Loki and Bishop waited in the hallway for Gibbs, patiently allowing him to finish his argument with the nurses over staying another day. "I've got to get back to work, dammit!" he snapped at them, shrugging his jacket on. "You said I'm fine, right? Then let me leave!"

Eventually, the staff gave up and allowed Gibbs to leave with the other two agents. "Two more victims," Bishop filled him in as they drove back to the Navy Yard, Loki staying silent. "Both captains, one Marine and one Navy. Tony and McGee are pulling everything on them, and it's become a joint case with the FBI, due to Halo and Flare's involvement."

"Any connection to SHIELD yet?" Gibbs asked, and Bishop shrugged.

"Fury hasn't returned Vance's calls yet."

Loki wanted to speak, to tell Gibbs he was glad he was all right, but couldn't find the words. His throat was dry. It was all due to him Gibbs had been injured in the first place.

Am I even worthy to be here, when I almost killed the man responsible for saving my life from the executioner?

They pulled into the Navy Yard, climbing out of the car and hurrying into the building. On entering the squad room, the team started out of their desks, relieved looks on their faces.

"Update," Gibbs snapped, coming to a halt in the middle of the room.

"Captain Leana Mason," DiNozzo said, taking the remote and pointing it at the plasma, pulling up her service photo. "Marine since 2005, served in the Middle East before working in the Pentagon. Her current project is classified; we're still waiting for Fury to affirm her SHIELD status."

"Halo, Flare, Sniper, and the Ghost killed her in the park before fighting with your team," Fornell said. "They're working together. First Morris, now Mason."

"Not to mention victim number three," McGee interjected, Captain Fisher's photo joining Mason's on the plasma. "Navy Captain Luke Fisher, lived in Norfolk. He was on leave, scheduled to ship out today on the USS Gauntlet. No known connection to the Pentagon so far. He owned one of the houses Halo destroyed."

"We're still running through the names of the other victims," Fornell said. "We're trying to see if there was any motive for Halo to burn down that neighborhood."

"I've been reviewing the Morris case files," Hailstohm said, causing the agents to turn in surprise at her interjection. "Particularly those concerning his history in the Navy. For years, he was stationed out of Norfolk, dwelling in the same neighborhood as that targeted by Halo."

Gibbs frowned as he turned to look at her. "And?"

"And it turns out he lived in the same house that was most recently occupied by Captain Fisher," she said with the touch of a smirk. "And he served on the Gauntlet as well, ten years ago. He and Fisher briefly served together, back when they were petty officers."

"Not a coincidence," Gibbs said, stepping closer to Hailstohm. "But I swear, Hailstohm, if you disobey an order from me again, I will send you back to Jotunheim the hard way. You hear me?"

Hailstohm glared at him. "You cannot do anything to me, Agent Gibbs. I am Hailstohm, the prospective queen of Jotunheim, and I demand –"

"Nothing!" Gibbs snapped, cutting her off. "I don't care who you are, you're accompanying my team and so you will listen to my rules. If you don't, I'll put ETCD on your tail quicker than you can list off all your damn titles. You understand me, Hailstohm?"

Hailstohm pressed her lips together, her dull blue skin pale in fury. "Do you understand who I am? You don't treat rulers this way."

"Actually, he does," McGee coughed.

"You think Loki and Thor got special treatment when they came to earth?" Gibbs demanded. "You think we let them do whatever the hell they wanted to? Thor got arrested when he broke into a secure SHIELD perimeter and Loki almost got his head chopped off for what he did to this world. They worked to fix their mistakes, which is why they've earned my respect. You disobey a direct order again, Hailstohm, and you will face the same treatment they did. You understand me?"

Hailstohm glared at Gibbs for a long time, holding his gaze. Then she nodded curtly and stalked off, her braids whipping furiously over her shoulder. Loki felt satisfaction at hearing her told off like that.

Gibbs immediately turned to his desk and picked up his phone, dialing in a number. "Fury, we need to talk. Now. You got ten minutes before I come find you." He slammed down the receiver. "DiNozzo and Loki, find out what the connection is between Fisher and Morris. Bishop and McGee, go to the Pentagon and interview Morris' and Mason's coworkers. Fornell –"

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Gibbs' head snapped up and he pivoted to see two men with guest clearance standing by the squad room, both holding boxes of files. The one who had spoken was tall, with brown hair and eyes and a serious expression. Beside him was a dark-skinned man, a Native American, with jet black hair and a quiet expression.

"Good, you're here," Fornell exclaimed, stepping over to them. "Gibbs, team, meet Agents Jess LaCroix and Clinton Skye, from the Most Wanted team assigned to Kate Sniper."

More agents? Really? How many people do we need to solve this case?

Gibbs stepped toward them, eyeing them up. LaCroix and Skye just stood there, watching him. "Special Agent Gibbs," he introduced finally, shaking LaCroix's hand.

"Agent DiNozzo," DiNozzo said.

"Agent Bishop."

"Agent McGee."

"Agent Laufeyson."

"Hailstohm of Jotunheim, the prospective heir to the throne."

"Jane Foster."

"Darcy Lewis."

"Ian Boothby."

"You can just call him the intern."

"Darcy, you're the intern."

"But I have a name, Jane."

"So do I!"

"Not now, intern! By the way, I need another latte, with non-fat milk."

Ian sighed and trudged out of the squad room as the other agents called out their coffee orders.

"I like having an intern," DiNozzo sighed. "It's like having a probie agent again. It's so much fun to give them all of our errands. I think I'll have him pick up my dry-cleaning later."

"Hey!" Darcy exclaimed. "He's my intern, get your own."

"We brought our files on Sniper," LaCroix told Gibbs. "Thought we could share notes, seeing as we're sharing jurisdiction."

Gibbs nodded to DiNozzo's desk. "You can put them down there. New plan: Bishop and McGee, comb through the files with Hailstohm and the interns. Fornell, LaCroix, you're with me. We're going to the Pentagon. Skye, give DiNozzo and Loki a hand."

Skye glanced over at Loki and DiNozzo. "All right. What are we looking for?"

"We're looking for the connection between two of our victims," DiNozzo told him. "Boss, what if Fury comes in?"

"Detain him, DiNozzo. I don't care what you have to do, but make sure he doesn't leave."

"I can help with that." Vance's voice came from the second floor. "Fury will be waiting for you in my office when you return, Gibbs."

"He better be," Gibbs said over his shoulder. "Or I'm going to have to find him."

DiNozzo mimed holding a phone up to his mouth. "I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you," he said in a low voice. Both Skye and Loki just looked at him and he threw up his hands. "Liam Neeson in Taken! Gibbs could play that part perfectly."

"He'd be better," McGee told DiNozzo wryly.

****

"Yes, Mason and Morris were employed on the same project," Marine Colonel Collin West told Gibbs, LaCroix, and Fornell as they walked through the halls of the Pentagon.

"A Marine captain and a Navy captain on the same project?" Gibbs clarified.

"Yes," West told them. "Perhaps a bit unorthodox, but these are strange times. We have to do what we must to keep the US safe."

"What were they working on?" Fornell asked.

"Classified," West said, stopping and turning to face them. "But I can tell you it is a joint project between all three departments. Morris and Mason were two of the ranking officers on the project, chosen personally for it."

SHIELD, Gibbs thought, making a mental note to ask Fury more questions concerning the operation when he next saw the director.

"May we speak to the other officers?" LaCroix asked quietly. "Perhaps they may lend some insight into why they were killed."

West pressed his lips together. "There's Air Force Captain Nicholas Whitt, the only remaining lead on the project. I can bring you to him, but he cannot speak at all about the project itself."

"We understand," LaCroix said. "We would still like to talk to Captain Whitt."

West nodded. "Right this way."

****

"How does the USS Gauntlet fit into all this?" DiNozzo wondered as he stared at his computer screen. "Both Fisher and Morris served on it at the same time, and Fisher was still assigned to the ship even after ten years. But is that the connector between them, or is it the house in Norfolk?"

Loki tapped restlessly at the side of his keyboard. "The problem is, we can't look at the house to see if that's the reason," he said. "The only thing we have is the location. Nothing else. The Gauntlet, however, hasn't been destroyed. Yet."

Skye stared at the plasma screen, where DiNozzo and Loki had pulled up all the available info they had on Fisher and Morris for him to review. "What is the Gauntlet's mission, do you know?"

DiNozzo tapped a few keys. "Then or now, Skye?"

"Check both," he said. "Perhaps that will provide an explanation as to their connection."

"Um, okay," DiNozzo said after several moments of silence, his brow furrowing. "Turns out the USS Gauntlet is connected with SHIELD."

"Why am I not surprised?" Loki said dryly, standing and hurrying over to DiNozzo's desk. "How is it connected?"

"It works on joint operations between SHIELD and the Navy," DiNozzo said. "Most of its records are classified, but let's see what my clearance level can get me....Okay, turns out ten years ago, the Gauntlet was investigating a terror organization called FLAME."

"FLAME?" Bishop interjected, glancing up at DiNozzo and Loki, her expression startled. "The same FLAME we've been tracking? You sure?"

"Yep," DiNozzo said. "FLAME. Remember Rumlow telling us about their wide base of operations? I suppose they were stationed in Europe then, for the USS Gauntlet docked in a French port. Wow, I feel like we're in the middle of a Jason Bourne movie or something. We're chasing a killer who's forgotten...."

The intrigued look on DiNozzo's face slipped as he trailed off, suddenly appearing guarded. Loki exchanged a glance with Bishop before glancing down at him, even McGee looking over from his desk. "Forgotten what, Tony?" he asked.

Loki flashed back to his vision of Gibbs, Agent Sniper, DiNozzo, and Ducky, investigating that crime scene years ago. The Secret Service chick, DiNozzo had referred to her. He knew Agent Sniper, albeit as Agent Todd. Perhaps he knew his old acquaintance had resurfaced as the assassin they tracked now.

But if he did, why hadn't he said anything?

You haven't said anything, either, a small voice reminded him.

Loki grimaced. Touché.

"Forgotten that it's still a crime to kill people," DiNozzo finished, attempting for his normal enthusiasm but failing.

What did she really forget, Tony?

"Why would Sniper be Jason Bourne?" Bishop asked, her eyes narrowed. "We didn't create her, turn her into an assassin."

"Unless the CIA really did create her," McGee pointed out. "They did create the Port to Port Killer, remember? Operation Frankenstein."

"Okay, fine," Bishop relented. "But she doesn't have amnesia; she knows what she's done. It's nothing like Jason Bourne."

DiNozzo didn't respond, just returned to reading the files on the USS Gauntlet. "Ever since it was commissioned, the ship's been associated with SHIELD joint operations. I didn't know they did those with anyone. Fury doesn't seem the kind to share missions or anything."

"Fury wasn't always the director," Bishop pointed out. "But you're right, that's odd that SHIELD does work with the Navy."

"Heavily classified work," DiNozzo added. "But still."

"There's only so much SHIELD can do," Skye said. "Yes, they like to keep their operations secretive, but so does the CIA, and I know they've done joint operations with other agencies. Besides SHIELD's obsession with enhanced and troubled individuals, they're remarkably similar."

"How do you know so much about SHIELD?" Loki asked curiously. "Have you worked for them?"

Skye tilted his head. "I've heard a lot about them. They got a lot of unwanted press after New York." He nodded at Loki. "As did you."

Loki scowled at him. "I'm reformed, now."

"So I also heard."

"What was the Gauntlet's upcoming mission?" Loki asked DiNozzo, who was continuing to look through the files.

"That's ultra-classified. I can't access it."

"Another thing for Gibbs to ask Fury about," Loki sighed.

****

"Morris and Mason were great partners," Captain Nicholas Whitt told Gibbs, Fornell, and LaCroix. "Morris had experience with our sort of operation, which was helpful, for neither Leana nor I had ever done anything like this before."

"Did you notice anything strange leading up to their deaths?" Gibbs asked.

Whitt pursed his lips, thinking back. "That's hard to say, for our task was so secretive we all were probably acting a bit strange. So much could go wrong, something could leak, the enemy might spy on us, and our lives were in danger every second. So strange became a fact of life, Agent Gibbs. It quickly became normal."

"Can you think of anything, though?" LaCroix pressed. "Anything at all?"

Whitt thought again. "Nothing I can think of. I'm sorry, I wish I could help."

"We're sorry, too, kid," Fornell told him before the three agents walked away. He said to LaCroix and Gibbs, "Man, we need access to their files."

"I'll talk to Vance," Gibbs said. "And Fury. SHIELD has something to do with this."

"It does?" Fornell asked. "I mean, I shouldn't be surprised at this point, but still. They've got their paws over everything these days. Including objects falling from the sky."

"You still upset about that?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah!" Fornell exclaimed. "That was my case, and Agent Coulson refused to hand it over."

LaCroix sighed. "SHIELD isn't the easiest agency to cooperate with. In fact, I don't think they've ever even learned the word 'cooperate.'"

****

Gibbs headed directly up to Vance's office as soon as they arrived back in the Navy Yard, DiNozzo shouting up for him to ask Fury about the USS Gauntlet. Loki watched him climb the stairs, looking uncharacteristically pensive. Gibbs didn't think the Asgardian had spoken two words since they'd left the hospital. He was worried, and turning in on himself, letting the fear eat him alive.

Don't, Gibbs wanted to warn him. Don't contain the fear. It will kill you. Fear can't help you.

Fury was waiting in the office, sitting in a chair by Vance's table, Vance across from him. Gibbs walked over and took a seat, staring at the SHIELD director.

"You're late," Fury observed. "I was here in ten minutes, like you requested, but you weren't here."

"More like fifteen," Vance observed, lifting an eyebrow.

"I had to follow up a lead," Gibbs said. "Fury, what can you tell me about Captain Leana Mason?"

Fury sighed. "She worked with Morris on Project Insight, in a specific area titled Operation Blackout, which deals with the Blackout Interface, among other things. The project is extremely close to completion; only one thing left was needed and that was the Interface data. After you told me about Morris' death, I contacted Mason and asked for another copy of the data he was supposed to bring me. She arranged to meet me in a coffee shop last night to deliver the data, but she never showed. I heard about her death last night, along with the sightings of Halo, Flare, Agent Sniper, and her ghost friend."

"Yeah, they killed her," Gibbs said. "Ducky's got the body in autopsy, but I didn't hear of any evidence being found on her that might be for you."

"Someone doesn't want me to see that data," Fury murmured. "This isn't good."

"What about Captain Luke Fisher?" Gibbs asked. "What can you tell me about him?"

Fury frowned, looking troubled. "What do you need to know about Fisher?"

"He's dead," Gibbs said. "Burned in that Norfolk neighborhood Halo took out. We've found a connection between him and Captain Morris. They've both worked on the USS Gauntlet and Fisher lived in the house Morris used to live in on the naval base."

"Fisher was a part of our...crossover division," Fury said. "Sailors who also worked with SHIELD. The USS Gauntlet was an experiment, of sorts, to see if we could successfully train a ship of Navy personnel into a unique form of special forces crew. It's still an ongoing trial, for the last ten years. She left port today, heading across the Atlantic."

"Where?" Gibbs asked. "What's the mission?"

"That's classified," Fury said grimly. "I didn't know Fisher was dead. We didn't receive any UA reports from the Gauntlet before departure. You sure it's him?"

"I was told they found his remains," Gibbs said. "My ME's got them in autopsy."

Fury looked grave. "Then we've got a problem. If Fisher's not on the Gauntlet, then who signed on as him?"

/**/

Quick note: Jess LaCroix and Clinton Skye are not my characters; they belong to the show FBI: Most Wanted, which began this past January. I didn't mean for them to guest star, but they decided to show up and be a part of the story, so there you are. Hope you enjoyed their entrance.

Honestly, this chapter feels like it's all over the place. What do you guys think? Does it make sense? I'm trying to pull all the threads together so we can move forward into the next part of the plot but it's more complicated wrestling with all the pieces than I had anticipated.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!

Skylar Wittenborn