Disclaimer: I don't own Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Do I really need to include this? Probably not, we all know it by now. But it's part of my routine by now.

Thanks to Riley Holden/Colormeblue for beta-reading for me. As always, you make this fic more readable.

Don't forget, Ward didn't side with Garrett at the end of 1x17 – he stayed with the Team instead. So anything he learned in canon during the span from 1x18 to 1x22 ... he didn't learn in this AU.

This is a short chapter again – you're probably going to keep seeing this sort of length going forward. I have inspiration for this fic, but a lot less than I used to (for which I blame the 3b finale, even if I didn't watch 3b at all), so we'll probably see shorter chapters. Same amount of story, just shorter chapters, because getting the scenes out is harder.

Out of the Shadows and Into the Light

By Alkeni

Chapter 7: Who's Got the Blood?

Simmons' Apartment

October 8th, 2014

Coulson still wasn't sure if he'd made the right call in sending Simmons into Hydra. Between her and Agent Morse, he had managed to get some useful intel, but Simmons was still having trouble making friends in her workplace. Which was important if she was going to increase the amount of intel she could get.

Ward's crash-course undercover training had helped. She knew how to give the best combination of truth and lies – the right nuggets of truth. And really, Simmons wasn't lying all that much to begin with, from what she'd told him. Apart from her loyalties, anyway. She had a few co-workers she was somewhat close with, in a collegial sense, but still.

On the other hand, Simmons hadn't been caught yet. Morse had picked up zero hints that anyone suspected her of anything more than being a scientist who was working with Hydra because it offered her more opportunities to do the kind of research she wanted to do and it also had more resources to do that research with. By all accounts, it seemed to be a cover that Hydra had bought hook, line and sinker.

And why wouldn't they? All too many of our best people are making that same choice. The attempt to recruit Agent 33 had gone downhill as well – Hydra had arrived and made a better offer before he could get there. The talent-grab was not going in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s favor right now.

At least Simmons hadn't actually made that choice.

Of course, judging by the contents of her fridge, the other problem with her job at Hydra seemed to be that it gave her no time to shop for food.

Coulson closed the door to Simmons's fridge as he heard her front door open, and stood there, waiting for her to walk in, arms crossed. He raised an eyebrow as she came in, gun raised.

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" Simmons lowered her gun, an almost exasperated look on her face. Opening her fridge again, he reached inside, taking out a glass bottle. "Siracha? Beer? That's all? What kind of diet is that?"

"I also have tea," Simmons pointed out with a smile, then rested her hands on her hips, "and if my diet's such a concern, then perhaps dead-drops shouldn't involve fast food. I've eaten at more fast food 'restaurants' in the last few months than I have in the five years previous. I didn't used to have to work so hard to maintain my weight."

Coulson chuckled, "A fair point. We'll revisit that particular protocol." If there was one thing Coulson knew though, it was how likely Simmons's fridge was to be bare. So he'd come prepared. "I picked up some groceries." He lifted the bag onto the counter and began emptying it, identifying each item as he took it out. "It's basic, but I do good basic. I'll cook, you debrief." It was easier for him to sneak into her place for these debriefings than contacting her any other way. Hydra didn't seem to be watching the apartment all that closely.

Simmons nodded, "Do you remember Donnie Gill?"

Coulson nodded. He remembered just about every case he'd ever been on. Gill's had been... unpleasant. It was always terrible when someone with real promise went bad, but it was even worse when it wasn't even their idea. It was always painful to watch when someone else influenced them into making wrong decisions and crossing lines because they were lonely or vulnerable or just easy to trick. Such had been the case with Gill.

And if that wasn't bad enough, then, somehow, he'd internalized what it was that his ice-machine did. And so he'd been packed off to the Sandbox. A facility which Hydra had taken during their 'uprising'.

"Did Hydra capture him when they took the Sandbox?"

"I don't think so. I think they're trying to find him, or they just captured him. I saw his picture in my supervisor's docket. He said it was 'another acquisition', which could mean they have him now. But I've been studying some samples – at the very least, they have samples from him. I don't know if they were taken from the Sandbox's labs, or..." Simmons trailed off.

"Or from him." If they don't already have him in a secure facility, I am not losing this one. Not so soon after losing 33 to Hydra.

"Exactly. On the positive side, I do have an idea as to how his abilities work – it's not genetic... the combination of the lightning striking the device while he touched it essentially infused him with the freezing agent. He can more or less create liquid nitrogen on demand when he touches something. As far as I can tell – this is a lot of speculation."

Coulson nodded as he grabbed a pot and a pan. "Can you peel the potatoes while I start on the steak?"

"Of course." Simmons pulled a peeler out of a drawer. "Of course, I'd find out a lot more about what they have planned if they would stop wasting my talents in the downstairs labs. I mean, yes, I have access to the kinds of tools and devices we'd never have back at The Playground, but still, they keep insisting on blind samples and overly compartmentalizing the details." She frowned, "Though I think I may have attracted the attention of someone from upstairs. I just don't know if it's in a good way or a bad way."

"What do you mean?"

"Two days ago, I saw Mr. Bakshi talking to my supervisor. And they glanced in my direction more than once."

"And you don't know if it's because someone likes your work, or because they suspect you." Coulson made a mental note to double-check with Agent Morse. It was going to be hard – getting in contact with her on short notice was risky at best. He'd given her very clear instructions – to escape with Simmons if there was a sign of Hydra being about to close in on her, but still... forewarning could save both of their lives. "Do you have any reason to think they're onto you?"

"I don't know. I mean, it's not as if I'm a champion liar. But I've also done my best to use what Ward taught me, and to engage in selective truths. It's much easier."

"And much harder to pick up on. Exactly." Coulson nodded. "You're very likeable. You need to use it."

"I try. But I just – it feels wrong to just pretend to be someone's friend just to get information from them." Coulson watched her focus intently on the potatoes for a few minutes. "So... how is everyone?" she asked after that span was done and he flipped the steaks.

"Doing well. Mostly. Hartley lost her hand and we sent her to the Fridge to convalesce under the watchful eye of Agent Hand, but apart from that... well, Fitz and Skye miss you – a lot. So does Trip. Ward has to act like he doesn't know where you are, but he's also Ward."

Simmons laughed, "So he's making a show of how he doesn't miss me all that much?"

"Pretty much," Coulson agreed with a chuckle of his own.

"How is Fitz actually doing though?"

"Better than when you first vanished. But you two work a hell of a lot better as a pair." And you're the one who split them up, so don't complain about the quality of Fitz's work because of it.

"Is he angry at me, for just... leaving, like that?"

"If there had been any other way, I wouldn't have split you two up. Or let them think you'd just left."

"You don't need to apologize, sir. I knew the consequences when I agreed to go undercover."

"If you need to be pulled out, I'll do it," Coulson assured her, "If you start getting too far gone, if you can't keep it up, tell me. I know this work isn't what you're cut out for."

"Maybe not, but none of us are really doing what we were cut out for anymore," Simmons pointed out. "Not since S.H.I.E.L.D. fell."

Grant Ward's Room

October 8th, 2014

"Hydra wants Donnie Gill." Ward said slowly. "Well, it makes sense. He's powered, and Strucker is obsessed with powered people. The order has probably gone down through the ranks for everyone to get their hands on every single gifted they can find."

"And Strucker is in charge of Hydra," Skye nodded slowly.

"That's the best theory I've got." Ward agreed. "I have no idea for sure, but none of the other heads where anywhere near poised to take over if Pierce fell. If I had to guess, the hierarchy would go Strucker, Dr. List and then the various regional heads." Ward had told her what little he knew about various Hydra heads – Strucker, List, Whitehall – but he only knew them all by reputation, just a few basic details. He could probably point them out in a lineup too, but... he didn't know them.

"So what do you think they're going to do? How are they going to go after him?"

"Hydra's got a pretty simple system for recruitment, especially for gifteds. They'll send an acquisition team. That team will have everything. The carrot, the stick, and the bullet." Ward related the information blandly, without much in the way of inflection.

"They'll start with money, or power, or whatever else might convince them. If that doesn't work, threats, capture. Whatever it takes to get their hands on the gifted. And if that doesn't work, they kill them," Ward looked away at the disgusted expression on Skye's face.

"They'll just kill any gifted? Even one that's not a threat?" Skye shook her head, "I... I get that Garrett... did it never – Grant, how did none of this ever get to you?" Ward knew – well, was pretty sure – that she wasn't judging him or condemning him, not entirely, anyway. But it still hurt a little...

"As far as Hydra is concerned, anything or anyone that can't be contained, controlled or co-opted is a potential threat. Especially someone with powers. And threats are eliminated quickly and efficiently." Ward looked back at her. "You're going to say something about that being the difference between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, aren't you?" Looking a little miffed that he read her so well, Skye nodded slowly. "It's true. Somewhat. S.H.I.E.L.D. was always far less willing to take the kill shot. They drew the lines differently, but make no mistake, S.H.I.E.L.D. will still take that shot."

"That's not S.H.I.E.L.D." Skye insisted, "When they kill – when we kill... it's only to protect people."

"It's still killing. The blood on my hands wasn't just put there by Garrett and Hydra, Skye. I killed plenty of people for S.H.I.E.L.D. Some for things they had done, some for things they would do. A powered person is dangerous – and if you can't be sure they won't use their ability to hurt others, you have to make a choice." Skye's attitude was perhaps naive, under some perspectives, but he appreciated her outlook. It had been one of the things that had drawn him to her.

She was so determined to see the good in everyone, everything. Even him. But S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't perfect. And it couldn't be. Nothing could. That's why specialists existed. That's why he existed.

"If Hydra gets their hands on Donnie, they could brainwash him. Use him against innocent people." Ward finished. "Hydra has ways to make sure that someone does what they're told.

"So what, if Hydra gets to him first, you just want to shoot him?"

"I usually don't want to kill anyone, Skye. But that is my job. I don't think Coulson will give that order, though." Ward believed that. Coulson could be ruthless, but Ward didn't think he had it in him to have Donnie Gill shot just because Hydra captured him. "Unless he was about to hurt you or someone else on the team, or some innocent... I wouldn't kill him." If not for Skye, his metric would have been different. But Skye wouldn't want him to eliminate the threat unless it was immediate. It was the right thing to do, as far as she was concerned, and so it had become for Ward as well.

'What would Skye do' was now his moral compass. He couldn't always live by it – not if he wanted to make sure Skye was safe and that Hydra was defeated, but he would live by it as much as he could.

"Just because someone makes it an order doesn't make it right!" Skye cut in, "I mean... yeah, I don't think Coulson would give the order either, but... if he does... you shouldn't just kill an innocent kid!" Skye stood up from the bed, stepping away from him. Ward felt his throat go dry and tighten as she moved away, an actual note of condemnation in her voice this time. A small one, but it was there.

"Skye-" Ward started, but she shook her head,

"Grant... I just need a bit, okay? I know S.H.I.E.L.D. has blood on it's hands. I... I just don't like to think about it. I don't like to think about you killing people. Underneath everything that bastard Garrett and your family did to you, you're a good person, Grant, and I get that. And it's not like I didn't go into this relationship knowing that you kill people for a living. I just need a little bit." Taking a deep breath, Skye reached for the door handle.

"I... alright. Understood. I love you." Ward told her. Intellectually, he knew this wasn't her walking out on them, not over this, not over a hypothetical. But still... a small part of him couldn't help but panic at the possibility.

"Me too, Grant." Skye replied softly before leaving the room.