The Job at Hand

After a quick ride on Mick's motorcycle the two arrived on the scene. It was even worse than they imagined seeing smoke billowing up from the back of the school. Both students and faculty lined the parking lot, covered in soot and debris. Some were crying while getting bandaged by first responders as well as fielding questions. "This is terrible." Sam gasped as they looked around mortified.

"Some protectors, right?" Mick muttered as they walked over toward Melinda May, who was speaking with an enforcer, which were only partial step ups from police in the HYDRA hierarchy.

"Thank you, we'll take it from here," Agent May said as the enforcer nodded, before walking away. "It's about time you two showed up. Ward and Johnson are doing a parameter sweep, I want you two checking for clues as to what kind of explosives were used."

"What do we have to go on so far?" Sam asked as May frowned looking around at the paramedics patching up the injured civi's.

"Sounds like a rogue group, bombs aren't typically SHIELD MO, but we can't put anything passed them given their recent attacks," May stated coldly.

"You're right. We'll get right to work, Boss," Mick said as he turned toward the school.

"Are you going to be ok if it's really them, again?" May asked as Mick froze in place. His memories rushed back to the moment when everything changed. "I need to be sure you won't hesitate." 

It was back in 2008 after he and Sam were married. Rather than joining John Garret's crew, Mick's old friends went with Agent Hand. Not long after, SHIELD set lose something called Project Oversight, then tried to use an inhuman to take over the world. HYDRA stepped in, Mick quickly defected to HYDRA along with his new Grant Ward under John Garret, to stop SHIELD and its terrifying plot for world domination. This unfortunate event lead to Mick clashing with people who used to be his best friends, claiming that Mick and Sam had bought into the HYDRA lie. Mick, having seen the damage SHIELD had done first hand refused to listen, stating that they believed the lies SHIELD was telling and that HYDRA was the real heroes. He still stood firm on this belief, SHIELD betrayed them. 

"Hun, you okay?" Sam asked startling him as she grabbed his shoulders.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm out of it today," Mick said with a frown, rubbing the sides of his head. What was up with this strange fog in his mind? 

"Get it together Bellouve. I need you on full focus, someone has to avenge the blood of these innocent people," May stayed as Mick nodded.

"Right, if it's them, I'll bring them down this time. Things like this can't be forgiven," Mick growled with clenched fists.

Mick and Sam hastily walked with May as she led the way to ground zero. The damage was incredibly terrifying. Black soot outlined the crater where concrete once was. Countless windows had been shattered, some still falling apart with a decent breeze. There were shotgun like holes plastered on the surrounding walls. Charred remains of plants in broken planters spoke volumes to the peace that this place once held. "This is where students could eat lunch or relax between classes," May said as Mick shook his head in disgust.

"I can't believe anyone would do this," Mick stammered as he knelt down trying to picture this place before the explosion.

"I've seen damage like this before, only once though," Sam said using her icy powers to extinguish a few remaining flames.

"I've seen it before too, that SHIELD training facility," Mick murmured as May watched them carefully.

"I wasn't referring to that," Sam said grimacing at the very bloody memories of that day.

"I meant with Viral, do we know what officially happened with him?"

"Last thing I remember is his twisted face falling from the top of Davin Tower into the Hudson River," Mick sneered as he picked up a few pieces of mangled steel before bobbling it around because of the heat still lingering.

"He's dead, why are we talking about this? I doubt he can detonate a bomb from where he his now," May interjected as Mick turned to Sam.

"This just reminds me of the way he destroyed the old Denham Springs High School," Sam said as May shook her head. "Remember how everything looked after Arachnid?" Sam looked at Mick who grimaced. 

Mick continued to look around in silence until he found an ID badge lodged in the wall. He examined it, barely able to make out the picture of a very young girl with frizzy brown hair through the scratches from the bricks. "You think this is bad, you should've seen it before they picked up the bodies," a masculine voice from behind startled Mick.

"Ward!" Mick smirked as the two locked arms, as if it had been ages since they had seen each other. Mick felt a pinprick in his heart as he smiled at Ward once they separated. These random swings of emotions were so off putting, it's not like he hadn't seen Ward in a while. It had only been a day.

"Yeah, it was pretty messy back here, two students looked like shotgun target practice, one was missing an arm!" Another familiar voice came from behind Ward, this one a female.

"Do you have to be so graphic?" Sam teased as Skye walked around Ward with her sarcastic smile, her dark hair bouncing in her usual ponytail, and her brown eyes shimmered in the sunlight.

"Call 'em like I see 'em," Skye said as the girls embraced. "Congrats on another successful anniversary you two! Where'd he take you last night?" Skye started as May cleated her throat. "Right, work first."

"There was a trail of blood leading to the fence, but whoever took off that way was picked up by what I suspect was a team," Ward had his serious tone, which was polar opposite to his girlfriend and partner Skye. They were almost as inseparable as Mick and Sam, but neither were ready to buckle down and commit beyond a basic level.

"So it very well could have been SHIELD?" May asked intently as Ward frowned.

"There was also a girl back in the woods with a SHIELD badge, she had some serious bullet wounds. We brought her to the paramedics, that's what took us so long," Skye replied as May stared at the two skeptically.

"I'll check on this lead, see if the four of you can get any information on the type of bomb used," May didn't seem too impressed with the findings, but it was better than nothing. 

"Yes Ma'am" the four replied after May had already turned away.