Nicole stumbled out of the tunnel, groaning as she sank onto a large piece of rubble. Jesse and Rowan followed right behind her, equally tired and beat up.

"Well," gasped out Rowan. "That was fun…" Nicole glared as Jesse let out a breathy laugh.

"They got away," Nicole said scathingly. Jesse looked at Nicole sympathetically,

"Not our fault. We did the best we could." Nicole was about to retort when she heard Director Fury over her walkie talkie.

"Agent Grey… Agent Grey report!" he commended. She quickly pulled it to her mouth,

"Still alive sir."

"Glad to hear it. Damage assessment." Nicole turned back, walking up the incline to survey the late S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Where it had been was a crater.

"Well sir, we aren't rebuilding anytime soon. There's a five mile sinkhole and all the tunnels are collapsed. Agent Barton and his companions escaped."

"I know, they shot my helicopter out of the sky on their way out." Nicole winced,

"Sorry sir."

"Not a priority. Are there survivors?"

"Other than myself and Agents Carter and Robins? I don't know." Fury sighed,

"Get rescue squads formed, pull all survivors. Send out a Code Red to the nearest base and get a medical team here."

"Yes sir."

"Then meet me there."

"Yes sir." The line turned off and Nicole turned back to Rowan and Jesse, all business. "Well, we have our orders."

Rowan and Jesse groaned from their sprawled positions on the ground, but wearily got up. Nicole, suppressing an amused smile, said,

"Rowan, head to the West Entrance and Jesse, take the South. I'll check the North," she nodded to the tunnel they'd just exited, "and then scout the East." The girls nodded before heading off.

Pulling out her phone, Nicole opened her secure files and sent out a Code Red. The reply was immediate.

Medical Team on their way. Stay at the closest safe distance from Base.

Closing her phone, she sighed and trooped back into the tunnel, pulling out a flashlight as she entered the shadows.

"Agent Grey for you sir," the nurse announced respectfully as Nicole impatiently pushed past into Fury's tent. The Director was propped up in a bed, looking irritated.

"Agent Grey," he greeted.

"Sir."

"I assume you read the debriefing files I had sent to you?" Nicole nodded. "Then you understand that our situation is dire. With the tesseract in the hands of Loki, I have decided to reactivate the Avengers Initiative."

Agent Nicole's eyes widened.

"The Avengers Initiative sir? Wasn't that canceled by the council?" Fury didn't reply, merely raising an eyebrow.

"You decided without them, didn't you?" Fury cracked a smile at that,

"You're starting to catch on Agent Grey. Either way, I have a job for you." He gestured at a briefcase laying on the table next to him. Nicole hesitantly moved to it and opened it. Inside were more files.

She made no move to open them, "Sir?"

"We need teams to go out and… collect, as it were." Nicole's eyes narrowed,

"Collect?" Fury leaned back and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he responded heavily,

"We are calling in the Avengers."