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Standing before the lab’s front doors with a cup of cocoa warming her hands Darcy looked out onto the bleak, wet street and marveled at how hard it was raining. The view was dismal. Rain was coming down in sheets and she could barely see the diner two blocks away. Gusts of wind rattled the windows and a cold draft seeped under the door, causing her to shiver. It was a gray dreary day and Darcy was grateful she had no place to go.
It seemed odd that New Mexico would have such weather, what with it being desert, but apparently monsoons came in from the Pacific in the fall. Behind her Darcy could hear Jane grumbling over her data, disappointed that her evening plans had changed as there was no way they could go out in this weather. Darcy actually enjoyed a good thunderstorm. She liked to watch lightning dance across the sky and she found rain soothing. Even the wind had a certain charm. And, rain made for a nice change of pace from the glare of the sun.
Suddenly, the lights went out and the usually unnoticed hum of electronics died away. An eerie stillness settled over the lab and Darcy tensed momentarily as she strained to hear anything in the unfamiliar silence. Darcy silently prayed for the power to come back on. Not that she believed in any deity. But she didn’t think a prayer sent off into the ether could hurt. Her thoughts strayed to Thor and she wondered if the god would receive her missive. Given the weather, she thought he just might be of some help.
Turning to check on Jane, Darcy found the cavernous room shrouded in shadows now that desk lamps and the screens from Jane’s equipment no longer lit the room. Meanwhile, Jane was looking around with a confused frown, as if she couldn’t quite figure out what had happened. Stepping away from the front door Darcy said, “I’ll get the flashlights out of the van. We might have some candles. I’ll check.”
Jane nodded as she looked back down at her tablet, the lone bright spot in the dim room. After a moment she set it aside with a disgruntled frown, and rubbing her eyes against the glare said, “I guess I’m not going to get much done today.”
Darcy didn’t reply as she switched on an LED flashlight causing them both to squint in the sudden brightness. Shutting it off, Darcy decided she’d rather work in the dim gray light. Making her way over to the kitchenette she dug through the cupboards for the scented candles they had used last winter. Finding a few half-burned candles under the sink Darcy lined them up on the table and lit the largest. The flame flickered as the draft from the door hit it sending shadows bouncing across the table. Doubting it would make much of a difference but hoping for the best Darcy carefully carried the candle over to Jane. Brushing aside some papers, she placed it on the desk and said, “Be careful with this. The last thing we need is to burn down the lab.”
“Thanks, Darcy,” Jane replied, picking up her tablet and getting back to work, the glare of her device cut by the soft golden light now filling her workspace.
Suddenly, the backdoor to the dealership banged shut and the sounds of someone stomping their feet could be heard. Moments later a dark clade man came around the corner and in the dim light it took a second for Darcy to recognize Clint, the agent in charge of their protection detail. He was soaking wet and looked none too happy about it. “You guys ok?” he asked as he peeled off his jacket, water cascading from it.
“We’re fine,” Darcy replied before scowling at the mess he was making and pointed out, “You’re getting water everywhere.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Clint said as he gave his sodden jacket a shake, causing water to spatter. He turned to Darcy with an apologetic grimace and asked, “You got anything I can use to dry off with?”
“Stay here,” Darcy ordered as she stepped around the puddle Clint was creating. Grabbing a couple of towels from the bathroom, she handed them to him and asked, “Any idea when the power is going to come back on?”
As he wiped the water running down the side of his face away Clint replied, “Nope. There’s been flash flooding so who knows if it’s just a line down somewhere or if something else happened. Chances are we won’t know until morning.”
“Great,” Darcy complained. She considered Clint for a moment as he towel-dried his hair and said, “I don’t suppose you guys have a generator? I mean you had to have something to power that compound you built out in the desert last winter.”
Bending to wipe up the water around his feet Clint replied, “We might. But no way is anyone going to hook it up tonight. The weather will clear off by morning. We’ll see what the situation is then.”
“That’s fair,” Darcy conceded. “So what’s the plan?”
“Plan?”
“I figured you had a reason for being here?”
“Well, yeah. To check on you guys. You need anything?”
“No, we’re fine. I found some candles. Jane is going to be bent out of shape when her tablet dies but other than that we’re good.”
Clint nodded in understanding as he glanced around the murky room. “Hope you don’t mind but I thought I’d hang out here. It’s a lot drier than the roof.”
“Yeah, sure. Though I still think you guys are being paranoid to think we need protection. I can’t imagine who would want to steal Jane’s work – besides SHIELD,” Darcy replied, before taking a sip of her quickly cooling cocoa.
“You’d be surprised,” Clint responded as he walked over to the table to drape his wet jacket over the back of a chair. “If it were me this is when I’d come. The rain is the perfect cover. With the power out, you couldn’t ask for a better time to infiltrate a place. Unless you were both gone, that would be even better.”
“You’re serious?” Darcy questioned her eyes wide in disbelief.
“Yes, I am. That’s why I’m here,” Clint replied, laying aside his towels and walking over to the front door to check the lock. Turning around to face the room Clint crossed his arms and scowled as he took in the dealership’s wide-open space, its many plate glass windows and the huge garage doors making up two sides of the room. “All these windows are a nightmare. I’ve said so since the beginning. Even with the power out, the candles will give away your position. Anyone coming would be able to see us, but we wouldn’t be able to see them until they were right on top of us. And these garage doors aren’t much better, although they’re heavy enough, they’d be hard to get through.”
“Ok, now you’re just saying stuff to freak me out,” Darcy accused, as she began to look out the surrounding windows with concern.
“Hey, I’m just telling you what the situation is. You’re the one who doesn’t think I need to be here,” Clint argued, as he began to walk the perimeter of the room, moving their free-standing whiteboards to strategically block the windows.
“Wait. You’re acting more paranoid than usual. Has something happened?” Darcy demanded, suddenly taking Clint seriously.
“Well, the power’s out,” Clint pointed out.
“So? It’s literally a monsoon. We’re lucky the power stayed on as long as it did,” Darcy countered as she watched in alarm as Clint finished his sweep of the massive room.
“Uh-huh. It also provides the perfect cover for anyone who wants to cut the power,” Clint replied, putting his hands on his hips as he considered what else he could do to secure the lab.
“You think someone cut the power?” Darcy asked in disbelief.
“No. But, I’m not taking any chances either.”
Darcy watched as Clint went to the back of the dealership and checked the locks on the huge garage doors. He rounded the room and stopped in front of the van and considered it’s placement before the second smaller garage door. With a satisfied nod, he turned to evaluate the room further, causing Darcy to look around to see what it was that had Clint so concerned. All she saw were shadows interlaid over their many tables, desks, shelves and research equipment. Jane was the sole bright spot in the room with her tablet and candle. Otherwise, the room was nothing but shades of gray.
Darcy was inclined to light the rest of the candles as the afternoon light waned quickly, given the weather. Now though, she hesitated, suddenly worried the flames would attract unwanted attention. With a frustrated scowl she said, “So, I’m guessing you don’t want us to light any candles.”
“Well, I’m not thrilled with the idea. But you can,” Clint replied as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. “We should be fine. I’ll keep watch and Rivera is out in the truck. He’s got infrared radar. He should be able to see anyone coming,” Clint assured her.
“You’re using infrared radar to keep us under surveillance?” Darcy asked in dismay.
“Well, usually we don’t. But tonight it’s our best option,” Clint explained as he pulled out a lighter and lit a candle. Sliding it over to Darcy he added, “There’s nothing you can do. Just go about your business. Rivera will give me a heads up if he sees anything on radar.”
“Just like that? Go about my business? After freaking out about how easy it is to see into this place, you want me to go about my business,” Darcy complained.
Clint shrugged. “Well, if you want to sit here in the dark I’m not going to stop you. It’d make my job easier.”
Darcy frowned in consternation, not knowing what to do. She looked around the lab but nothing unusual stood out other than the lack of electricity. Unable to do anything about the situation Darcy hesitantly picked up the lit candle and walking over to the kitchenette she called out, “Hey Jane? How do you feel about peanut butter sandwiches? I think we should save the pop tarts for breakfast.”
“What?” Jane asked, looking up to blink vaguely across the darkened room at Darcy.
“I said, how do you feel about peanut butter sandwiches for dinner. We don’t have a lot of choices. We have chips and apples if you want them.”
“Oh. That’s fine,” Jane absently replied, quickly returning to her tablet.
“What about you? Do you want a peanut butter sandwich?” Darcy asked Clint as she gathered sandwich supplies.
“Yeah, sure. If you’re making them,” Clint responded, lighting the last two candles.
As Darcy made sandwiches and sliced apples darkness fell. The silence in the lab was broken only by the occasional howl of the wind and the rattle of windows as rain lashed against them. The cavernous room would occasionally brighten when lightning lit up the sky and thunder would be heard following close behind. The few candles burning drew the eye to the fluttering flame, and offered just enough light to navigate by. After distributing plates Darcy took a seat at the table across from Clint and said, “You should come to dinner sometime when I can actually cook.”
“Yeah? What would you make?”
“I make a mean mac and cheese,” Darcy offered. Considering her cooking repertoire she added, “Jane really likes my enchiladas and meatloaf. Erik liked my minestrone soup.”
“A home-cooked meal would be awesome. I don’t get many,” Clint replied.
“Yeah, I guess you probably wouldn’t, being on assignment all the time. That must be hell on your social life,” Darcy remarked, eating an apple slice.
Clint scoffed, “What social life? This, right here, is as close to a social life as I’ve gotten in a while.”
Darcy snickered. “I’d almost feel sorry for you but my social life isn’t much better. If I didn’t go over to the diner every once and a while you and Jane would be the only people I talk to.”
“Yeah, with just a four-man team it can get a bit claustrophobic for us too.”
“But you’re a sniper, right? Aren’t you guys sort of known for working alone and being quiet?”
“Well, sure. When I’m working. But on my night off I’d like to be able to have a few beers and play a game of darts,” Clint replied.
“Good luck with that. Ever since the Destroyer burned down half the town the nearest bar is at least an hour away.”
“I know. I’ve been on worse protection details but this one is just a pain.”
“Hey! We are not a pain,” Darcy protested.
“You might not be, but being stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do on my time off is,” Clint clarified.
“Fair enough,” Darcy conceded with a shrug.
Finished with his meal, Clint deposited his plate in the sink and returned to the table with a thoughtful expression. He considered the locked garage doors at the back of the building for a moment and then with a shrug pulled a chair away from the table and positioned it next to a metal shelving unit at the edge of the kitchenette. Putting his back to the largest wall of garage doors, he took a seat facing the rest of the lab. From where he was sitting he had more than a 180-degree view of the dealership and if he turned to look behind him his view expanded to 270 degrees. The remainder of the circular building was enclosed space he wasn’t worried about as there were no access points. Settling into his chair he lowered his head to speak quietly into his barely visible earpiece and after a moment nodded, apparently satisfied with what he heard. Turning to Darcy he said, “This is where I’m setting up for the night. Rivera hasn’t seen any unusual activity so go do whatever it is you plan to do.”
“Just like that? You’re just going to sit there the rest of the night?” Darcy asked as she gathered up her dishes.
“Well, yeah. This is what I do. I might get up and walk around some but this is basically it,” Clint said as he crossed his arms and stretched out his legs.
“Shouldn’t you be armed or something if we’re in so much danger?” Darcy kidded as she began to wash the dishes.
“Who says I’m not?”
“Well, I don’t see your bow or a gun.”
“Yeah, my bow doesn’t work so great at such close range. I mean, I could use it but it’s best for distance work.”
“And a gun?”
“I’ve got three,” Clint replied with an unconcerned shrug.
Darcy stopped washing the dishes and with wide eyes turned to Clint said, “You have three guns?! Where do even you have them?”
Taping each location as he listed them, Clint replied, “Ankle, back, shoulder.”
“Really? Wow,” Darcy said in surprise, as she returned to the dishes. After a moment she added, “I still think SHIELD is paranoid. Most of the academic community thinks Jane’s a crackpot. No one thinks wormhole technology is possible even though we now have proof that wormholes exist. New York proved that much at least. It's too bad you guys won’t let her publish anything about the bi-frost.”
“Well, better safe than sorry. Besides, you’d be surprised how easy word can spread even when you think you have things locked down tight,” Clint replied.
“Maybe,” Darcy conceded. “I guess if anyone did try to steal Jane’s research I’d rather you handle it than try to do it on my own. My taser only has so many charges.”
Clint snorted. “You might get one guy with your taser. If you’re lucky. But then where would you be? You’d just have a bunch of pissed of guys, still coming for you.”
“Yeah,” Darcy reluctantly agreed. She mulled over Clint’s brutal assessment and with a petulant frown added, “You’re not very comforting.”
“I’m not trying to be,” Clint replied with a dismissive shrug.
With a disgruntled scowl Darcy began to dry the dishes, she had to concede had Clint had a point, but she still thought her taser could be useful. After quickly tidying the rest of the kitchen she ducked into her room to dig up some blankets. Checking in with Jane Darcy draped a soft wool blanket over her shoulders and placed an LED flashlight and a ream of paper at her side. Adding a few pens to the pile she said, “You’re going to get eye strain working in this light. Once that tablet dies you should call it a night.”
“I’m on to something I just need more time,” Jane insisted as she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders and went back to sorting through her data.
“Yeah well, if you do keep working use these,” Darcy directed, nudging the paper, pens, and flashlight into Jane’s line of sight. “I don’t want to have to transcribe your notes off the desk again.”
“I will. Thanks, Darcy,” Jane replied, glancing up to give her a brief smile before returning to her work.
Satisfied she had done all she could for the time being Darcy took Jane’s dishes back to the kitchen. She expected Jane’s tablet would die within the next two hours and Darcy planned to try to convince her to get some rest then. Wrapping things up in the kitchenette she caught Clint’s eye and purposefully blew out the three candles sitting on the table, leaving them in murky darkness.
Making her way over to the couch by the front doors Darcy slipped off her shoes and plumping up a pillow she wrapped an afghan around her shoulders and threw a quilt over her legs. Considering the concerns Clint had voiced Darcy decided it was best to be prepared and tucked her taser at her side. Although, she doubted anyone in their right mind would be out on a night like this. She also thought it was highly unlikely anyone would want to steal Jane’s work. Shivering from the draft coming from the front door Darcy burrowed into her blankets planning on enjoying the lightening show streaking across the night sky. So, balancing her computer on her lap she settled in for the evening.
The deafening sound of glass shattering just feet from where she lay startled Darcy out of a sound sleep. Heart pounding in fear, she got the vague impression of people running by her seconds before she gasped in shock as she was drenched in freezing rain as it blew in through the front doors. At the same time, Darcy’s computer slipped from her lap and crashed to the floor as she flailed about trying to understand what was happening. Confused, Darcy heard the muffled sounds of something hitting a soft surface, followed by a grunt and a thud. A second later something heavy and metallic clattered to the ground as the sound of wet shoes squeaked sharply across the floor.
Clutching the back of the couch Darcy sat up and righted her glasses as she tried to see what was happening. In the dark, she could only make out shadows but got the impression some of them were moving. All of a sudden, lightning lit the room. Stunned, it took Darcy a moment to process what she had seen. The room was full of armed men in black uniforms. Some of whom were fighting with Clint. Bewildered, she froze not knowing what to do.
Suddenly, a high pitched yelp of distress broke through the noise reverberating through the dealership and Darcy flinched as she recognized the terror-filled sound was coming from Jane. Fear sped through Darcy as she frantically turned toward the desks. Her eyes were drawn to the small halo of candlelight Jane had been working under and in the dim light, Darcy could see Jane struggling fruitlessly against a large dark shape hidden by shadows. Darcy’s attention was diverted as a short bright light flared by the lab’s back door as simultaneously shots rang out, followed by a heavy thud. Darcy had a moment of clarity, certain that she had just heard a man get shot. A second later more gunfire flashed in the darkroom as someone just a few feet from Darcy opened fire, causing her to jump in surprise. In the meantime, a monitor clattered to the ground as the metallic clang of a wheeled chair being dragged across the floor could be heard from Jane’s direction.
Terrified by what she was hearing and seeing, it took another cry of pain from Jane for Darcy to finally shake off her shock. She fumbled with her blankets but eventually threw them off and scrambled to her feet. Grabbing her taser she ducked low and hurried across the open space before the front doors only to slip and fall on the wet linoleum, just as more gunshots rang out. Darcy coward on the floor, desperately hoping she hadn’t been seen. She had a momentary thought for the glass she had landed in when the shooter by the couch fired again causing Darcy to flinch, and pray she wouldn’t be shot. Knowing she couldn’t stay where she was Darcy came to her knees and quickly crawled to the nearest desk. Taking cover behind it Darcy shook as she tried to collect herself, all the while conscious the desk offered little protection in such an open room. As a sharp slam and the clatter of what she guessed was a gun falling to the ground was heard, Darcy had a stray thought that Clint had been right about the weather.
Knowing there was little she could do to help Clint, Darcy ignored the rest of the room. Peeking over the edge of the desk she checked on Jane. Not sure what she was going to do Darcy prayed the scientist was ok. In the dim candlelight, she watched as a large man dragged Jane away from her desk and headed for the front door. Jane slowed him down flailing about, knocking over a monitor and clearing off a table as she struggled to get free. As the pair came abreast of Darcy she jumped to her feet and hoping she wouldn’t hurt Jane, tased the man in the neck. He jerked in place for a moment and just as Darcy sprang back, he fell, taking the Jane down with him.
Immediately dropping to her knees, Darcy grabbed Jane and pulled her away from the body. The pair scrambled to hide behind the nearest desk and huddled together in terror. Darcy gasped for breath, not quite believing she had managed to take the man down. Gunfire rang out again causing Darcy to jump and it forced her to refocus back on her immediate surroundings. She couldn’t see anything but thuds and grunts could be heard with the occasional crash of something hard hitting the ground. The back door of the dealership suddenly slammed shut giving Darcy hope that the other SHIELD agents had arrived. From the sounds of the fighting, Darcy guessed it was concentrated by the front door and over by the kitchenette. She got the impression that for now, no one was paying attention to their corner of the room.
Knowing they were too exposed where they were Darcy whispered, “We need to get to the van,” before scrambling to her knees and leading Jane toward the edge of the room. She wasn’t sure if they would make it but held out hope the van would offer better cover. With luck, they might be able to escape the dealership, even if it meant driving through the garage doors to do it. Luckily, the darkness and noise of the fight covered their retreat as they slid behind the next desk. They paused and listened. Fairly certain the fighting hadn’t reached them yet Darcy grabbed Jane’s arm and dragged her along to the table that lay just before the open space leading to the van. They stopped under it and strained to hear if anyone was moving in their direction. The fight seemed to be taking a long time, causing Darcy to worry something had happened to Clint and she hoped the other agents had gotten to him in time.
Just as Darcy was preparing to move again, the fighting abruptly stopped. She stilled and anxiously listened but it was as if time stood still. Not a sound could be heard. Nothing moved for what seemed forever. The silence was finally broken by the scrape of footsteps and a short metallic click, coming from the kitchen area. Moments later Darcy got the impression there was movement near the back door. Worried over who had won the fight and not wanting to give away their position Darcy remained where she was. She barely breathed as she waited to see what would happen next.
Realizing she was holding her breath Darcy gasped for air just as the glare of an LED flashlight penetrated the darkness causing shadows to spring up around her. A murmur of voices could be heard by the kitchen table as the light swung around the room and then stabilized, leaving her in the dim gray light. Peeking around the corner of the table Darcy could see the outline of the man she had tased, just twelve feet away. Worried he would recover, it took a moment for her to notice the very large handgun lying at his side. Darcy stared at the gun, dreading the sudden idea that was taking hold of her but certain it was something she needed to do. Not hearing any movement nearby and hoping the desks and shelves would provide enough cover Darcy gradually inched out from under the table, all the while resisting Jane’s efforts to pull her back. Readying herself, Darcy took a breath, asked herself what she thought she was doing and quickly crawled down the aisle between the desks and grabbed the gun. Terrified, she scurried back to Jane who frantically pulled her back into their hiding place. Even with the gun feeling heavy in her hand, Darcy couldn’t believe what she had done. She looked down at it and in the dark, murky light she very carefully released the safety, committing herself to defending them.
Knowing their time was limited and that they needed to move Darcy got to her feet and glancing back toward the kitchen to reassure herself no one was coming, she ducked low and darted across the open space between the edge of the lab and the van. Scrambling around the front of the van she took shelter behind the front passenger tire and tried to catch her breath. Jane quickly joined her and they paused to listen. Low voices and footsteps could be heard, along with the clatter of metal and the slide of something heavy being dragged across the floor. Clutching the gun Darcy’s mind raced as she worried about how they would get into the van without being seen or heard and whether she had left the keys in the ignition. She startled when an unfamiliar voice called out, “Dr. Foster? Miss Lewis?”
Darcy and Jane froze. Darcy was never more aware of how vulnerable they were then at that moment. Trapped at the back of the lab their choices were trying to escape in the van before being overcome or Darcy shooting anyone that got too close. She exchanged a glance with Jane and as footsteps came ever closer Darcy wrapped both hands around the gun’s grip and prepared to move. Her hands were steady as she felt the rough texture of the grip against the palm of her hand and the metal trigger beneath her finger. She could feel Jane, sitting rigidly at her side and Darcy knew it would be up to her to protect them. Trying to get her nerve up Darcy questioned if she could actually shoot a man but steeled herself to do it. Her world telescoped down and listening as hard as she could, all she could hear was the blood pounding in her ears. Suddenly, Clint’s voice penetrated the darkness, “Darcy? Jane? It’s ok. You can come out.”
Darcy and Jane exhaled in unison, their bodies going limp in relief upon hearing Clint’s voice. While it wasn’t his usual easy-going tone, it went far to reassure them that the danger had passed. It took a moment for Darcy to release her grip on the gun. Eventually, she gathered herself and announced, “We’re here,” as she slowly climbed to her feet. Squinting in the harsh light of an LED flashlight she rounded the van, to find Clint holding a handgun and looking them over worriedly.
Cautiously approaching the pair, Clint pulled the gun from Darcy’s hands and slipped the safety on as he murmured, “I got this. Good work.” Carefully looking the women over he tucked away both guns and relaxed minutely when he saw they were unharmed. He glanced back at the man lying between the desks and snorted, “You really are handy with that taser.”
Darcy looked numbly down at the body as Clint went over to check the man’s pulse and secure him. As he zip-tied the man’s hands Clint said, “Darcy, never go anywhere without your taser. Seriously. I take back everything I said about you and that taser.”
Bewildered, Jane and Darcy surveyed the room. The front doors were gone, allowing rain to pour in and drench the front of the dealership. The LED flashlights were providing just enough light for them to see the rest of the lab was in complete disarray. A whiteboard lay on its side in the middle of the room and glass was strewn across the floor, mixing with a shocking amount of blood and accumulating rainwater. At the back of the room, next to the garage doors, a group of men in black were being overseen by a SHIELD agent as another appeared to be putting pressure on a wounded man’s leg. The closer one got to the main area of the lab Darcy could see monitors and random office supplies scattered across the floor. She could tell from where she was standing some of Jane’s equipment was mixed in with the mess and was more than likely damaged. Darcy was dimly aware Jane’s response was not going to be pleasant once she got over her current shock.
Just then one of the SHIELD agents announced, “We should have back up here within the hour.”
Clint turned to reply, “Good. Get some more flashlights will you? And, let’s get this guy over with the others.”
Turning back to Darcy and Jane Clint silently looked them over and with a worried frown he asked, “You guys ok?”
Darcy startled before she turned away from the devastated room and refocused her attention on Clint. Still coming to terms with what had just happened she hesitated before responding, “Yeah. We’re ok,” as Jane vaguely murmured in agreement.
Clint gave the pair a skeptical look. After a moment he smiled softly in understanding and stepping back over to them he gently pulled the women into a hug. He tucked his face into the crowns of their heads and murmured, “We got this. Ok? You’re safe. No one is going to get you.”
Neither Darcy nor Jane spoke but fell into Clint’s arms and clung to him, overcome with relief. Darcy buried her head in Clint’s chest and fought back tears, so overwhelmingly grateful he was there. The smell of gun powder and sweat permeated the hug, and Darcy took comfort in it, knowing from then on it would always mean safety. It took a moment to pull herself together but even then she was hesitant to let Clint go, knowing when she did she would have to face the evening’s events. Eventually, Darcy pulled away with a shaky laugh and said, “You were right. This was the perfect weather for someone to steal Jane’s work.”
“Yeah,” Clint agreed as he slowly let her go. Looking around with a reluctant grimace he said, “Although, with the number of guys on this job it looks more like a botched kidnapping.”
“What?” the two women exclaimed in unison.
The SHIELD agent searching the cuffed man at their feet held up zip ties, a syringe, and a black bag as if to confirm Clint’s observation.
The women stood gaping in horror as the agent shrugged and began to drag the man toward the back of the dealership. Darcy looked up at Clint in alarm and clearly wanting an explanation squawked, “Kidnapping?!”
With a pained look, he declared, “Yeah. You’re definitely going to need more security.”
Dumbfounded Darcy and Jane looked back over the room in silence. Finally, Jane asked, “Who would do this?”
“I don’t know but we’ll find out,” Clint promised. Glancing down at Darcy’s stocking feet he retrieved her tennis shoes from the front of the lab and said, “Why don’t you guys find someplace to sit down. It’s going to be a while before back up gets here and there’s nothing you can do right now. In the morning we’ll figure things out.”
“Uh, yeah ok,” Darcy replied as she took her shoes. Righting a chair that had been knocked over during Jane’s melee Darcy first looked at the palms of her hands and found a few splinters of glass embedded in them. She quickly picked them out and then peeled off her wet, glass speckled socks and found just a few spots of blood on the bottom of her feet. With a grimace she put on her drenched tennis shoes all the while grateful she hadn’t stepped on any larger pieces of glass. Glancing around, and taking in the path of destruction Jane had left behind she said, “We might as well clean up and see what the damage is.”
Jane nodded shakily and led the way to her desk. Ironically, in all of the mayhem, her candle still burned, undisturbed by the chaos that reigned just moments before. By the dim light, they could just barely see papers and office equipment littering the floor. With a moan of distress, Jane hurried to pick up her overturned tablet and tried to power it up, only to find the battery was dead. With a disappointed sigh, she set the tablet aside and joined Darcy on the floor, collecting the many sheets of paper strewn about. The pair silently stacked the loose paper and not knowing what else to do, began to set the lab to rights, rolling chairs back into place, picking up monitors and random office supplies that had fallen during the fight.
Darcy found the LED flashlight she had given Jane earlier in the evening and switched it on, bathing their section of the room in bright white light. It didn’t really help as now they could clearly see the devastation the lab had suffered. With a distraught cry, Jane crouched over one of her machines, appalled at its condition. She didn’t comment as Darcy knelt to take its pieces from her hands and together they silently gathered the rest of its parts and placed them on an empty table. There were a few more pieces of equipment lying on the floor that Jane mourned over but setting them upright was all they could do until power was restored. As Darcy took a cursory inventory of the lab she couldn’t help but feel they had gotten lucky. Overall their workspace was still in one piece.
It was the area near the front of the dealership and around the kitchen that had taken the brunt of the damage as that was where the balk of the fighting had taken place. Looking at the debris field Darcy wondered how she had made it through the area unscathed. Besides glass, there were gun casings on the floor along with numerous bullets holes riddling the furniture, walls, and windows. Darcy’s skin prickled as cold fear ran through her when she saw the stuffing spilling out of the chair next to her couch. From the looks of it, it had been shot numerous times. Taking in the pool of blood engulfing the chair she realized with a sickening twist to her stomach that the shooter from earlier in the evening was most likely dead. It was unnerving to see so much blood, and she didn’t dare look too closely, not wanting to see a body. Darcy swallowed hard when she thought about what could have happened and she counted herself extremely lucky she hadn’t been shot.
Pausing to see what else needed to be done Darcy suddenly realized her teeth were chattering. Tremors wracked her frame as she became aware of just how cold and wet she was. Damp hair clung to her neck and her skin was cold and clammy. Darcy could feel tiny sharp stings in her knees and only then realized she had small splinters of glass embedded in her legging from her fall earlier in the evening. She was suddenly overwhelmed with how miserable she was and wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower. Glancing at Jane, Darcy winced at how bedraggled the scientist appeared, knowing she was in similar straits. Making an executive decision she declared, “We’re done. Until we have power there’s no way to evaluate the damage. I’m soaking wet and we both need to change.”
Jane’s shoulders sagged in exhaustion as she quietly agreed, “You’re right.”
With a nod Darcy led them to the kitchen, wincing as her wet shoes squished with each step. It was disconcerting how many times she had to sidestep blood trails and gun casings and it rattled her to see one of their whiteboards was riddled with bullet holes. At the kitchen table, she found Clint and another SHIELD agent sorting through black bags and collecting a staggering number of guns and knives. Pausing before them she said, “We’ve cleaned up what we could. We can’t do anything more until we have power.”
“Ok, good,” Clint replied, distracted by a case he was searching.
Knowing Clint had a lot to take care of and feeling her energy flagging Darcy turned to go. “We’re going to go change. We’ll be in my room if you need us.”
“Get some rest if you can,” Clint called after her. “Things are going to get crazy later today.”
After a quick stop in the bathroom for towels, the pair retreated to Darcy’s bedroom. It was little more than a large storage closet tucked away behind the kitchen and bathroom but at the moment Darcy was grateful for it. The tiny room provided a clean, dry retreat after the rain-drenched mayhem of the lab. Placing their LED flashlight on her tiny dresser Darcy pulled out some sweats and t-shirts for the two of them and proceeded to strip, careful of the glass in her leggings. Finding only minute cuts peppering her skin Darcy ignored them, too tired to deal with it immediately. She shivered violently as the cold air hit her and she tried to towel dry her hair and rub down her body as quickly as possible. Grimacing at the cold floor Darcy quickly put on a pair of thick woolen socks and momentarily reveled in having warm dry feet again.
Neither woman spoke as they changed and seeing Jane was shivering as well, Darcy dug out some of her baggy wool sweaters. Slipping on a soft pullover Darcy was suddenly, blissfully warm. Her enjoyment was cut short as exhaustion rolled over her like a wave. She had a fleeting thought that she was probably crashing from an adrenaline high and stumbled into bed. With a backward glance at Jane, Darcy held up the sheets silently inviting the scientist to join her. Murmuring a quiet thanks Jane fell into bed apparently just as exhausted. The pair silently arranged themselves pulled the blankets to their chins and hoped the bed would warm quickly as their damp hair caused the chill to linger.
Eventually, Darcy turned on her side to look at Jane and softly asked, “Are you ok?”
Jane curled toward her and whispered, “Yeah, you?”
“Yeah,” Darcy slowly replied, realizing she really was. Given what had just happened she was surprisingly fine. A weak laugh escaped her and she said, “I’m never, ever going anywhere without my taser.”
“I can’t believe you tased that guy Darcy. You could have been hurt. You could have been shot!” Jane quietly exclaimed.
“Yeah well, you could have been too.”
“Still, you should have hidden,” Jane insisted.
“There was no way I was just going to hide. Not after that guy got a hold of you,” Darcy said in disbelief.
“I have never been so scared. If you hadn’t tased him - I don’t know what would have happened. Seriously Darcy, thank you,” Jane said, fear and gratitude lacing her tone.
Darcy snickered, “Is it wrong that I sort of enjoyed it? I mean I was terrified, but man, when I knew I got the guy? It was awesome.”
“Everything is a blur but I was so glad when you showed up. I don’t know if I could have kept going if you hadn’t insisted we keep moving. I was terrified,” Jane admitted.
“Oh, I was completely freaking out,” Darcy proclaimed. “I just knew we had to get out of there.”
The pair was silent for a short time, digesting what had occurred when Jane hesitantly asked, “I wonder what’s going to happen now?”
Turning to look up the ceiling Darcy ventured, “SHIELD will have to relocate us. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t. They’re probably going to put us in lockdown until they can figure out what’s going on.”
“But all my work is here,” Jane protested.
“Maybe, but I bet they can find someplace more secure for you to do it. I mean, we don’t really need to go out to the desert every night anymore. A lot of your work is data analysis and theory. We can do that from anywhere,” Darcy pointed out.
“I guess. I just like being able to go when I want – you know?”
“I have a feeling that’s not going to happen ever again.”
“Great,” Jane complained.
“Yeah,” Darcy regretfully agreed.
Leaving the flashlight on, its white light reassuring after the time they had spent in the dark the pair settled in to sleep. It seemed like only a short time later a knock on the bedroom door woke them. Darcy struggled to find her glasses as she heard someone tentatively say, “Darcy? Jane?”
“Uh, yeah. Come in,” Darcy called out, putting on her glasses as Jane groaned beside her.
Clint hesitantly stuck his head in through the door and said, “Sorry, to wake you. The power came back on, so there’s coffee if you want some.”
“Ok, thanks,” Darcy replied squinting up at him.
“If you want breakfast I was planning on going over to the diner if you wanted to come,” Clint offered.
“Yeah? Ok. I guess we could eat,” Darcy agreed, not quite fully awake but aware enough to know things must be under control if he was offering to take them to breakfast.
Slowly crawling out of the warm bed, Darcy wanted nothing more than to curl back up in her blankets. With a disgruntled frown, she put on her still damp tennis shoes and led the way out to the lab to find it had changed again overnight. Sunlight streamed in through the display windows, putting everything in sharp relief. Their attackers were gone, and while the floor was still noticeably wet, the blood and glass had been washed away. Someone had boarded up the front doors and a plethora of agents were boxing up Jane’s equipment.
Seeing the activity centered around their desks Jane sprang forward to protest. Darcy looked resignedly after her, too tired to try to rein her in. Coming to stand at the kitchen table she noticed someone had folded her blankets from the previous evening and absently touching them she found they were still damp and grimaced as she pulled her hand away. She startled when Clint said, “Yeah. Nothing is going to be dry around here for a while.”
Turning to him she asked, “So what’s the deal? SHIELD’s relocating us – right?”
“Yeah. You definitely can’t stay here. I’m sure someone is already trying to figure out where to stash you long term. For now, we’ll worry about getting you packed up,” Clint replied.
Darcy nodded vaguely as she watched Jane arguing with an agent. Darcy knew she should probably intercede if only to save them time in packing. Jane could be unreasonable and Darcy fully expected her to demand that they finish packing themselves. Darcy felt strongly that if SHIELD wanted to pack everything than she was more than willing to let them. Unable to squash her annoyance she tiredly rolled her eyes at Clint and said, “You said something about breakfast?”
“Yeah,” Clint replied. Hearing Jane raise her voice he winced and said, “I could bring something back for you guys if you want?”
“Yeah, that might be a good idea. I should probably stay here and help Jane.”
Glancing over at scientist and cringing as the argument seemed to escalate, Clint offered, “There’s coffee but I’ll get some too.”
“That would be great. Thanks,” Darcy replied and after considering refereeing Jane’s argument, she got herself a cup of coffee instead. She took her time doctoring it, using a generous amount of cream, certain it would not be making the trip once SHIELD packed them up.
Wandering over to stand next to Jane she listened as the scientist argued with an agent about needing to assess all of her equipment before it was packed. After hearing the disagreement repeat itself Darcy interjected, “Jane, I understand where you’re coming from. You want to know what’s been damaged and how badly. I get it. But here’s the thing. Even if you know - what can you do about it right now? Nothing. We need to pack. When we get wherever we’re going you can evaluate everything then. I know it’s not what you want but look at it this way. We probably don’t have the spare parts you’re going to need to fix anything right now. You would have to wait anyway.”
“But Darcy-” Jane began to argue.
Not willing to humor her Darcy interrupted, “Jane. I get it. I do. But this is one argument you’re not going to win. Look around. They’re almost done. Let them finish. In the meantime, Clint’s bringing us breakfast. Let’s eat and find out what they’re going to do with us.”
Looking around with a petulant scowl Jane huffed, “Fine. But I want to pack my desk.”
Darcy glanced at the beleaguered agent who Jane had been arguing with and found he was anxious to escape the conversation. She offered him a weak understanding smile as he rolled a hard plastic box up to Jane’s desk and stepped away. Already moving on, Jane picked up the tablet that was still sitting on her desk from the previous night and began to dig through her drawers, saying, “I need the power cord for this. I bet I can get this charged before we leave.”
Taking a calming breath, Darcy set her coffee down and stalked over to their electrical station, where she recharged all their electronics and brushing aside an agent found the cord she needed. Handing it to Jane she said, “Plug this in in the kitchen. And, then we’re packing your desk. You aren’t stopping to check anything or write anything down. We’re packing. That’s it.”
“Fine,” Jane groused before scurrying away.
After overseeing Jane packing her desk and only needing to chide her a few times to keep moving Darcy was relieved when Clint returned bearing coffee and breakfast. She greeted him with a weary smile and after convincing Jane there was nothing more she could do as the SHIELD agents had everything well in hand, they took a seat at the table.
Initially, breakfast was a silent affair as they drank their coffee and settled in to eat their meal. Darcy surreptitiously evaluated Clint as he ate, taking note of a cut above his eye that was already bruising and the stiff way he was carrying himself. After a few bites, Darcy said, “Considering how intense that fight sounded last night you look pretty good.”
Clint huffed, “My face would disagree.”
“Oh! You’re hurt!” Jane exclaimed, looking up from her breakfast, suddenly aware there was more than just the lab to be concerned about.
“Na. I’ll be ok. Just took a good hit.”
“Is everyone else ok?” Jane asked glancing around with a guilty cringe.
“Yeah, we made it through all right. Rivera got here pretty fast and the other guys helped finish things up.”
“With all the shooting I was worried someone might have been shot,” Darcy commented, hoping he would fill them in on what happened without her having to ask any crass questions.
“Nope. Well, at least none of our guys. There were a couple of causalities,” Clint shared with a shrug.
As Clint didn’t seem willing to go into specifics, Darcy decided to let the matter drop. Knowing how many men died was not going to change things. After taking a few more bites of her breakfast she casually asked, “So, do you know who those guys were?”
Clint took a sip of coffee and considered her before glancing thoughtfully at Jane. He replied, “Yeah, we know some. Ever hear of Hammer Industries?
“Sure. They make weapons,” Darcy replied, surprised by his answer, as she couldn’t imagine what they might have to do with the previous night’s attack.
“Right. Well, apparently someone got the idea Jane was weaponizing wormholes. It was pretty convoluted. These guys were just the muscle. I guess they figured since we’re a pretty small team they could take us,” Clint explained.
“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would they think I could weaponize a wormhole?” Jane asked in confusion.
Clint cleared his throat and awkwardly replied, “That might have to do with SHIELD’s evaluation of your work and its potential military applications.”
“What?” Jane exclaimed in dismay.
“Well, I can think of a few things a wormhole might be able to do – in theory,” Clint reluctantly replied. He shrugged and explained, “If the bi-frost is an example of what a wormhole is capable of you could move an army from one place to another in minutes. That would be a huge deal. Or, you could drop a bomb without leaving a trace. I don’t know what Hammer’s goal was but they obviously saw the potential.”
“But that’s not what wormhole technology is for. It’s for space exploration,” Jane protested.
“Jane, think about it,” Darcy interjected, recognizing Jane’s narrow focus didn’t allow her to see the bigger picture. Bracing herself for an argument but knowing someone needed to present the situation in a manner Jane would understand Darcy said, “There are a ton of scientists who started out researching something that ended up having military applications. Look at Oppenheimer. He didn’t start out intending to build the atomic bomb. Or, von Braun. He invented booster rockets to go to the moon and the Nazis used them to bomb London. And, then he came to the US to work for NASA and his designs were used to build ballistic missiles. Chances are he took government money to fund his research – just like you are. Neither of those guys planned to develop weapons but that’s where they ended up. I mean really, why do you think SHIELD is so interested in what you are doing?”
“But, I don’t want to develop weapons,” Jane complained, aghast at Darcy’s explanation.
“You won’t be Dr. Foster,” Clint rushed to assure her. “But your research is important. Obviously, other people think so too. The question is - who do you want to have it? Do you want it on the open market, sold to the highest bidder? Or, do you want to have some control over it? I mean, at least with SHIELD you know we’re the good guys.”
Darcy cast a circumspect glance at Clint but kept her peace. He met her look with a subtle shrug, acknowledging she had her doubts about SHIELD being the good guys but he was unable or unwilling to address them right then. Darcy let it go, knowing it wouldn’t do any good to confront the agent as he had no say in the matter. She was also aware it would only escalate Jane’s concerns further. Darcy knew from her studies that there was little use in fighting the US government if they wanted something for the military. Jane was naïve to think her research would only be used in civilian endeavors.
Jane silently sipped her coffee with a pensive expression as she digested what Clint and Darcy said. After a moment she turned to Clint and said, “You said I’d have control over it?”
“Well, some I’d think,” Clint replied. “I mean you’re the only one that knows how to do whatever it is you’re doing. For now, you can direct your research.”
“For now?” Jane asked arching an eyebrow, her distrust coming to the fore once again.
“Well, I won’t deny that at some point SHIELD is probably going to get some guys in to work with you – if you get far enough,” Clint conceded. Sitting forward he leaned over his plate and said, “But listen, right now this is all just theory. SHIELD needs to be able to communicate with Asgard. After New York, that’s the focus. We don’t want another alien invasion. So, everything else is secondary for now. “
“Jane. You don’t have to decide anything immediately. Right now you’re in research mode. It’s going to be years before you can actually open a wormhole, right?” Darcy said, trying to offer reassurances all the while conscious she was doing SHIELD’s work for them by persuading Jane to cooperate.
“Well. Yes. I mean, the calculations are almost ready. But I don’t know how I would implement it. The power requirements are going to be astronomical,” Jane replied, clearly giving their arguments some thought.
“See, now that’s where SHIELD might be helpful,” Clint jumped in. “What would you say if we were able to get one of Tony Stark’s arc reactors for you?”
Jane perked up and replied, “Oh. I’ve done some reading on arc reactors. He’s only released an overview of what they can do, but it might work.”
“There you go. Working with SHIELD has its benefits. You know besides providing an attractive jackbooted thug to look at now and then,” Darcy said, trying to lighten the tone of the conversation, fairly confident they might have just sidestepped a difficult conversation.
Clint scoffed and glanced at Darcy in exasperation but didn’t respond to her teasing. Darcy knew he recognized she was helping him persuade Jane and he probably didn’t want to disrupt their tentative unspoken agreement. Darcy had some concerns over how she was guiding Jane through the argument to work with SHIELD. At some point, she’d have to talk to Jane about what the government could do with her research. Darcy just didn’t think now was the time to open that particular can of worms.
Jane played with the lid of her coffee cup as she considered their conversation. With a thoughtful frown, she said, “It will be years before you could actually do any of the things you said. I don’t know if you could do them at all. I mean in theory - But, either way, I’m not developing weapons. I’m an astrophysicist. I’m researching wormholes. I want to find a way to explore space.”
Glancing at Clint, Darcy wondered what he thought of Jane’s decision. Darcy was tempted to confront the denial behind it but resisted, knowing it would disrupt the peace they had so carefully brokered. There would come a time in the future when Jane would have to confront some of the truths she had chosen to ignore today. Darcy hoped for Jane’s sake she would have a better understanding of how her research could be used when that time came. The government would take her work whether she wanted them to or not, and it would be better for all concerned if she worked with them instead of against them. Not wanting to delve deeper into the issue Darcy took a sip of her coffee and turning to Clint said, “So, you’ve kept us in suspense long enough, where are we going?”
“How do you feel about New York City?” Clint asked.
“Like we’d never be able to afford the rent,” Darcy quipped.
“New York? That’s where the wormhole opened!” Jane exclaimed, eyes bright in anticipation.
“Fury wants you guys in a secure research lab until we can assess how serious the threat is against you. And, don’t worry about rent. SHIELD will put you up.”
“Do you know - is there any residual energy coming from where the wormhole opened?” Jane asked, eagerly sitting forward.
“I have no idea. But, I’m sure someone in New York does,” Clint replied.
“I guess if we can’t stay here New York might be ok,” Jane conceded. “But there are times I’m going to need to go into the field. And, I’m going to need access to a telescope.”
“I’m sure SHIELD can get you time with any telescope in the world,” Clint assured her. He added with a regretful shrug, “As for going into the field – I’m sure that will be possible eventually. Right now security is going to be a bigger concern.”
With a disconcerted frown, Jane considered his answer and asked, “But they will let me go into the field? Because this won’t work without testing it and it needs space. I can’t imagine trying to open a wormhole in Manhattan.”
“Yeah, SHIELD isn’t going to want you to do that either. Trust me, we can get you just about anywhere. We’ll just need to work out security – but it’s doable,” Clint assured her.
Relaxing back into her seat Jane exhaled, “Ok.”
Silence settled over the table for a minute before Darcy turned to Clint with a hopeful look and said, “You’re coming with us right?”
“Yeah, I’ll get you there.”
Darcy narrowed her eyes as she considered Clint. His answer seemed oddly indifferent given how involved he had been overseeing their detail. With a furrowed brow she asked, “You’re still going to be our go-to agent. Right?”
Clint scoffed, “Not likely.”
“Why not?” Jane asked coming to attention, suddenly concerned.
Clint gave a dismissive shrug and replied, “I might be around. But, I doubt I’ll get a warm welcome at the New York office.”
As it was clear Clint didn’t want to talk about whatever it was that suddenly had him so morose, Darcy tried to lighten his mood and teased, “So? Hang with us. We’re plenty warm.”
Clint cast her a weak, appreciative smile and said, “We’ll see. Fury might not want me around. Though, I doubt he’ll want to send me on assignment either. This was sort of a fluke. He needed to get me out of the way and you guys needed a new detail.”
“Would it help if we asked for you?” Darcy asked. “I mean our track record with SHIELD agents isn’t great. Between the jackbooted thugs' brigade when Thor was here and the guys that shanghaied us to Norway, you’re the first agent that’s been remotely cool. Based on said experience I’m guessing you’re a rare breed within SHIELD. And you know, if Jane is as important as you guys seem to think, keeping you around might keep her happy,” Darcy argued.
Clint smirked, “So you want me around to keep Jane happy?”
“Well, that and I did promise you a home-cooked meal,” Darcy said her expression hopeful.
“Just how many meals are we talking about here? You’ll need to make it worth my while,” Clint argued.
Darcy slowly grinned. “Well, if SHIELD can swing a decent kitchen I can pretty much promise regular meals.”
“I might be able to put in a good word for you. Maybe make it a part of your guys deal,” Clint offered, with a small, teasing smile.
“Yeah? Cool. So we’re agreed. I get a kitchen and you stick around because you have a standing invitation to dinner,” Darcy declared.
Clint smirked, “That simple, huh?”
“Yes! You have to eat. I have to cook. And, we don’t want to break in another agent. It’s so tiring,” Darcy replied, ending with an exaggerated sigh.
Clint scoffed. “Fine. I’ll put in to extend my assignment. No guarantees, though. But, I have a place in Bed–Stuy I haven’t been to in a while. Might be good to get back to my old stomping grounds.”
“Awesome. You’re a native. You can show us around.”
“I’m not a native,” Clint protested. “I just have a place to hang between assignments.”
“Whatever. You live in New York semi-regularly. You’ll know all the best places. Jane might not want to leave the lab but given a chance, I’ll want to see the sights. And, I’m guessing I won’t be able to do that without security so having you around would come in handy,” Darcy replied, suddenly hopeful Clint might be willing to show her around New York.
“So now you want me around so I can play tour guide?”
Grinning mischievously Darcy gave him a very obvious once over and teased, “Well, there is the whole arm candy thing, too. None of the other agents really have the same rugged, good looks, to say nothing of your arms.”
Clint smirked and flexed his arms. “You know it’s been a while since I got to be arm candy. Could be fun.”
Darcy grinned. She had a feeling she and Clint could have a lot of fun together in New York.