This chapter was originally another nine hundred words long, but I cut that part out due to... it being so crappy. I didn't like the way it ended, but I like the ending it has now. Thanks to 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome! :D

Chapter Six

Secrets Are Better Kept Hidden

"Wait a minute... you mean as in the video game character?" Clint glanced at both Natasha and Director Fury. Their expressions were difficult to read. Mira tilted her head to one side as she wondered just how much they knew about Flynn's discovery.

"Yeah... something like that," Beck replied after looking at Clint in confusion.

"Look, it's kind of hard to explain-" Mira was cut off by Director Fury. He held up another tablet and pulled out what looked like a vast file of codes. Mira was suddenly reminded of the super computer that Tron had used in the safehouse. They were more similar than she realized.

"Your saying that you came from the Grid?" Director Fury's question caught them both by surprise. "We found out about it two years before Kevin Flynn disappeared. What he discovered was a digital utopia... of sorts."

Mira stared at Director Fury as if he'd grown wings. How did they find out so quickly?

"And according to this file, a young girl disappeared around the same time Flynn disappeared," he added after searching through the files once more.

A shiver crawled down Mira's arm when she realized that he was referring to her. She was foolish enough to follow Flynn. And it was her sheer stupidity that got her sent to the Grid in the first place. If she had listened to her parents, she might still be with them right now.

"How are you still this young?" Natasha finally spoke up, her voice stiff with surprise as she studied the file.

"Time works differently on the Grid," Beck quickly explained.

"And you're saying that because of the time flow, people don't age as quickly." Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

Until now the thought had never occurred to Mira. She found it strange that she didn't age like a normal User would. Most of the time she was just worried about getting caught again by Clu.

"That's something we'll have to look into." Director Fury finally closed the file and tossed the tablet aside. "But that doesn't explain where those came from." Mira flinched when he looked at the scars under her suit.

She took a deep breath, unsure how to explain the situations she had been through. It was difficult enough having to explain what had happened to Beck and Tron. She bit the bottom of her lip before explaining what had happened. All of them were shocked when she told them about Rinzler the torture she had endured. By the time she was finished her throat was dry.

"So the only reason you came here was to close those Portals," Natasha said when silence filled the room.

"The only way to do that is through a super computer," Mira replied after swallowing. "If we can find one we might be able to save Tron as well." She glanced at Beck, hoping to get some kind of response out of him.

She didn't miss the steely look in Clint's eyes at the mention of saving Tron. After explaining that Tron had been repurposed, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him. Maybe he had faced something similar.

"We only know of a few who have a computer that strong," Director Fury told them. "As much as I hate to admit it, Stark is about the only one I'd trust with this kind of knowledge."

Natasha stiffened at the mention of Stark. Mira raised an eyebrow as she thought of the name. She had heard of it before somewhere along the lines of her past. He was famous, or infamous, for being a genius billionaire. But that was about all she could remember.

"First we need to take care of Cyrus," Beck suddenly said. "He came from the Grid as well, but he's different from other programs."

"How different exactly?" Clint demanded.

"Like, sociopath different," Mira replied. "He threatened to destroy the Grid, and nearly killed us all in the process."

"So in other words, he's like any other super villain we've faced," Clint said with a smirk.

How can you be so calm in a time like this? Mira wondered as Natasha punched his arm at the remark. Back on the Grid programs would be panicking or trying to figure out what was going on. Even Beck was smart enough to know that Cyrus wasn't like any other super villain.

"We need to track him down before we can plan an attack," Director Fury explained. "Until than, I want you two to take them to Stark Tower."

He glanced at Natasha and Clint. Both didn't look too pleased at the thought of seeing Stark. Mira had a feeling that whoever this guy was, he wasn't easy to get along with.

. . .

"Sir?" Director Fury stood beside Maria as she studied the notes he'd written down. As the second in command, she needed to know everything that was going on. And this was one set of news she was not expecting. "Are you sure it's a good idea to keep this a secret?" she asked when he finally looked down at her.

"If they all found out the truth, it would be difficult for them to accept," he replied. "Secrets are better kept hidden in situations like this."

Maria frowned as she pulled an image of Mira as a baby from one of the files he had gathered. She was adopted as a child. No one knew where she came from or who her birth parents were. The family that had raised her cared for her. But after she vanished she was nearly forgotten.

"So we're just going to act like this never happened?" She wasn't too fond of the idea. If her hunch was true, which it usually was, than this kid had a right to know who her birth parents were. And her birth parents had the right to know that she was alive and right in front of them.

It suddenly made sense now that she thought of. The girl was so much like them that she should have noticed it sooner. She was quiet and shy, but intelligent enough to know when to talk. Her friend on the other hand... he was a completely different story.

"Maybe once this is all settled we'll tell them," Director Fury told her. "But until we find this Cyrus character, we can't have them knowing the truth."

Her shoulders sagged at the thought of keeping such a secret from two of SHIELD's top agents. If they deflected from SHIELD, it would be difficult to find others like them. But she couldn't keep arguing with Director Fury. He was right. Some secrets were better kept hidden from the world.

AN: Ah secrets... SHIELD is known for keeping them, a bit too well if you ask me ;) This chapter was probably my favorite out of the first few we've had so far. We'll see where the next ones go after this!