September, 2000

Los Angeles, CA

"Check."

Spencer tilted his head and looked down at the chessboard in front of him. Once more, Jason had put him in check. The second time this game. There were four different ways that Spencer could see out of it, two of which he could see would lead him straight into a losing position. He mentally ran through the other two options. If he moved his pawn first, the resulting moves ended up with a 73.4% probability of winning. However, if he moved his rook… Spencer's lips curved up ever so slightly as he reached out to move it. 89.7% probability of winning. Much better odds.

A nod from Jason and a hint of a smile showed his approval of the move. Then he settled in, contemplating his own move.

They'd been in here for a little while now. Jason had summoned him down here an hour ago, after his therapy appointment, which wasn't that uncommon. Usually it happened when Clint was off on his own mission. Jason seemed to have the same mindset as Clint, and that was that Spencer shouldn't be alone after therapy sessions. It was mostly easier just to let them have their way.

But there was something in the air today in Jason's office that had Spencer a little bit on edge. Something that told him that this was more than just a meeting for chess and music. Demanding answers would get him nowhere, though. Jason did things in his own way, and in his own time. This would be no different.

As Jason reached out to move his bishop-lowering Spencer's winning probability by at least 7.2 percent-he politely asked "How's the studying going?"

Spencer smiled a little. That was something that only Jason knew about-though Spencer wouldn't count on what Fury did or didn't know-and it was something he really enjoyed. After the amount of testing that SHIELD had done on his brain, they'd taken to bringing in more material, more tests, all geared towards the areas that he showed interest in. Somehow that had transformed a little bit over the months and Spencer found himself not just taking random tests, but actually completing real schoolwork. Jason had told him it was through the local college, Caltech, and that he'd be able to start going to the college for real if he wanted now that he was eighteen. So far, Spencer had just enjoyed learning the material. He hadn't paid any attention to what came from it. Though Jason took great pleasure in telling Spencer just how many degrees he was earning with each new test he took or paper he wrote.

"It's going well." Spencer said, finally answering the other man's question. He rested his elbow on his knee and bent forward, chin in hand, to better stare at the board. His voice was absent as he continued to speak. "I've got another stack of completed work I was planning on bringing by later today."

Jason made a low humming noise that could've been agreement, or just acknowledgment of Spencer's words. "And Natasha? How are things going there?"

That brought a small smile to Spencer's lips. He reached out and moved his piece before sitting back in his seat again. Folding his hands in his lap, he looked at the man across from him. His mentor, his handler-occasionally even his friend. Such a strange word to think of, even after the time that Spencer had been here. He still had a hard time believing he actually had friends. Not just Jason or Clint now, either. He had someone new to add to that list. "Things are going well. We're… working on it."

It'd been a month since the fight between Natasha and Spencer out in the training yard. In that time, the two had been whispered about almost nonstop around SHIELD, people either afraid or in awe of the skills that had been displayed out there. They'd also started to become just a bit closer. Instead of actively trying to avoid her all the time, Spencer was making an effort to give her a chance. To not get so jealous of the time that she had with Clint.

That was a bit easier now than it'd been before. While Clint might not have come out and openly apologized for things, he'd worked to make them up to Spencer in his own way. He'd started by showing up at Spencer's rooms the very next day and dragging him around to search through apartments. They'd spent the whole day apartment hunting-without Natasha-and had finally ended up having pizza back at Clint's apartment that night. That'd been when he'd surprised Spencer completely by making what he probably saw as a simple offer. Just a casual "You know, I've got that spare bedroom you stay in all the time anyways. If you don't mind having a slob for a roommate, you could just move in here."

The random hug Spencer had tackled him with had been answer enough.

Though Spencer officially wouldn't be moved out until he was eighteen, he'd already brought his meager possessions over and set up in the bedroom. No one protested it.

Agreeing to be Clint's roommate worked out perfectly for the both of them. Spencer got to be somewhere he felt safe, somewhere he didn't have to worry too much at night, and he got to have time with his friend away from everyone. Clint got his time with Spencer as well as the ability to watch over him and make sure he was taking care of himself. It worked out for SHIELD, too. Clint was a high enough level it satisfied their need to keep Spencer under their watchful eye.

Staying there also meant Spencer had a bit more exposure to Natasha. Seeing her in a relaxed setting, watching her actually attempt to relax in their living room, or eating pizza with them, or watching one of the endless movies Clint insisted they see because "You two are way too deprived! How the hell have you not seen these?"

"Have you showed her this side of you yet?" Jason asked.

His question drew Spencer out of his thoughts. The young genius took just a second to process the question and then he was smiling. "Yes."

"How'd that go?"

"Rather easy, actually." Natasha hadn't even reacted to it. Spencer had come to the apartment the other day, tired and annoyed because the man at the grocery store had been hitting on 'her' yet again in that annoyingly persistent way some people could get, and the instant Spencer was through the door he'd kicked off his shoes and switched from female to male, not even caring who else was around to see it. Then, grumbling, he'd set the groceries down and pulled off his shirt, exchanging it for one of the ones hanging on the coat rack. Clint never seemed to care that Spencer kept a shirt and sweats out there just for moments like these. When Spencer had switched out of the clothes and into lounge clothes, he'd happened to look over and find Natasha reclining on a chair, an amused look on her face.

Watching as his handler contemplated his move, Spencer tilted his head and studied the man's face. "Is there a purpose behind this interrogation, Jason? You're not usually so blunt about your nosiness."

That earned him a grin. Like Clint, Jason seemed to enjoy Spencer's random sassy moments. He encouraged them, even. "Just a quick assessment." Jason said easily. He moved his piece and then looked up at Spencer. Neither one of them paid attention to the board for a moment. Whatever was going on here, Spencer could tell it was finally going to come out. Sure enough, Jason folded his hands down over his stomach and told Spencer "I have a new job for you."

"Okay." Why was that a big deal? Spencer had done plenty of jobs for SHIELD by now. Hadn't he proved his loyalty to them yet? Or were they still worried about it?

"This isn't your typical job, Spencer. At least, not with us."

The meaning of that only took a second to sink in. When it did, Spencer's eyes widened and he knew his face openly showed his surprise. Well, well, well. He'd wondered when they'd first brought him in if this moment would ever come. It looked like it finally was. "Well now." Spencer slid down a little in his seat and crossed one leg over the other. "I've been wondering how long it would take for SHIELD to utilize my skills."

"You have the right to say no." Jason told him.

"Why don't you give me the details first? I'll make my decision then."

It was a scientist, one who was experimenting on mutant children in his free time, and who no one seemed willing to persecute due to his social standing in the scientific community. He had a reputation that was practically impeccable. As Spencer read through the things that he'd done, saw the photos of some of the experiments he'd conducted and the age of some of his subjects, anger burned low in his stomach.

Carefully, Spencer folded the file and laid it flat in his lap. His eyes were dark as they lifted to look right at Jason. "You picked this one deliberately."

"I did." Jason agreed easily. "Fury wants to start you on this type of work. I thought it might be easier on a case you could empathize with."

Spencer knew what it was like to be the children in this file. He knew how it felt to be an experiment. Killing this scientist was going to be a pleasure, not work. But that didn't mean he liked the thought process behind this. "I'm not fond of being manipulated, Jason."

"Does it still count as manipulation if you recognize the techniques being used against you?"

That had Spencer sighing and shaking his head. He chose to ignore it; there was nothing to be done about that now. "When do I leave?"

"Tonight." Jason said.

Nodding, Spencer pushed up from his seat. If he was going to be leaving tonight, he had better go and prepare. He needed time to look over the file and plan out what he should bring with him. "I'm afraid our game will have to wait then."

"Of course." Jason agreed. He waited until Spencer as across the room, almost to the door, before he called out "Spencer?"

Spencer stopped with one hand on the door, turning to look back at Jason. "Yes?"

The way the man was looking at him was so serious it had Spencer's whole body going still. This was important. Jason drew in a breath and then, very carefully, very calmly, he looked right at Spencer and spoke in a voice that said he was parroting words not his own, ones he might not entirely agree with. "I'm sure you can understand this mission is extremely important—and also highly classified. It's not something that should be spoken of. With anyone."

With Clint, he meant. This was a mission that someone higher up didn't want to Clint to know about. Maybe not the mission itself-maybe just the fact that they were having Spencer do it. It wasn't hard to picture just how Clint would react if he knew that Spencer was being sent out on a kill mission. He'd hate it more than anything else. This idea of Spencer going out there to do this was one that Clint would loathe. Spencer, however… he felt like he'd been waiting for this day since he'd first been taken by SHIELD.

He gave a small nod. "Understood, sir."

As Spencer left the office, he let his thoughts drift ahead to what he was about to do. What he'd just agreed to do. The bigger part of him was used to this kind of work; that part was only focused on how best to get the job done. But another part of him, one that was much smaller but had been growing with each passing day here with SHIELD, whispered that this wasn't what the good guys were supposed to be like. Things were supposed to be different here. He wasn't supposed to be a killer anymore.

Maybe… maybe that was all he was ever meant to be.