Alright, I promised a S.H.I.E.L.D.- themed chapter, so here we go!
It was quite hard to turn some of the rather innocent characters (especially Fitzsimmons) into gansters but in the end I am quite satisfied with what I did. A few will only appear in the next chapters.
Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. Neither the songtext.
Chapter 6: Where are you now?
I gave you the key when the door wasn't open, just admit it
See I gave you faith turned your doubt into hoping, can't deny it
Now I'm all alone and my joys turned to moping
Tell me he, where are you now that I need you?
S.H.I.E.L.D. base, location classified
"Director, I just got the call, Jenkins was found dead. Bled out. The fucking Scarlet Bitch got to the arms dealer before. Killed him. I think Tessa wanted either to save him or at least get to Ultron's minion. Either way she got shot. I am pretty sure she had a badge with her, a proud girl she was. Now the police knows we are back. Or at least suspects it", the woman said, fuming with anger. She was tall and blond and really attractive, wearing only simple jeans and a white shirt. "Shit, one woman down again", the director muttered.
His forehead was creased with worry while he looked straight ahead but seeing nothing. Had he done the right thing surfacing again? Trying to take on a crime lord again? Calling together a team again? And it wasn't just any team. Most of them had worked for him for years, some of them he had picked off the streets. Phil Coulson had always been a strong believer in second chances, what was unusual for the head of a criminal organisation. But what should he do now? Go on and risk their lifes? It was the truth that he himself had barely anything to loose, the most important things in his world were already gone. And the more he went back to being the S.H.I.E.L.D. director the more unlikely it was that he would ever get it back. Would get them back.
"Bobbi, we will have a team meeting tonight when everybody is back, around eight. Would you please pass a that on to Simmons in the lab? Ward can tell Mack and Fitz. Someone has to get a grip on Elena, that might be the hardest. Please get Hunter and Hartley to join as well. It concerns them too." When he saw the woman's face he frowned slightly. "Will that be a problem?" "No Sir", she replied quickly, "I will tell Ward now."
As soon as his team member had left, Phil sat down heavily. There was only one thing he wanted to do now. Knowing it was probably a really bad idea, he used a hardline to dial a number he knew by heart. "Andrew Garner, can I help?", a male voice answered. Hearing it struck Phil like a hit in the gut, eacht time over and over again. This was his worse nightmare come true. That there was another man in her life. Still it didn't took him long to get his composure back. "Mr. Garner, this is Charles Martin. Could I speak to Daisy please?" "Of course, I will get her", the stranger replied pleasantly, not sounding bothered at all. Phil could hear I'm in the background, calling out for Daisy. Then there was somebody on the line, he could hear shallow breaths, but nobody spoke.
"Daisy?", he asked quietly. "Dad. Why are you calling?" She sounded so defensive he had to cringe. "I wanted to know how you are", he answered truthfully. "I am alright, studing economics is boring but at least useful. Are you okay?", she asked then, sounding concerned for the first time. "Well I have been better but you know, I'll survive. Is your mother around? I really really have to talk to her. It is urgent!" "Uhm you know that she usually doesn't want to talk to you. But okay I'll try to get her on the phone. What is it about?" When Phil stayed quiet, she added. "You know I won't help you if you are not telling me." "Young lady, don't you think this is unfair? I am also not telling your mom about your illegal activities. I am pretty sure she would not be happy. Now, come on, get her on the phone sweetheart." Daisy murmered something that sounded quite like an insult but then he heard her calling out for her mother in the background.
She was a good girl, a bit too much like him to be perfectly mainstream, a bit to much like her mother to look like the average. She was beautiful and it pained him that he couldn't see her often enough. Suddenly, he heard somebody pick up the phone. His heart leaped in his chest, wasn't it unfair that after all those years this special woman could still have an effect like this on him? "Melinda, I need your advise", Phil came to the point, "I know we haven't seen eye to eye about a lot of things but right now, I need your help." God that was the understatement of the year, he didn't just need her help, he needed her back, but he couldn't tell her that. "Charles, I know you were out of business for two years and now you are calling. So I suppose you want to get back in and you know what I am going to say. I'll stay here, you are wasting your time." She was referring to him with his undercover name which was somehow frustrating but okay, Melinda would never risk her cover. "Darling I tried to stay clear but as soon as I left Ultron showed up and is now slaughtering people. I can't let him do that. But I am risking my team. Would you still do it?"
The question was probably stupid as she had chosen a different life already but he asked anyway. His ex-wife was calm for a while, then she started. "You will go after him anyway. Let them choose whether they join you or not." There was a long silence. "You know Phil, once I would have joined you too but now.." -" I know darling I know. But I still need you, okay? So if you ever decide to come back, you know how to find me. Or Daisy does."
I hope you liked this first glimpse of the Coulson family life (or lack of it). Let me know what you think! And who do you think Daisy will side with? Mum or dad?