June, 2002
Mission: Location – Classified
Life is made up of moments, big and small, that change a person's life. There had been countless of both that had changed Spencer's life, both for the better and for the worse. Little moments like time spent with his mother, or the first time someone outside of family hugged him, or the first time he'd had a nightmare and had been held afterwards, not mocked or punished.
Then there were big moments like his birth, or the first time he'd went through an experiment, or his first kill. But the biggest moment of all was the day that SHIELD had come in and raided the Facility. The day they'd taken them down and, in turn, taken Spencer in. They'd given him a new home, so unlike his last one. More than that, it was because of them that he now had a family. He'd found a best friend/father figure in Clint Barton, as well as another friend and slightly maternal figure in Clint's wife, Laura, plus a strange and yet no less strong relationship with Natasha, and for all that Spencer would forever be grateful.
He'd been an agent for three and a half years now. At nineteen, almost twenty, it was honestly the most stable and the happiest that he could ever remember being. Sure, he was still going on missions, still a tool to be used against people, but he honestly didn't know what else he would do with his life. This was who he was. It was who he'd been made to be.
Things weren't perfect, but they were good. He was happy.
So, of course, that was when everything all went to hell.
Three and a half years that he'd been with SHIELD. Three and a half years of a happiness like nothing he'd ever known. Of friends and family and a sense of peace and security that Spencer knew he'd cherish inside him always.
Honestly, it was longer than he'd ever really thought he'd get. He had a dark past, and it was no surprise when it finally caught up to him.
Spencer was on a mission in the Netherlands when it all went to hell. Technically, he was leading his own team, taking following a lead about some genetic experimentations that SHIELD had been hearing whispers about. Spencer was sent out with a team to try and chase down whatever lead they could and see where it took them.
There were few at SHIELD who liked the idea of following someone so young, only nineteen years old, but also the idea of following Erinyes. Honestly, Spencer wasn't too happy about having to lead them either. He didn't really want to. He liked working with Clint, or with Natasha, or alone. It was just his preferred way to be. And Jason understood that. He respected it, even, making sure to try and accommodate it as best as he could. That didn't mean he could always do it, though. Nor was he always the one in charge.
For this mission Spencer wasn't reporting in to Jason. His handler had an emergency with his other job and was there, helping them. The mission here had already been set up when Jason was called away and so he'd handed over Spencer's care to the only other handler the two of them trusted-Phil Coulson. The fact that Clint trusted Phil, and now Natasha did as well, had been enough of a good recommendation for Spencer to trust the man. Getting to know him on his own had helped with that. He was a dork. A secret, quiet little dork with the worst sense of humor, and he made Spencer laugh. Having Phil as the voice in his ear for this mission made it a little more bearable.
For this mission, Spencer had been sent out because of his skill at finding information and following leads. He was what Jason called an excellent tracker. When they needed to follow information, or potentially find a person, Spencer was good at doing it. He could talk to people and pick up things in their emotions, their surface thoughts, that helped him play them better, and helped him find where he needed to go next. It made him a damn good tracker, which was something he loved. He loved the idea of being anything other than just a killer.
The agents that were sent out with him were all geared towards specialties that would help him. Agent Damien Burke, 37, specializing in infiltration and extraction. Agent Eun Mun, 28, weapons expert and medical personnel, good at taking people apart and putting them back together again as well as their languages expert. Agent Lesley Benavides, 30, specializing in explosives, infiltration, and a damn good sniper-though not as good as Clint. Last of all was their 'tech geek', Agent Ren Kawakami, 32, the only person in the tech department one who didn't make Spencer feel like an idiot for not being too fond of technology, and, consequently, the only one that Spencer would ever work with now.
It was Ren who had set them up with their newly designed earpieces for their work tonight. Tiny little earbuds that he'd designed himself and that, Spencer had to admit, were pretty unnoticeable compared to the last ones she'd worked with. This one fit easily in her ear and didn't hamper her hearing all that much, either. Another bonus. Being able to see it wasn't a big deal tonight, but being able to hear was.
They'd gotten intel two days ago about a building that might be the base for whatever genetic experiments were going on. It took Spencer and, surprisingly, Damien, a lot of work to convince Phil to let them check it out and not was for a backup team to come in. "We can handle this, sir." Damien had told him firmly. Even Eun, Lesley, and Ren had all agreed, and Phil had given in.
Now the group was all geared up, slipping through shadows in their uniforms to break into the building in front of them. Only Ren had stayed behind.
The building they were going into looked like a normal office building. Spencer knew how misleading that could be, though.
"All right," Spencer murmured, slipping into place near the back door. He leaned against the wall and let his eyes scan the area around them, making sure that no one was creeping up on him or his team. "Ren, let us in."
"On it, Boss Lady." Ren said immediately. A second later the panel by them turned green and Spencer pulled the door open, gesturing Damien inside.
He heard the sound of something over the comms and then Lesley's low, amused voice, the Hispanic lilt a little heavier as it always was when she was teasing. "Shouldn't you be calling him 'Boss Man' tonight?"
Out of all the people that Spencer had worked with these past years-aside from his little family, that is-there had been very, very few people who were comfortable with his gender switching abilities, and even fewer who knew how to address him. Spencer could've told them all that it was easier to just label him by what his body looked like, but he'd done that a few times with people and it always seemed to make people either surprised or sad somehow, like this wasn't the right answer and they were sad he thought it was. Some would even ask him which one he felt like. As if that had ever been allowed to be a choice for him.
However, there were a few people who took it all in stride, and who spoke easily to him. Jason consistently addressed Spencer by whichever pronoun matched his body, though more often than not he just used Spencer's name. Phil used gender neutral ones-they, them, their-and he did it in a way that made it seem like it was no big deal. And both Lesley and Ren had no issue with calling him by his body's gender, though sometimes Ren slipped and stuck more to feminine pronouns because that was what he knew Spencer by for the most part, but they also didn't have a problem teasing. To others it might've been offensive. To Spencer, it made him feel almost normal, like he was just as worthy of teasing as anyone else.
Ren's chuckle was easy to hear on the comm. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."
"It has to be easy to slip sometimes." Eun said. "Ren, we're here." There was a pause as Ren obviously let them in and then she was speaking again. "I think this is the first time we've ever worked together that you're not your usual self, Erinyes."
Usual self probably meant female. It was still how Spencer was around ninety percent of SHIELD.
He ignored the chatter, only rolling his eyes at it, as he slipped further into the dark hallway in front of him. Damien was at his back and Spencer didn't really have the comfort with him to have him back there, but he also didn't trust the man to lead. So he was walking along and watching in front of him just as much as behind him.
"Calm the chatter." Phil interrupted them. "Erinyes, the building appears to be empty. You picking up on anything?"
So far it seemed Phil was right. The place did seem empty. Spencer looked down the row of offices in front of him that they'd just come upon and he reached out tentatively, feeling for anything in them. "Nothing so far." He said back. "Give me a moment. Damien, cover me."
As soon as Damien slipped close, gun held ready, Spencer crouched down into the corner and compacted his body, making as small a target as possible. He could feel as Damien took up post in front of him, ready to defend him, and though he didn't entirely trust or like the man, Spencer had had worse people watch his back before. He knelt there and closed his eyes, reaching out as best as he could with his powers.
Outside there'd been too much going on, a whole building full of people next door, and just too much for him to be able to focus properly in here without getting a little mixed up. Now, actually inside the building, Spencer was free to reach out and around him and try and find anyone.
"Janitor, seventh floor." Spencer murmured, furrowing his brow a little as he focused. He'd started up as high as he could and was working his way downwards. "Security guard, fifth floor. He hasn't noticed anything. Two more in the security office, main floor. Your loop is working, Ren." That last part had Ren giving a cocky 'Well, duh!' that had Spencer wanting to chuckle. But, then… "Wait a second." There was, more. More than this. So much more. Spencer focused even more as his powers reached down. "There weren't any sublevels on the blueprints."
"You're picking up people below us?" Eun asked quickly.
Spencer nodded even though none of them could see him. "At least twenty. Seven of them are security...another five are…" He pushed harder, trying to see. Those minds were, they were trained, better than SHIELD agents. They were almost strong enough to keep him out. If he'd been the strength he had been when he'd joined SHIELD, they probably would've been able to keep him out. But Spencer's powers seemed to grow stronger with each passing year. Like a muscle that grew with repeated use. It was hard, but he pushed in, pushed past those shields. What he found had his whole body locking down. No. NO!
"Erinyes!" The sound of Phil barking his name jerked Spencer out of his head. The sharpness with which he said it suggested it wasn't the first time he'd called it out. "Erinyes, report! What'd you find?"
A sense of calm filled Spencer. It wasn't the good kind, the kind that came from relaxation and peace. This was the kind of calm that Erinyes had once been known for. The kind that came from committing to a job and preparing to see it through. It was the kind that came when he knew what he was about to do was probably bad, but it was right. "A dead man." Spencer said flatly. He pushed up to his feet, mindless of Damien and the way the man was staring at him. From the special hidden slot on the side of his knee-high boots, Spencer drew his dagger. He let the comforting weight of it settle in his hand. Then he pushed off from the wall and was moving before anyone could say or do anything.
Phil was in his ear, demanding answers, and the other two were murmuring something, while Damien was cursing and hurrying after Spencer. None of them were important, though. Spencer's sole focus was on one single person. Anyone else who got in his way…
"Ren." Spencer snapped, cutting through all chatter. "I'm almost to the main level elevator, hallway 3. Give me a way down. They're going to have it locked off."
"Erinyes…"
There was a hesitant sound to Ren's voice. It was almost immediately cut off by Phil, who firmly and clearly demanded "What's going on, Erinyes?"
Spencer didn't break stride as he headed for the elevator. "Find me a way down, Ren, or I'm making my own." The presence of someone coming towards them told Spencer that that wasn't going to be a problem. This was a security guard. One that-Spencer looked a little closer-had been downstairs before. That meant he had a way down there. Spencer held a hand out to Damien, making a quick series of gestures to let him know someone was coming and to fall back. The man didn't feel pleased, but he did it.
A second later Spencer was darting forward, around the corner, and straight into the guard in front of him. It only took a few seconds and a well-placed blow to the head to render the man dazed but not unconscious. That was just enough time for Spencer to shove him up against the wall and put the tip of his dagger against the hollow of his throat. "You do anything I don't like and you're going to become very intimate with this." Spencer warned him, pressing the knife in just the tiniest bit. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Who the hell are you?" The idiot demanded. He glared at Spencer as if somehow this idiot was the one with the upper hand, here. Spencer easily picked up his thought, his intention to go for his gun and press a button on his radio that would signal an intruder and call for backup. There was only a split second to make a decision and Spencer did it without hesitation. In that moment Damien got a clear view of the person that the Facility had made Spencer into. The young genius, without an ounce of hesitation on him, twisted the dagger and stabbed it down into the man's right shoulder, while at the same time using his other hand to relieve him of his radio and his gun.
Those items were tossed away and Spencer's hand slapped down over the man's mouth, firmly holding there to muffle the scream. Spencer could hear Damien cursing, Phil demanding to know what was going on, and then Damien's low explanation, but for the moment the young genius didn't really care. None of it was mission important unless they tried to stop him. His focus stayed on the man in front of him. "I warned you." Spencer said flatly. He pressed his palm firmer against the man's mouth while he pulled the dagger free. There was another muffled scream and what sounded almost like a sob. Spencer waited until he was done before speaking again. "Now, I'm going to let go of your mouth, and you're going to do exactly as I say, or I'm going to start shoving this into other parts of your body. And trust me, you're going to like those a whole lot less."
The minute Spencer's hand moved, the man was raggedly panting, breath sucking in and out of him. "Jesus!" He spat out. "Jesus fuck, what the hell do you want?"
"I want access downstairs." Spencer told him flatly. "And you're going to give it to me."
People were generally remarkably helpful when given the right motivation. For some, that was kindness and praise. For others, it was pain. This guy reacted rather well to the pain. He took Spencer and Damien to the elevator, just in time for Lesley and Eun to round the corner and join them. Spencer didn't really care. He didn't bother stopping them as they all piled into the elevator with them. He knew Phil had ordered it, that he wanted them to stay together and prepare for the worst, but Spencer's focus was on only one thing. "Get us down there."
As soon as the code and keycard were used to get the elevator moving, Spencer did the only logical thing. The man was no more use to them and there was no way he was going to be anything but a hindrance. Besides which, he was as dirty as the ones they were heading towards. He knew what had been done down here and hadn't done a thing to stop it. Because of that, Spencer didn't feel a lick of guilt as he pulled out his gun and shot the man right in the head.
"Son of a bitch!" Damien spat out, jumping away from the falling body. He glared down at it and then up at Spencer, eyes narrow and furious. Lesley was gaping at Spencer while Eun had moved herself between Spencer and Lesley, like she was trying to shield the smaller woman. "What the hell are you doing, Erinyes?" Damien demanded.
Spencer turned back towards the elevator front as it got lower. "Paying back a debt. None of you need to stay for this. There's no shame if you let me out and ride this right back to the top."
It felt like Eun was considering it. Lesley, however, immediately protested. "I'm not walking away and leaving you here, Erinyes." she said firmly. The way she looked at the other two dared them to suggest otherwise. While Lesley might've been a bit shocked by things, she was a good agent, and she was one who had seen some kinds of combat that others hadn't. This, it wasn't that big of a shock for her. It was more of a shock to see Spencer go this cold, this quick.
There was no more time for debating. The elevator stopped and Spencer had his weapons at the ready the instant the doors opened.
His previous scan coupled with what he was picking up now was enough to tell him who the good guys were here and who the bad guys were. The only good guys he'd been able to sense were further away, in the lab area. Spencer tried not to think of what they were likely going through to make them feel the way they were. Instead, he focused on the four security guards right in front of him. The smile that curved his lips was chilling. Especially when he recognized one of the men. "Hello, boys."
What came next was something that would earn Spencer quite the reputation at SHIELD. Even Lesley, who was the one of the group that was closest to Spencer's 'side' on this, took a small step back as the young genius launched forward. It took barely any time at all before all the guards were down on the ground. Spencer did it all without ever really breaking stride as he made his way down the long hall in front of them. Even when the door opened at the end and three more guards came out, Spencer was ready, gun firing one shot while two knives flew.
He stepped over the bodies without a care for any one of them. The rest of his team followed behind him, watching quietly and observing as they went through the door and into a lab area. Though Spencer didn't appear to need the backup, they had their guns out, ready to offer it if needed.
Spencer paid barely any attention to them. His gun moved quickly, taking out two more people without pause. The two men, doctors, fell to the ground, leaving Spencer three lab assistants and one doctor, all of whom were standing in front of a door that Spencer could feel led down to where the seven people they were experimenting on were being held.
It was the last remaining doctor that had Spencer's attention, though.
The man was maybe an inch taller than Spencer, though he wasn't as skinny, nor was he in as good of shape. He had the body of someone who spent all their time in the lab, with little physical exercise. A bit of a gut, an aura of something soft to his body. That softness was broken by the hard, sharp, analytical look in his green eyes.
His black hair was kept military short, and his clothes were as well maintained and pressed as always, done in the darker tones he seemed to think suited his dark skin, despite the fact that he was just in a lab. There was no one here to impress. He'd always dressed like that, though. No matter if he was in to just talk with Spencer, or there for one of his many tests, he dressed nicely. It didn't matter if he was standing behind a desk or squatting beside him and covered in blood, he dressed like an executive about to walk into an important board meeting.
Despite the situation, Dr. Scott Lockett smiled as Spencer came to a stop just a few feet in front of him. "My dear Erinyes. How wonderful it is to see you."
The sound of that silky smooth voice made Spencer want to shiver. He didn't let himself. There was no way he was going to show weakness anymore. I'm not that person anymore. I'm not who they made me. I'm me! Spencer held on to that conviction and made his voice as steady and cold as he could. "Funny. I can't quite say the same."
Scott laughed delightedly, as if enjoying Spencer's attitude. "My, my, haven't you grown cheeky."
There was a twitch from somewhere behind Spencer. He could feel the suspicion and curiosity from his teammates. He pushed it aside, though. What did it matter? What did any of it matter? Spencer took a step forward and lifted his gun. "I've wanted to do this for a very, very long time." This was going to be one of his more satisfying kills, that was for sure, and one that he would never regret. Not for a single instant.
"Do you really think you're going to?" Scott asked her curiously. He didn't seem at all afraid. If anything, he seemed amused. "How adorable. Do you really think you've broken your programming enough to do it, little mouse?"
This time there was no stopping the shiver that ran down Spencer's spine. His words brought up things he didn't want to think about. Things that he never wanted to think about ever again, yet couldn't quite escape. Not even in his dreams. That fear he felt hardened Spencer's voice and had him taking another step forward. "I guess we'll see, won't we."
"Erinyes." Damien's voice broke into their moment, drawing his attention away from Scott and back towards the team. The man moved towards her cautiously. "Erinyes, hold your fire. This guy… he looks like our best bet for information. We need to bring him in."
"No." Spencer's voice was sharp, like the crack of a whip. There was no way he wanted Scott anywhere near SHIELD. Near Clint, or Natasha. The idea of him being on base made Spencer want to vomit. If he got his hands on them…. If he hurt Spencer's newfound family… it made his chest hurt and his stomach churn.
Scott made as if to step towards him then and Spencer reacted without thought, his whole body instinctively recognizing and responding to the threat in front of him. Something inside of Spencer lashed out, the anger in him pushing out in a tangible wave that, to his absolute shock, sent everyone around him flying.
Shock had Spencer staring as Scott, the assistants, and Spencer's own team all picked themselves up off the ground. It was like a blast of some kind had gone off with Spencer at the center of it. His head ached and his body kind of tingled.
Laughter bubbled up from Scott. "Look at you!" He looked thrilled by what Spencer had just done, not the least bit afraid by it. "You really have grown! You're starting to learn." Another step forward, and his smile was even bigger. "I told you before, you haven't even begun to tap into a quarter of the potential inside of you. There's so much you're capable of, Erinyes. So much more that you can do. We made you to be great. Come back with me, come home, and I'll help you realize that greatness."
"I've had your help before." Spencer's voice cracked only once, the only outward sign of emotion. Inside, he was terrified, wanting nothing more than to run and hide somewhere. He held his ground, though. He could be strong. He could! Holding on to that, he lifted his gun one more time. "Your days of 'helping people' are done, Scott."
Just as Spencer tried to curl his finger in, to pull the trigger, there was a whisper of sound behind him, a feeling of intent he knew too well, but he caught on too late. He'd been too caught up in Scott.
Something sharp pricked the side of Spencer's neck, then twice in his arm. He turned his head just as there were two more shots fired, right into his hip.
The drugs in the tranq overpowered even his healing factor. Spencer only had time to stare at Damien in one brief moment of horror. Then the darkness swirled around him and he melted downwards. He was out before his body hit the floor.