenser on the table. She then leans in and asks me "So what, you going to perform and operation on it or something?"

I shake my head reply simply "Not much of a surgeon, but I do know a thing or two about magic." Her eyes widen a bit and she slowly nods "So you're gonna put a spell on it huh?" with that comment she left the door wide open for my sarcastic reply "Well my spell worked on you, so I'd figure I give it a shot on the toy." Her expression was half shocked and half amused when she replied "Wow, that's a mighty bold statement there."

I shrug and reply sarcastically once more "Well you know what they say, go bold or go home. Which is why I also have to ask; if I'm able to fix this, what's it worth to ya?" Time to see if she's gonna break and fold.

Skye

Wow I gotta say this guy is good, he certainly has a pair on him and he did catch me off guard with the gorgeous eyes comment; still I'm better at this than he is. "What did you have in mind, Jax?" He leans back against the seat, and then like something outta of cheesy romance movie he says "Well, when, not if, when I fix this toy; you let me take you out to dinner."

I lean back against my seat and let him stew for a bit before answering "Ok, IF you can fix it; I'll consider letting you take me to dinner." I give him one of my patented smiles and he gives me one right back. He nods, then begins unfolding the napkin and placing it over the toy.

Now I'm curious, and start to wonder what he's planning, so instead of waiting to see I decided to ask "What're you doing?" He just starts waving his hands over the figure like he's Chriss Angel or something trying to bring it back to life. He then places one hand on the figure and holds the other one out.

Ok, even more confused now that is until he says "May I have your hand please?" now I'm nervous, and I know that it shows. So I give him my hand and he gently places it on top of his other. He holds my hand there; I didn't know that his hands were so smooth…DAMNIT SKYE FOCUS! Don't lose your concentration.

He then leans in real close; holy crap is he gonna kiss me? And if he does how am I supposed to explain it to Simmons if and when she finds out? It's too late to back out now so I lean in close too and I slowly begin to close my eyes and wait anxiously. "Are you with them?" his words snap me back to reality.

"Wha-what?" I couldn't be sure of what he said, but as I look into his eyes, he uses them to signal behind him. "Are those 3 men sitting at the counter with you and your partner?" Damn how did he know! It's ok Skye, just keep playing it off like you don't know what he's talking about.

"I don't know wha-" but he cuts me off before I can say another word and says "I know you've been following me since the shop which why I led you here. There's only one way in and that's through the front door. Now I'm guessing that you're working with what's left of SHIELD, which also means that the guy waiting outside in the red corvette is your partner. So now I need to know, are those 3 construction guys SHIELD as well?"

SHIT! The ops been blown, yet he hasn't hurt me either, only his grip on my hand has tightened, but not enough to hurt. Either he doesn't wanna do anything in front of all these witnesses or because he really doesn't wanna hurt me. Guess it's time for a little honesty, "Ok yes, I am with SHIELD and yes that is my partner outside, but those guys are not with SHIELD; I swear to you."

He looks directly into my eyes, like he's peering into my thoughts to tell if I'm lying. That's when a grin comes over his face and he says "I know. They're not with you, they're with Hydra." WHAT!? Looking at the 3 men I begin to see the subtle signs, like the fact that they're clothes are covered in dirt and dust but they're boots are squeaky clean. And the fact that they have a bulge in their lower back, which means that they either need to see a doctor or that they are packing some heat.

I turn my attention back to Jaxx who doesn't break eye contact. Before I could even ask how he knows that they're Hydra, he leans in a bit closer and whispers into my left ear "There's an alleyway up the block and to the left from the diner. Meet us there in 5 minutes." How'd he know about my earwig? Who the hell is this guy? He leans back a bit and whispers to me "Now we're going to leave here because I don't want any of these people getting caught in the crossfire. Ok?"

I give him a nod, letting him know that I understand. He leans back and gets out of his seat and I quickly follow; he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a $20 and leaves it on the table. I grab my bag and he grabs the toy, soon after he swings his arm around my shoulders and we begin walking out. I hope A.C. is right about him, cause right now, if Hydra is here, I really, really need him to be on our side right now.

Coulson

Damn! Should've known that Hydra would come looking for either me, or Skye; but how did they know where we were going to be? We didn't even know we'd be here until a few hours ago…Unless, they're not here for us, which means that, they're here for Jaxx.

I see them walking out of the diner, looking like a regular couple just out for a stroll; I can tell from here that Skye is nervous by the way she's walking, and not 8 seconds later the 3 disguised Hydra agents follow close behind them. Right now they think that they have the upper hand, but unfortunately for them they don't and I really feel like busting some Hydra heads.

Putting the key into the ignition I turn it to start it up only to hear Lola not kicking over. I turn the key again and it's the same; looking back up, I can barely see Skye or Jaxx until two people take a left down an alley with three others following suit. C'mon, C'MON! Don't do this to me Lola not now. On the 3rd turn she finally started up, and I make my way into traffic, only to be force to stop because of a red light.

This is not good, not good at all. C'mon, hurry up; turn green damn it! After about 15 seconds it turns green and I gun it, and as I come up on the alley I park it across the street. Reaching under my seat I pull out my Icer and hide inside my jacket. Quickly I get out of the car, shut the door and race into the alley, ignoring the oncoming traffic and the honking that came with it.

I hope I'm not too late, and as come to the corner I take cover and pull out my pistol. Cocking back the slide also cocks back the hammer and I ready myself; I turn the corner and see that I'm already too late. There lying on the ground, Hydra agents two of which were only unconscious while the other 3…wait a minute. Where did the other two come from?

I walk closer for a better look; the other 3 were definitely dead, most likely their necks were snapped. When I look up to see Skye standing there panting, I'm relieved and glad she's okay. After a few seconds I turn my attention to Jaxx who is using a bandana to wipe some blood off his knuckles. I look back at Skye and she looks at me saying "A.C; we're all good." I tuck the pistol back inside my jacket; as Jaxx looks at me, I watch as a shit-eating grin goes across his face as he says "Hey Phil long time no see; what, did you stop to help an old lady cross the street or something" He's still the same sarcastic ass that I knew, and though his sarcasm is close to par with Starks'; you just can't argue with the results.