𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍|
— Vogel Cruise Line. [ Specification Redacted ]
—  12:30 a.m. May 2, 2015.

𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘. It was at this moment that Theodore Williams fully decided he hated running with a burning passion that matched the feeling of his screaming muscles. Although he desperately wished to lean over and breathe, he kept his back pressed against the wall and clutched the briefcase close to his chest.

The shadow beast lurked around every corner and it was impossible to know where she'd pop up next, that is unless you were a genius and capable of running the numbers through your mind to predict the pattern... which is exactly what Theo did. He kept his mouth shut, but his eyes widened in absolute terror as the black, inky tendril reached around the corner, paused as if trying to detect the vibrations of his shallow breath, but ultimately receded back to what he hoped was the depths of hell. Slowly, he leaned his head back against the wall, a bit harder than he would have liked, and released the breath he'd been holding while his eyes closed.

He should've started moving again, but his muscles begged him to stop. So, against all reason, he slowly slid down to the floor, resting while subconsciously giving up. He was stuck on a boat, surely he couldn't hide forever, much less escape unless he planned to take a late night swim. Although his body stopped moving, his mind never did, both a blessing and a curse. To push aside the overwhelming thoughts that he was certainly going to die within the next hour, being generous to his own skill, he recounted everything exactly as he'd witnessed it.

He'd thought dinner had gone well: they'd found Sinclair, discovered his meeting time and place, not to mention Davis and Rhodes lost a bit of animosity toward one another in the process. However, Theo had noticed something had changed in Wes lately. It wasn't like the agent to act so rashly, leaping into action before thinking through the consequences, but he'd also recovered differently after his injury. There was something off, which he'd noticed but never had the courage to address. Now he was beginning to regret his lack of conviction.

Wes and Sam had intercepted the meeting, but been devoured by the sea in the process. Theo barely had time himself to make it out onto the deck before they'd fallen overboard... and rather than stand in a shocked stupor, he'd reached out to grab the briefcase lying on the ground. It was then that his flight response kicked into overgear which led him to the exact moment where he sat huddled against a wall, with nowhere to hide in the open hallway aboard a cruise ship stuck in the middle of the ocean. He hated that he knew exactly how slim his odds of survival were and decreasing with each passing second.

He closed his eyes, mentally practicing a few techniques to regain control before his anxiety took over. He inhaled. One-Two-Three-Four. The briefcase was cool to the touch, smooth but slightly damp from the waves and changing weather outdoors. The leather was worn toward the corners, implying it had been used before. He held his breath. One-Two-Three-Four-Five-Six-Seven. Even though his eyes were closed, he could see the deceptive color that changed in the lighting. Outside, it had almost appeared a deep purple while within the hall it had an ebony hue. The handle was also broken, likely damaged from the fight, and one of the locked clasps wiggled around on the case as if it wished to break off. He could feel the sleek texture and imagine the light glinting off the reflective silver. Slowly, he exhaled. One-Two-Three-Four-Five-Six-Seven-Eight. He repeated the process until he'd mentally recalled everything about the exterior of the briefcase and noticed his chest didn't rise so aggressively.

Cautiously, he opened his eyes. He was still alone for the time being, but at least he didn't have to worry about being caught by the wheezing in the back of his throat. Or at least he didn't until the door to his right swung open. He could have sworn he felt all color fade from his face as his eyes threatened to roll up inside his head. However, a slap across the face from a small metallic hand was enough to wake him up. He blinked rapidly and shook his head to clear the fuzzy feeling that clogged his mind.

"I believe that is a poor hiding place."

Theo clutched the briefcase against his just a bit tighter as he allowed his shoulders to relax, realizing it was just Q-T. He held out a single finger and stammered, "Don't—Don't scare me like that, buddy."

Q-T stared. Of course the small android had no eyelids so it wasn't like he could blink, but the action was still unnerving, especially as the robot rotated its head around in a three hundred and sixty degree motion.

"The coast is clear," Q-T announced at a volume slightly louder than before, "there is no need to be alarmed."

Theo shuddered with chills and muttered under her breath, "I really need to reconsider your design, buddy. You're giving serious horror vibes at the moment and I swear if you start crawling on the ceiling I'm actually going to lose it."

Q-T stared again. But just as Theo planned to question the android, he was spritzed in the face with a puff of lavender. His eyes watered and his lungs immediately disagreed with the treatment. He coughed and wheezed before quickly pulling his inhaler out of his pocket to get control over his own body.

He gasped, clutching the base of his throat, fearing the claustrophobic feeling he'd just escaped. "What was that for?"

"Researchers say that lavender is a traditional remedy to reduce stress and relax the body in the case of a panic attack," Q-T stated matter-of-factly.

"I had it under control," Theo muttered, subconsciously setting the briefcase at his side before pulling his knees up into his chest. "I'm fine."

"You were exhibiting at least four of the physical signs experienced during a panic attack," Q-T contradicted. "Sweating, heart palpitations, trembling, and shortness of breath."

Theo sighed, despairingly sinking further into himself. "I'm fine."

"You are not." Q-T placed a small hand on Theo's knee as if attempting to comfort the young agent. "It is natural to feel uneasy when an inexperienced agent is left alone in the field, but they would not have brought you along if they did not feel you were ready."

Theo scoffed, turning his head to face away from the robot. "Yeah right... I barely passed my physical exam, I can't bring myself to pull the trigger of my gun, and I've failed every combat lesson I've ever tried. I'm a weak, asthmatic tech... I don't know why I ever thought I'd be anything more."

Q-T hand slowly slipped off his leg as he pulled away. The android tilted its head as if to show concern despite its lack of expression. As Theo slipped further into his own self-pity, the tight feeling in his chest began to return.

"I'm gonna really help people someday."

Theo lifted his head and turned at the recorded sound of his own voice. Q-T's eyes had lit up like a projector screen and replayed what looked like a memory onto the nearby wall.

"I'm gonna be like them." The recorded version of Theo pointed to a poster of the Avengers plastered to the wall of his personal lab. A safe space he genuinely wished he'd stayed in. "Which is why I made you: to help people. Someday I'll get there myself, be a field agent I mean, but until then you'll help them."

The recording stopped and Q-T turned his head to look toward his creator. A soft smile pulled at the corner of Theo's mouth. "I remember that..." It didn't take long for the brief feeling of nostalgia to turn bitter. "I should've just stayed there."

Q-T shook his head, distressed that his idea had taken a turn for the worse. "You may not believe in yourself, but Agent Pierce did."

Theo raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure Pierce hates me. Sometimes it seems like he broods more than Wes does."

Q-T shook his head again, but elected to rely on his memories to reveal the truth instead. His eyes lit up and so did the wall with an office that looked quite similar to Fury's.

"I'm sorry, Pierce, but the kid failed every aspect of the exam," Fury shook his head as he took a seat behind his desk. "Besides, Williams has shown himself to be beneficial in the tech department."

"The kid is capable of so much more," Pierce insisted, pacing the room, using his hands to express more emotion that Williams had ever seen from the usually collected agent. "He's not the most skilled, but that can be learned. He's got heart and that counts more for me than anything else."

Fury sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before he dismissively waved his hand. "Fine. Add the kid to your team, but just know if anything happens his blood is on your hands."

A pleased smile flashed across Pierce's face. "Thank you, Fury... but you don't give the kid enough credit."

The projection shut off again as the memory ended. Q-T turned to face Theo expectantly. Theo looked stunned. "So Pierce is the one that recommended me?"

Q-T nodded his head in confirmation. "He was adamant that you were placed on his team."

Theo silently directed his attention toward the ground, processing the information given to him. If he'd personally been hand-picked by the boss, surely there was a reason. There had to be something that he just couldn't see as himself, so he'd have to trust the words of others and trust himself.

He took a deep breath, nodding his head to boost his own morale. "Alright. Agent Davis and Sam are gone. It's just you and me, buddy."

"That is correct." Q-T bluntly agreed. "We are figuratively alone in a boat filled with people, stranded in the middle of the ocean. Our odds of success are less than point—"

"Not helping, buddy," Theo interjected between gritted teeth. He took another deep breath. "Alright it's up to us to get this case back to base... so what would Agent Davis do?"

Q-T lifted a finger into the air as if he were about to interject; however, Theo continued to speak to himself, turning his back to the small robot. "He'd deal with the physical problem head on while repressing any emotional side effects."

"I do not believe that is the healthiest course of action—"

"Right," Theo rubbed his hands together, slowly pulling himself to his feet while picking up the case from the ground. "I'll find the shadow-beast-thing..."

He gulped, freezing up as memories from Sokovia flashed before his eyes. Nevertheless, he shook them aside just as quickly.

"I'll defeat the shadow-beast-thing," Theo corrected himself as if his original decision wasn't good enough. "Then contact my superiors—wait—Agent Davis would bring the case back to the base all on his own. He doesn't need to rely on anyone... He's strong."

"Actually, if I may offer some input—"

"Defeat the bad guy, get the case back to base, earn my place on the team." Theo wistfully looked up toward the ceiling as if envisioning his goals. "Sounds like a plan."

"That is not a plan!" Q-T's volume rose as he ignited his booster jets and flew in front of the young agent's face. "Agent Wes's methods may work in some scenarios, but more often than not they just lead to more trouble. It is how you ended up alone in the first place."

"I..." Theo's hand drifted to the back of his neck while a sheepish look crossed his face. "I guess I didn't think it through."

"Very uncharacteristic of you," Q-T noted.

"Okay, you're right," Theo agreed. "I can't be Agent Davis... I haven't mastered the brooding look yet anyway. Now, he might be too rash, but Sam tends to think things through. She's sharp and quick on her toes, not to mention never freezes in the fray."

"That is not what I meant..." Q-T's volume lowered to a mutter.

"Alright, my new motto, WWSD: What would Sam do?" Theo placed his hands on his hips and nodded his head once as if trying to convince himself more than his mechanical pal. "Sam would try to find the enemy's weakness and then strike when they're most vulnerable. She'd find a way to take the fight to them. It's like she said: shoot first or die."

Q-T face-palmed.

"So I'll do some research on the shadow-beast," Theo plotted, beginning to pace down the hall. "Find out what it is and how to kill it—"

"You are forgetting something," Q-T interrupted.

"I am?" Theo slowly questioned, confused by what he possibly overlooked.

"You are not Agent Davis and you are not Agent Rhodes," Q-T reminded him. "Agent Pierce did not bring you into the team so that you could replicate the strengths and weaknesses of your teammates. He thought you could bring something to add to the table. So ask yourself... WWATWD?"

"I'm not quite sure you understand how acronyms work buddy?" Theo offered him a look of sympathy to mask his own confusion.

"What would Agent Theodore Williams do?" Q-T clarified in a tone that revealed how unamused his was.

Theo was stunned into silence. He took a breath. "Panic."

"You have already done that," Q-T replied. "What next?"

"Um..." Theo paused to think. "I would... find a place to lie low. I'm not the most skilled combatant and I can't run forever, so my best chance is to hide. Then, I can access the remote server to contact backup and update Pierce on everything."

"I would suggest you leave out the part where you curled into a fetal position," Q-T advised.

"Right," Theo agreed, cautiously pulling the case closer before walking down the hall.

"Where are we going?" Q-T asked as he followed from behind, still using his jet boots to keep up.

"Security," Theo's reply was short and sweet before he offered a more detailed explanation. "I'll be able to monitor all activity on the ship, not to mention possibly access some of the communications technology."

"Huzzah!" Q-T cheered. "Now that is thinking like the Agent Williams recorded in my memory bank."

"Speaking of which," Theo slightly changed the topic of conversation with a hint of concern, "we need to talk about what all you can record, buddy. There should definitely be some rules."

"Whatever you think is best, boss."

It wasn't necessarily meant to be a heart-felt statement full of emotion, but Theo stumbled and halted for a split second. He might have continued walking afterward, but his mind was elsewhere. This little robot that he'd created looked up to him. Him. No matter how he failed, the android was always there to offer a bandage or a tip of advice. It caught him off-guard because he hadn't had anyone so involved in his life since his grandfather.

Although a bit rough around the edges, his grandfather genuinely cared about him. Which is why it hurt so much when he was gone. Sure, as a veteran, the grouchy soldier expected discipline, but he never pushed the boy past his limits. There was a kindness to his eyes that negated just about any harsh words uttered from his mouth. It was probably the original reason the young agent had sought S.H.I.E.L.D. out in the first place.

His trip down memory lane was cut short as they arrived at the security room. Q-T looked toward Theo expectantly. "Do you have a plan to get inside?"

"I've heard knocking is always polite." Theo shrugged and knocked before the robot could protest.

There was a beat of silence before the door swung open. A burly, tattooed individual stood just behind the door pane and Theo was suddenly struck by the puzzle of how the guard possibly entered the room as the width of his shoulders matched the frame exactly.

"Wow... you're like every cartoon goon ever drawn," Theo muttered under his breath in awe.

"Can I help you?" The guard asked, annoyed by the interruption.

"Uh, yeah," Theo uncontrollably stumbled over his words. "You see, Debby from downstairs—or maybe her name was Donna—or Daisy. Anyway, the staff downstairs sent a call to maintenance about some camera issues so I was sent up from the department to fix the problem at the source."

"What camera trouble?"

Theo offered a complex answer, but as he received a blank stare, he simplified the excuse. "Static and weird noises... so I'll need the room to myself for the next hour or so."

The guard shrugged. "Whatever. I've been meaning to grab lunch anyway."

Q-T tilted his head as the guard grabbed a few things and left without any other questions. "That was easy."

"Too easy for my liking," Theo agreed as he stepped into the room, closed the door behind him, then locked it for good measure. "Let's see what we're dealing with."

He rubbed his hands together and set the case down on the table. Since the combination code hadn't been disturbed, the case opened with ease to reveal the dove glowing vials of liquid that he'd seen in a debriefing. He gasped as he lifted one of the vials up before his eyes, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. "Now what did the mole want with these... and how come Wes and I keep coming across them?"

"I believe their price on the black market is quite high," Q-T answered the rhetorical question.

Theo opened his mouth to correct him on the matter but shook his head. "Thanks, buddy."

He then turned his attention toward the screens along the wall. All that was left to do was contact Pierce and call in the Calvary. As pleased as he was with himself for making it so far, there was still a piece of him concerned for the well-being of the rest of his team. Not necessarily because they'd been tossed overboard... or even if they managed to survive they'd be hunted down by their enemies. No, he was worried that they'd tear one another apart, limb from limb, before anyone else could.

They had yet to see how each other's strengths benefited the other, meaning they would only slow the other down and inevitably get themselves killed in the process. But for the time being, he'd have to focus on his own survival.