Episode 3: Making Friends and Influencing People

Sara stood beside Skye, the two of them firing at targets with HYRDA emblems on them. Skye empitied her gun and set it down. Sara lowered her pistol, pulling out one of her ear-plugs. May pressed a button to bring the targets in.
"I imagined they were all Ward," Sara grumbled. Sara turned sharply on her.
"Imagine they're all targets," she corrected. "Don't get cocky. This is step one. It's all about control—"
"Control. I know."
"Open you mind, your body," May said. "In the field you need to maintain control. Whatever the situation. Hostages, bomb about to go off—"
"So, what you're saying is that what I just did was puny and sad." Sara shook her head, nodding down to Skye's wrist.
"Sixty-one beats per minute. Consistent the whole time. Not that puny." Nodding, Skye's eyes followed May to where the woman picked up a large rife.
"Speaking of not puny…"
"Yeah, I want you to get used to this, it's a sniper rife."

From behind them, Mack and Hunter walked up, pushing a trolley.
"Pardon me," said Hunter. "Uh, just one quick question." He grinned at Skye."You went to S.H.I.E.L.D. academy, right?" She began to shake her head but May spoke before she could.
"You didn't. If you did, you would have known better than to shoot at us."
"May," Sara murmured.
"Apology number four-hundred-and-seventy, I'm very sorry Agent May."
"Don't be sorry. Just wait."

Shifting uncomfortably on his feet, Hunter looked back to Skye.
"Uh, we just have. A little wager," Mack told her. "So, did you—"
"Go to the academy? Yeah, no." Hunter let out a deep exaggerated sigh, sinking his head onto his arm. Mack grinned and handed Hunter a clipboard.
"Yeah, all right, well, have fun with the inventory. And remember Koenig likes them neat. Oh, and, uh, none of those Euro sevens with the lines through them. Drives him crazy." He walked off, whistling a happy tune.

As Mack disappeared around a corner, Hunter gave Skye an accusing glare.
"Coulson said you were a field agent with a badge and everything."
"More like a work-study thing. Badge, I had for like a day before S.H.I.E.L.D." Sara nodded in agreement as she swiped Hunter's water bottle from her.
"You know, Hartley loved her blade, hated guns," Hunter told Skye. "Idaho, if on a job someone ended up dead, he'd go to a church light a candle. Said it'd balance the karma. See, I knew them, what they do, not do. So, us being workmates and all…"
"You're wondering if I've ever taken anyone out."
"Have you?"
"Not that I know of." Hunter turned to Sara.
"Of course, I have," she shrugged. "You don't get to level nine without it. Now, don't you have inventory?"
"I suppose I do now."
"I help if you don't mind the kid."
"I love the kid." He held out his arm and she took it.
"Later gators," she called to May and Skye.

Before they got very far, Sara spotted Coulson.
"I'll catch up," she told Hunter, pulling away from him.
"Sounds good. Can I grab Jonathan?" "Yeah, he's with Trip."
"Cool." He went off as she diverted to talk to Coulson.
"You're alone," she remarked.
"The entire trip was a waste of precious jet fuel," he grumbled.
"And Agent 13?"
"They got to her first. It's gone from being a land grab to a talent grab. And I'm getting damn tired of losing our best and brightest to HYRDA."

The next day, most of the team left on the bus heading for a ship named Maribel Del Mar. It was anchored in the Port of Casablanca. It had been frozen in ice, making the team suspect that Donnie Gill was there. She turned to Mack and Fitz.
"They're taking The Bus!" she exclaimed. "You know what that means?" Mack's eyes brightened as Fitz looked at them in confusion.
"Means we got the night off!"
"And?"
"And Koenig's on assignment and won't be hogging the Xbox!"
Sara nodded, "I'll grab Jonathan and we can play a few rounds of something."

She paused in her excitement when she saw Fitz' blank look.
"Are you okay?" she asked her brother. Fitz shook his head.
"I should be going. I mean I-I knew him. Sara, don't you think they're keeping us from something? That's why they aren't letting us go."
"Yeah, they're keeping you both from an icy death," Mack said. "That's it. Come on, now. Don't start getting paranoid on me."
"Sara, who is Skye's asset?" Sara shook her head.
"I don't know. Coulson doesn't talk to me about these things."
"Can we talk?"
"Yeah, we can talk." She turned to Mack. "Can you grab Jonathan and set up the game?"
"Yeah." Mack leaned in close to her. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know," Sara murmured. "But we'll figure it out."
"Okay." Mack raised his voice to Fitz. "I'll be waiting to play some rounds, Fitz."
"Kay."

Fitz grabbed Sara's hand and started pulling her down a hallway.
"Where are we going?" Sara asked.
"Ward. That's the asset Skye's been talking too."
"God, what's with everyone bring him up!" Sara practically shouted. She stopped in her tracks, stomping her foot. "He's dead, Fitz! Coulson promised!"
"He keeps secrets from us, Sara! He's the asset."
"Stop."
"We've gotta see if it's him."
"Stop!" Fitz paused, turning back to her. He lowered his voice.
"They're keeping things from us, don't you want to know the truth?" He looked over Sara's shoulder, glaring at someone. Sara closed her eyes as he spoke out loud. "You are not here!"
"Fitz, please."
"Sara, please."
"Fine. We'll go down there. And you'll see that there is no one there."
"And if there is?"
"Don't make me think that."

He took her hand again, squeezing it lightly. She leaned against him as they walked to the fault. Fitz took ahold of a tablet as they walked down. The cell was covered by a pane of frosted glass.
"Fitz, we don't have to do this," Sara whispered.
"Yes. We do."

As Fitz tapped on the tablet, Sara practically felt her heart stop when she saw who was on the other side. Ward stood, staring at the two of them. Sara backed away from the glass, keeping her eyes on Ward the entire time. Ward seemed equally shocked to see them.
"I imagine you've got a lot to say to me." Fitz' breath began ragged, turning away from Ward. "Look," Ward tried, "despite all this… it's really good to see you." Sara squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, sliding down the wall to sit on the steps. This couldn't be happening. Not now. "Sara? Fitz? Are you al—"
"Shut up!" Sara snapped. "Stop talking." Nodding quickly, Ward stepped away from the glass.
"Sara, love—"
"Shut up!" she repeated. He took a seat on his cot. He turned his attention to Fitz. "
I didn't want to hurt you," he said quietly. "I tried to avoid it."
"You tried to kill us," Fitz hissed.
"No. I wanted to save you. Garrett ordered me to kill you and Simmons. He expected me to put a bullet in your head." He shook his head a few times. "But I couldn't. I gave you a fighting chance to find a way out, like you always do. Like you did."

Scoffing, Fitz started shaking his head.
"Save me?" Ward nodded slowly. He stood, walking close to the glass. "Do—do you—do you—do you know what the, um…" Sara looked away, hiding her head in her hands as Fitz struggled to speak. "What you—Okay. I—" Sara lifted her head slightly as she heard Fitz' stand. "You know, I have trouble with words, so, um… it's probably best if I show you."

Alarmed, Sara started getting to her feet as Fitz pushed a button on the tablet.
"Show me what?"
"Hypoxia. Found that one. That's what you did to me." He looked down at the tablet and Sara hurried to his side, watching as a meter monitoring Ward's oxygen went from green to yellow.
"Fitz? What are you doing?" Ward asked.
"I'm showing you… what it's like. When you're deprived… of, uh…"

Beginning to gasp, Ward stumbled back, sitting down on the cot again.
"The oxygen, b-the brain cells, they—they're—they react first. They die. Three minutes, damage is permanent."
"Where's Skye?" Ward gasped out.
"Gone," Sara replied. "They're all gone after Donnie."
"And I should be there with them!" Fitz shouted. "But I can't because of you, because of what you did to me! I'm damaged!"
"You aren't damaged," Sara whispered. Fitz met her eyes for a moment before looking back to Ward.
"Donnie—Donnie—Donnie Gill. That's—that's why Skye was—"
"No. No. Don't—Don't answer him, Sara."
"Sara, listen to me. Listen! You, they don't know what they're walking into."
"Then tell us," Sara ordered. "You've got a minute and a half."
"D-Donnie d-didn't escape The Sandbox. HYDRA re-recruited him. Brainwashed. If they're t-trying to get him, they're gonna t-try to re-trigger his programming."
"Fitz!" Sara spun on her brother. "Give me the tablet." Fitz glared at her.
"You're gonna let him life, Sara. Again!"
"Yeah, because you aren't a murderer, Fitz. Don't start now. He's not worth it." Glancing back and forth between Sara and Ward, who was clutching at his throat, Fitz let out a frustrated sigh. He passed the tablet to Sara before darting up the stairs to find Mack.

Ward started coughing as Sara let the oxygen go back to normal.
"Thanks, Sara."
"Don't thank me," Sara told him. "You owe me now, Grant Ward. We were even. We aren't anymore."
"What do you want? What can you possibly want from me in here?"
"Nothing yet." He blinked at her, then nodded as if he understood.
"You look like hell, Ward. Attempt to hang yourself or something?"
"Or something." He turned his arms out for her to see the attempts. "They won't let me have paper anymore." She just stared at him.
"You should've tried harder."
"Is that what you want, Sara? You want me dead."
"Yeah." She clicked on the tablet, making Ward disappear.

A sob threatened to escape her mouth and she clasped a hand over it to keep quiet. Who knew if he could still hear her. She put the tablet down and ran up the stairs, slamming the vault doors close behind her. She ran into Mack, who grabbed her shoulders.
"Sara."
"He lied to me, Mack! He lied to me." She started to cry, collapsing against him. He held her tightly, allowing her to sob into his chest. "Coulson promised," she whimpered. "Promised he was dead."
"I know. I know." She started hyperventilating.
"Mack, you don't understand. He promised."
"Sara, you gotta breathe. Sara, breathe!" She squeezed her eyes tight, feeling her head lighten.
"Mack… I don't feel so good." He caught her as she blacked out.

When she awoke, she could hear the beeping of medical machines. She took a deep breath feeling the cannula in her nose. She reached up to pull it out, but a hand stopped her. She looked over to see Coulson sitting beside her.
"Leave it, Sara. You need it."
"Get out," she ordered weakly.
"Let me explain myself—"
"No. I'm done listening to you. My badge, gun, IDs, everything, will be on your desk by the end week. I'm out."
"I can't look at him, Sara. I hate that he's here. But we barely know anything about HYDRA. I need to do whatever it takes to understand the people we're fighting. Ward is one way I'm trying to do that." She closed her eyes.
"I don't care about your excuses, Coulson. Get out."

Standing, Coulson took a deep breath, then did as she said. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Hunter sitting beside her, holding Jonathan.
"Morning, Princess."
"Hey." He leaned over with a wince, handing Sara her son.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Nasty looking bruise on my shoulder, curtsey of Agent May."
"She's wicked with her come-backs," Sara said.
"You don't say… so, I heard you're leaving."
"As soon as I can. Stark promised me a job if I need it. I'm thinking about going back to New York. I've got an apartment there."
"When are you going to go?"
"By the end of the month. I don't know." Hunter nodded, then grabbed her hand.
"I'm here for you, Princess." She squeezed his hand.
"I know you do."

She looked away from Hunter to gaze at Jonathan. For a split second she saw Ward in his eyes before he was gone, looking like her son again. Jonathan cuddled up close to her, staying quiet as he stuck his thumb in his mouth. She had to get out. If Ward was alive, it was only a matter of time before Coulson used Jonathan as leverage if he hadn't already.

A week or so later, Sara looked up from packing a box as Mack knocked on her door.
"Hey, did you hear?"
"Hear about what?" Sara questioned. She reached over, grabbing a small object from Jonathan. The boy pouted before crawling over to a pile of stuffed toys.
"Simmons is back… and Bobbi."
"What?" Sara jumped to her feet. "Really?"
"You go. I'll take care of the kid."
"Thanks, Mack!" She kissed his cheek before taking off.

She bolted to the front of the base where Simmons and Bobbi Morse were walking in.
"Sara!" Simmons cried. She rushed to her friend, throwing her arms around her.
"You're back!" Sara cheered.
"Just in time too," Simmons agreed. "If it hadn't been for Bobbi, I would have never made it out." "
Hey, S.O.," Bobbi greeted. Sara moved from Simmons to wrap her arms around Bobbi.
"I didn't know you made it," she said. "I couldn't get ahold of you."
"Yeah, undercover is a bitch, I'll tell you that."
"Hear-hear," Sara agreed.
"So, where's the kid I've been hearing about?" Bobbi questioned.
"He's with Mack. Oh, you'll love him! He's got Hunter wrapped around his finger."
"No, he doesn't!" Hunter exclaimed.
"Hey, Hunter," Bobbi greeted. "Nice suit."
"Nice suit?" the man repeated. "Really? That's what you're leading with? What did you do to your hair?" Bobbi brushed a strand of black hair off her shoulder with an eye roll.
"Ever heard of undercover?"
"I prefer you blonde."
"Well, I didn't do it for you. Two seconds in, there's already a tone."
"This isn't a tone. This is my speaking voice when I'm upset with an unreasonable person."

Trip leaned over to Sara, who had stepped back to watch the two bicker back and forth.
"What's the deal there?"
"Has Hunter ever told you stories about his she-devil ex-wife?"
"All the time."
"Well, that's here."
"For real? Damn."
"Anyone mind telling me what the bloody hell she's doing here?" Hunter asked.
"Bobbi's one of our best agents," Coulson said.
"Oh, that's rich. Then mind telling me what I'm doing here?"
"That's easy," Bobbi nodded. "I vouched for you."
"Why the hell would you do that?!"
"Place nice," Coulson warned.
"I also vouched for you, Hunter, if that makes any difference," Sara tried.
"That's just fun! You two teamed up against me!"
"Always," Bobbi agreed. "Now come on, Sara. Take me to the kid."

Just so no one is confused, I skipped episode 4 entirely and ended with episode 5. Sorry for jumping around so much!
-Amy Thorton

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