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chapter two

(March 21st; 2017
The Playground, Classified)

    "WHAT about this one?"

    Fitz scrunched up his nose at the picture of the apartment Clara showed him. Cuddled into his side, she took this chance of them being alone to discuss places where they thought to live together. At first, Clara thought it was a scary next step, but then she realised it was Fitz, and that was answer enough to shroud her worries. It was worth it all. A place to themselves, away from the bustling population of the Playground. Someplace they could lie in bed, at peace, maybe accidentally sleep in ... it sounded like a dream. "Doesn't the kitchen look a bit small?"

    Roy frowned at him. Looking up, she arched a brow, "How big do you want it?" He shrugged. She sighed, turning back to her phone and tapping onto the floorplan. "We want an apartment, they're not going to be too big. And didn't we agree we wanted to own it, not rent? And small kitchens are lovely! They're nice, and they're cozy, I love small houses. And remember it's just the two of us."

    "Well," he held her a little closer, and she felt the slight nerves in his tone. It made her frown soften. "If we're buying ... we might find one we can settle in for a little longer than a few years, you know? To get the most out of it instead of buying a place, then buying another. Where we ... we don't have to save money to buy a bigger place when there ... could be more than just us two."

    Clara went as rosy as her hair, understanding. Pursing her lips, she got out of the apartment she was looking at. She hadn't thought about kids in a long time━she hadn't had the time to, ever since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA's resurface ... nor did she have anyone to consider children with. She knew she always wanted to name a little girl Lyra, after her favourite constellation, but Clara never stopped to think about it so presently━so present that it was on Fitz's mind when buying an apartment. Fitz's. Clara still remembered the time she thought they'd never be like this, comfortable in each other's arms in bed. Children with him seemed so ... out there, and yet, at the same time, it didn't. With a fluttery feeling in her stomach, she realised it felt homely, and just ... just wonderful.

    Roy could imagine a little girl with curly blonde hair, blue eyes and a great big grin on her face, and it made her smile. "It's our first apartment, Fitz..." she murmured, but the smile was tugging widely on her lips. "But maybe we should look for a bigger kitchen, you know ... just for future possibility."

    Fitz watched her scroll through her phone, smile gentle. "Definitely a larger kitchen," he leaned in and kissed her forehead and Clara went bright red again. Then, he saw an apartment that caught his eye and tapped on it. She let him hold her phone, light-hearted when he brought her closer so he could hold it with one hand and scroll with the other. Clara wrapped her arm over his waist, settling her head comfortably on his chest. She gazed at the pictures he swiped through and couldn't help but imagine a tiny monkey running around in that kitchen with her calling after her━or him━to slow down. She had a happy smile on her face; safe and at home.

    "If we're thinking into the future," she said. "Hypothetically, I don't want anything to be dangerous for running monkeys."

    She expected the grin on his face at the nickname for kids, and she was happy to see it. They deserved it, realised Clara. After everything, they deserved a happy ending. And maybe it was finally time they got it. "Noted," nodded Fitz. "We shall bubble-wrap everything, since it's your child."

    Clara gaped at him, "What's that supposed to mean? If anything, they'd get it from you. You're the clumsy one."

    "Uh━no, do I need to remind you who broke half of the beakers back at Sci-Ops━"

    She whacked him in the chest to shut him up. "That was only once! And I specifically remembered how we got onto Coulson's team in the first place━"

    "━That was you━"

    "━You overestimated the concentration━!"

    "━I remember you saying: 'Chin up, Fitz! There's nothing to worry about━'"

    "━It was obvious at that level it would've exploded, Simmons will back me up━and excuse me you know I don't sound like that, and I remember telling you that it was too much and you told me not to worry and━"

    Her last words were muffled by his lips. Clara happily shut up, letting herself enjoy their fleeting moments alone before they had to get up and go the lab. Phone discarded amongst the covers, held close and lovingly, she knew she was far lucky than she should be. But a happy ending? That sounded like something so far-fetched and distant for them to grasp, but it made her want it so much. The simple life. A life where she didn't have to worry about what she could do, or what might happen. A life in a little house in Perthshire, with someone she loved and could grow old with, a little Lyra playing in the grass━a life with Fitz. She might not deserve it, but she wanted it. She wanted it with him.

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    SIMMONS was upset, Roy could tell. She tried to hide it, but after knowing her for so long, Clara could see it as clear as day. And, she was also pretty sure why she was upset, and it was because of that reason, she chose not to say anything. Roy thought her brother was ridiculous for going against the law as he did━did he not realise how much of a backlash and consequence he could get? Those who fought against the Accords with Captain America were jailed and labelled as criminals, placed under serious house arrest. But she knew that Simmons was more upset over the fact that his choice compensated her position he knew she was doing to keep them all together. And now, she had decided to lie about his choices, making it seem like it was a fault on her end to keep him safe. Yes, Roy knew exactly why she was upset and stressed today.

    She hoped that working on this strange box together like they all used to might cheer her up, but it didn't seem to be working as well as Roy hoped.

    "As we have discussed," Fitz said after a sip of his tea. He set it down on his desk, "it appears to be a simple empty box."

    "Oh, yes, of course," said Agent Roy, peering at the inside through the containment glass. She had her hands on her hips, one eye on the box and the other on her monitor. The cameras situated on the containment rooms downstairs showed the surviving members of the Chinatown Crew; a ticking timebomb of aggression she was supervising. "One lined with a rare alloy━"

    "━and emitting energy readings off the charts that drove six men insane━" went on Simmons casually.

    "━but, sure," finished Roy. "Simple, empty box."

    "Right, well," Fitz clasped his hands together, frowning at them. "Y━you joked, Roy, about how it could be less of a puzzle if Schrodinger's cat was in there. Hilarious," she rolled her eyes, smiling despite it at his compliment.

    "Thank you," she said in a joking tone.

    "But," he went on, and she and Simmons both arched their brows at the familiar look on his face━one that told them he might have an idea. "It did get me thinking. What if there is something in there in an unobservable quantum state?" he slipped his arms into the built-in gloves. The girls shared a glance, curious.

    "What━like out of phase with visible light?" asked Simmons.

    "Exactly," said Fitz. "So, by using light outside the visible spectrum and reversing the phase, we get this." The girls slowly walked to his side to stand on either side of his shoulders. Fitz watched them. "And cue the gasping━"

    They gasped in unison━right on cue, eyes wide. Clara shuffled in closer, mouth agape at the orange particles that showed under the green light of his torch. "My Lord ..." she breathed. "What is that?"

    "It's beautiful," stated Simmons.

    "It's indescribable," corrected Fitz. "Scientifically. I've never seen technology like this. Feel like a Dark Ages blacksmith looking at a Tesla."

    Roy shifted her weight, "So, you think it's alien?" He let her swap places. Slipping her hands in, she completely forgot about the men she was supposed to watch, engrossed in this new discovery. Clara grabbed the torch and hovered it over the interior of the empty box. "Well, it's a crystal-like scructure, wrapping in on itself, I suppose ... I do feel a strange set of energy off this thing ..." she glanced back Fitz and Simmons. "Something powerful ... so maybe it's some sort of containment field ..." she frowned back at the box, hunching right over and looking quite ridiculous to anyone else peering over in the lab. "But containing what?"

    So immersed, Mack's voice made Clara jump and drop the torch. "I think I know."

    Roy sighed, relieved. "Care to be less ghostly, Mack?" she slipped out of the gloves. Mack and Leith stood there, and Clara immediately tensed. She glanced at Jemma, wondering what her reaction was. She noticed Leith, and the two shared an awkward exchange. She pursed her lips, clenched her jaw and looked at Mack. Leith crossed his arms, looking like he was resisting the urge to scoff.

    "A family turned up at the local ER this morning," he decided to say instead. "And the father━well, he had the same signs of demenia as our gangster friends over there." He nodded to Clara's monitor.

    She stepped over to him, immediately interested━but then a word he stated made her stomach drop. "Wait. Father? A child was involved? Are they okay?"

    "Yeah, he's fine," said Mack and Clara nodded. Fitz and Simmons came to stand on either side of her in their usual line up. Fitz crossed his arms, close to her.

    "Near Los Angeles?" he asked.

    "Yeah. Now, he said that, uh, there was a ghost in the house and it walked through him." Jemma arched a brow at those words.

    Roy tilted her head, "So ... he's suffering from the hallucinations as well."

    "Well, that's what I thought," Leith pulled out his tablet and passed it to Simmons without thinking. There was tension, thick and suffocating as she pursed her lips, annoyed, but took it anway. She held it so Fitz and Roy could see the footage. Leith cleared his throat, ruffling his hair nervously. Mack sighed. "B━but as we━uh━Mack and I━started going through the footage ..." he awkwardly leaned forward to press play.

    "I can do it," Jemma cut him off stiffly and tapped the footage.

    Leith stepped back, hand flying up to ruffle his hair nervously again. Clara shared a quick glance with Fitz, but they couldn't worry about the rift between Leith and Jemma right now as the security footage played. They set their focus on the video of the crazed men back at the warehouse. Mack eyed the playback and stopped it at a singular frame. Roy's brows shot up. "There━" he zoomed in, and there stood what could be described as most definitely a ghost. A ghost of a woman. "Maybe he wasn't hallucinating."

    "There has to be some sort of scientific explanation," said Jemma shortly. "Magic and ghosts are just science we haven't understood yet."

    Leith transferred the file to Fitz's laptop so they could see it better. With a deep frown, Fitz passed through the frames as they discussed differing theories. It was hard not to notice how Leith and Jemma stood on opposite sides. Roy pursed her lips.

    "Wait, wait, wait," Mack needed a time-out. "So, this woman caused a disturbance in Chen and his people with a touch."

    Fitz leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Yeah, it seems like there's omething to do with physical contact, but how is she incoporeal?"

    "Maybe a multidimensional event caused it," offered Clara, perching her hands on the edge of his desk to stare at the footage. "Like Tobias Ford."

     "Yeah?" Fitz glanced up at her, giving his chair a slight rock in his thought. "Or perhaps a matter-energy phase shift. You know, if the box is utilising phase shifting━"

    "Ma━maybe she's just a ghost," suggested Mack. The scientists stared at him. Even Leith frowned, dubious. "Or ... or not."

    "That's ... that's also a theory," reassured Roy, even though it wasn't━at least, wasn't one they were putting much attention towards ... or any.

    "Look," Fitz pointed to his copy of the findings from the box, "the alloy in the box itself is very rare. It's only made at Momentum Labs in three locations around the world━" he brought the tab up, showing three sattelite pictures.

    "Or was," said Simmons. "All three have been shut down for years."

    "Yeah," nodded Fitz. "So, you've got New York, Pasadena━" 

    This made Leith shoot up, eyes wide. "Pasedena, California," he realised. "Hold on━" he reached for his tablet and browsed for a second. "Yeah. The family that checked into the ER? They live in Pasadena. I'll requistion a quinjet for us━"

    "Oh, no, no, no," Simmons stopped him immediately, and Clara winced. "You are not going on another flight." Leith sighed, turning back to her, annoyed. "The Sokovia Accords sate you cannot go onto the field without permission━"

    "━From the President, I know━" the roll of his eyes only angered Jemma more.

    "Oh, really?" she propped her hands on her hips, glowering up at him. "Because I just thought you needed a reminder considering you completely disregarded that last time."

    Leith's lips clamped shut. He glanced around at the lab, suddenly looking very small and embarassed. Clara awkwardly turned to Fitz, picking at imaginary fluff on his shirt sleeve. Leith stepped closer to Simmons and murmured, "Do ... can we not talk about this right now?"

    She scowled, but let the argument fall━for now.

    Mack cleared his throat, "Uh ..." he fixed his shirt. "I'll━I'll go requistion a quinjet for us and permission for Clara━"

    "Yeah," Fitz was quick to stand up, "I'll come, too━" he grabbed his jacket and threw it on. "Roy and Simmons can't."

    Mack faltered, glancing back, and Clara sighed. "We're stuck. I have to keep an eye on the patients━" or rather I'm too dangerous to be put on any field assingments, "━and Simmons has an assignment for the Director."

    "Seriously?"

    "Oh, you know," Simmons shrugged, turning away from Leith, "'A team that trusts is a team that triumphs!'" she said, an air of sarcasm around her voice. It was a weak attempt though in the stiff air between her and Clara's brother.

    "What's he got you doing?"

    "Oh, that's the best bit!" Simmons rolled her eyes. "My expertise is needed here for a tour."

    Roy couldn't help it. She snickered into her palm and her best friend jabbed her in the side. Leith was very unhappy, however. He just snagged his jacket and stormed out of the lab. The laughter Clara and Jemma shared fell away immiedately. Roy stared after her brother. She turned to Simmons, brow arched but her friend just scoffed and turned away.

    So, with a sigh, Clara grabbed her tablet so she could keep an eye on the Chinatown Crew members and followed after her brother.

    "Leith," she called after him as she passed through the busy corridor. He stormed through, barely giving thought to the agents he shoved past. Clara threw her gaze up to the ceiling. "Leith!"

     He turned into the gym, to which Clara wasn't surprised by. She followed him, and to her luck, the gym was uncharistarically empty. These days, it was usually filled with May's new strike team━Piper was a laugh, Clara quite liked her. 

     But now, they were the only ones in here and Clara watched her brother throw his jacket aside and start wrapping up his hands. She sighed. "Leith, Simmons is right━"

     He scoffed, wrapping the fabric tight. "I know she is ... it's just ..." Leith shook his head, stepping away again. Clara pursed her lips.

     "What?" she asked him gently.

     "We're so different," Leith stressed. "I mean, I━I don't think I'm good for her. All I do is act and think later while she ... she's perfect and thinks everything through and I ruin that for her. I can't take things seriously."

     "Yes, you do," Clara walked up to him. She didn't know what to do so she awkwardly held the punching back in her little fingers.

     Leith arched a brow at her, "Oh, no. You cannot do that. You do not have any strength."

     "Yes, I do!"

     "If I punched that once, you'd be knocked over."

     Clara narrowed her eyes and instead held a hand up. Around the punching bag, a warp of engery twisted back and forth, keeping it still. Leith bounced his brows. She wanted him to laugh, but instead, he rolled his eyes and muttered, "Clara! Remember the Sokovia Accords━I'm afraid you don't have permission for that."

     "Leith, don't act petty━"

     "See!" he gave the bag a rather nasty punch that made Clara's feet skid to keep the energy stable. "That's exactly what I mean. I act petty, I make jokes, I don't take things seriously, and Jemma is the embodiment of let's think this through ... maybe I should just leave now, save her the pain of dealing with me."

      Roy set her jaw. She didn't know what to say, but she was sure that if she somehow persuaded her brother to give up on her best friend, Simmons would be devestated. "You do take things seriously," she said again. At Leith's scoff, she added. "No, you do! You take things so seriously you take them to heart, and that's what makes you a bit reckless. That doesn't mean you don't care ... Leith, you care so so much. Which is why you didn't think about breaking the law to find Daisy, but it's also why you're not going out there again, because you care so much about Jemma, too."

     He punched the bag again, not saying anything. Clara sighed. "You're right, you and Simmons are really different. Ever since the Academy, she has wanted to know how things will go. She would sit up in our dorm, until late in the night and stress over every possible outcome━even if it was just a conversation! She needed to know exactly what could happen like some experiment. But that's why she was so upset you went against the law because she also stays up all night, stressing about every outcome for you. She's trying to keep us together, and she knows that it's very possible with who you are that you'll end up getting into serious trouble with the United Nations, and then end up in prison, with special casings to keep your powers contained, just like the Avengers had. And I know you don't want that to happen either..."

     Leith gave up punching, he wasn't in the mood for it. He slumped and sat down there on the mat. Clara glanced around, but sat down with him anyway. She picked up her tablet again, quickly checking on the patients before setting it in her lap.

     "I just feel like I'm trapped again," then said Leith finally. He looked ashamed, staring at his fingers through the wraps. "As I was back at Afterlife. Framed and trapped, like I had done some horrible thing ..."

     "Well ..." Clara shrugged gently, "... Some of us have done horrible things ..." realising what she meant, he met her gaze suddenly. "And the Sokovia Accords stop us from ... ever being able to cause that damage ever again. But you know what it doesn't stop us from?" she smiled a little. "To finally have the chance at a Happy Ending. To ... to finally live, and maybe one day settle down, get married ... to not have to worry about some catastrophic event, or catastrophic powers ... we get to finally just be us for once."

     Leith pursed his lips, seeing through her words. "I had a happy ending, Clara, and I messed that up devistatingly. And ... and everytime I see Jemma, I ... I see Jack and what I did ... I can't let that happen to her."

     "Then talk to her," she answered, far more simply than it was. "But, between you and me, I think she was more worried than angry." Leith chuckled at that thought, nodding in agreement. "And these Sokovia Accords ... they might just help in stopping what happened to Jack happen to Jemma." Clara nudged his foot with her own. "Think about it."

     "But," went on Clara, standing up with a deep breath. "I need to get back to the lab and be a happy doctor!" she grinned, placing on her best happy doctor face. "The Director needs everything fitting for his tour! As we all know, A team that trusts━!"

     "━Is a team that triumphs!" Leith finished in his best impression of their new director. The two siblings chuckled. "What a dork, seriously. Coulson should have stayed."

      "He couldn't," Clara sighed. "Not after everything."

     "I just don't get why he let them choose him," Leith said in a murmur, casting an anxious glance to the agents walking past. "I heard he wanted someone powered to run the office."

      He nodded at Clara knowingly. Her brows shot up, shocked. Pointing at herself, she then guffawed. "Oh, no. I'm happy in the lab ... Coulson would have never suggested me ... I'm no way a leader, or a Director ... or ... I'm just a happy Doctor. I think you'd be better at it than me."

     Leith snickered, "Can you imagine? Director Leith Roy? Oh, the world will fall..."

    Clara punched him lightly in passing as she started back towards the lab, "Give yourself some credit! You're better at this than you know."

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(March 21st; 2017
The Playground, Classified)

     CLARA was confused to see May just standing in the doorway of the lab, pale and a little shaky as if she had just seen a ghost. She frowned, trying to step around her, but she didn't move. 

     "May?" she asked, suddenly very confused. Clara reached a cautious hand to her arm and flinched back when May jumped, staring at her with frantic breaths. "M━May, are you okay? What happened?" She glanced back at what she had been staring at━the tour group led by Coulson and the Director.

     Director Mace. A tall, square-faced and shouldered man with a politician's smile and tongue. Clara had seen the photo of him saving the man during the Bombing in Vienna, which was what made him seem a good choice as Director. A favourite amongst many, a hero━but that smile he had, the charismatic laughter made him hard to trust. Clara was biased, of course. She wanted Coulson to still have his role. But she always felt like he had an underlining plan, and that he didn't like her. After everything, Clara has learnt it was best to listen to her gut.

     But nothing was happening that should have made as started as she was. Roy furrowed her brows and turned back to May, only to find she wasn't there. Clara blinked, "May?" she turned around, looking. How did she move so fast?

     Clara checked the lab, but she wasn't around, which meant she had gone off somewhere else in the base. But where? She was worried━something was wrong, and Roy was nervous of the look on her face. She didn't say anything, not wanting to cast concern during an important time for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s growth to becoming registered to the public again, but her search was soon over when she got notice someone had stepped into the containment module of Chen's room.

     Roy was very confused, but she immediately rushed downstairs. She knew this pathway to heart more than she wished she did, but it was good in this situation, since she made it to May just in time.

     Stepping in through the door, she gasped at the sight. 

    May stumbled back, eyes wide at Chen who screamed, slamming his head again and again and again against the glass━so much blood seeped from broken skin and stained the glass. "EVERYWHERE!" he screamed. "EVERYWHERE━!"

     "May!" Clara pulled her away and brought up the settings of the containment room. As she did, Chen continued to hit his head━sickening cracks and thuds that made Roy's gut sick. Her fingers found the tranquiliser gas and quickly activated it, the thuds and screams getting softer until they were nothing and Chen slumped to the ground.

    Clara stared at his body for a few seconds, shocked. The blood dripped down the windows of the module, too much blood. "H━He'll nap for an hour," she found her voice, taking a shuddering breath. "May, what happened, did you say something that made him...?"

     She glanced back ... once again, May was gone. 

     Clara quickly called medical down to stablise the gash on Chen's head and concussion. She brought Simmons down, too, despite her needing to be in the lab for the tour. It would have to wait, they couldn't have any sight of this obscuring Mace's workings, even if the thought of him made Clara bitter.

     "What happened?" Jemma asked, finally making it to the containment rooms. Her eyes were wide with horror at the blood and Chen. 

     "I don't know," Roy said, rushed. "Something triggered him━something May said or did ..."

     Simmons stared at her, "She was here?"

    "Yeah," Clara started to follow her as they left the medical team and made their way back upstairs. "She's ... did you see her? She seems off━scared, almost."

     "May, scared?"

     "Exactly━it's why I'm so worried!"

     The two friends awkwardly re-entered the lab as nochalant as possible. Clara wanted to shut off her access to the monitors so no one would come by and see what was happening and alert panic. But her heart rose, frantic to see the tour group already inside, huddled around the holo-table with Director Mace and Coulson smiling over at them.

     Clara froze in her steps and quickly put on a smile. Simmons followed her example, the two of them shuffling around to her desk, immediately hiding the screen from view with their backs.

     "Ah! Agents Simmons and Roy!" greeted Coulson, though through his smile, Roy could see the strain━he knew them back-to-front, he knew when they were trying desperately (and horribly to lie). His eyes were harsh, a quick, what happened? 

      Mace clasped his hands together, "Here's the Special Advisor of Science and Technology," the smile on his face was a little forced to Jemma who shifted her weight to further hide the monitor. "And her close partner, our leading expert in medical. Glad you could finally make it."

     Simmons inwardly winced. She chuckled nervously. "Right!" she nodded, making a clicking sound with her tongue━something she always did to try and break the tension. "Because we were supposed to meet fifteen minutes ago..."

     "My fault," quickly apologised Roy, subtly turning her computer around. "I needed Simmons expertise ... oh and━uh━" she winced, pointing awkwardly at the holotable, "━that's━um━that's really high-tech ... fragile ... um ... not the best to lean on, I'm afraid ..."

     Mace cut her off, "Well, luckily, the United States Congress is used to waiting around." He turned to the men and women in suits, chuckling. The tension he held with them was instantly broken with a smile and a joke. "Right guys? 'Cause, I mean, how much work really gets done in Washington?"

     Clara let out a helpful laugh. The others stared at her, incredulous at the sudden bark she made instead of the chuckle she had wanted. She blushed bright red and kept her mouth shut. Dammit, Clara! "Sorry━um━I'll just ..." they hadn't stopped leaning on the holotable, which made her fidgety. Oh, if Fitz was here he would be livid... 

     Glancing quickly at her monitor, she pushed it further away, the view of Chen being strapped onto a medical bed far from wandering eyes. For now.

     Couslon frowned at the two of them through his smile, growing more concerned at the minute. Clara met his gaze. His brows rose questionally. 

    "All though," continued Mace after her exclaim, "you don't often wait around for someone who is honestly changing the world."

    Simmons scoffed at the compliment, waving her hand as she was momentarily distracted from the situation downstairs. "Oh," she couldn't help but break out into a modest smile, "I don't know if I'm doing that."

    "So," the group turned to her, "why don't you go ahead and tell us what you were working on that kept you? What did Agent Roy need from your expertise?"

     "Oh, nothing too interesting━really, I would say Roy is quite the one to ask━"

     Roy met Simmons gaze, annoyed━don't make me fix this! She begged, "━Oh, please, I would think I'm the last person to consult. Simmons here━"

     "━Agent Roy is third of my brain, in reality━"

    "━Ah, but Agent Simmons is the largest third of the circle━"

     "━But, of course, this was regarding medical, so━"

     "━Shut up━" Clara whispered to her through her smile, eyeing the tour group, Director and Coulson. 

     She arched a brow at her, "━Oh, I'm sorry, it was you who pulled me down━"

     "━You're the head of department━"

     "━What am I supposed to say━?"

     "━You're my boss, don't ask me━"

     "Roy, Simmons," Mace cut off their harsh whispers, chuckling to his group with a gaze that told the scientists, work with me here, please. "They do this a lot," he quickly mended the flow of conversation. "Word of advice ... everything they do is hugely fascinating and I understand none of it, so feel free to smile and nod, it's what I do ..."

     Coulson could tell whatever this was, it was serious. He tilted his head and Clara tried to tell him, help, please. 

     With the Director and his visitors waiting expectantly, Simmons stood up straighter and said, "Well━er━we were just in the containment rooms..."

     "Ah, yes..." As Mace turned back to his group, Roy stared at Simmons with a, why would you say that?!

     She replied with a quick, What am I supposed to say?!

     "One of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most important advances in recent years," continued Mace, oblivious to the silent argument between the two friends. "It uses adaptive materials to contain enhanced individuals and actually neatralises their powers..."

     As he spoke, Coulson slowly made his way over. He stood at their side, carefully peering at what they've been trying to hide. He couldn't help but wince as well. 

     "Oh, neutralise powers ..." one member of the group mused. The way he said it made Clara stiffen, "that does sound useful. I'd love to see them."

     Mace was rejoyed at this. He beamed. "Great idea!"

     Luckily, Coulson quickly interviened and said, "But maybe not the best idea, Director."

     Mace frowned at him, realising something was off. He swiftly glanced at his tour, "Excuse me ..." before rushing over. The group of them spoke in hushed whispers, careful to not let the others hear. "Guess not ... What happened?"

     Clara hunched her shoulders, "Well, some might say an incident━I say an unfortunate turn of events, but really quite interesting in regards to brain functions if we look on the bright side━not that this should be looked at on the bright side, I mean, of course, that's a bit insensitive━"

     "There was an incident," Simmons cut off her ramblings. "Blood everywhere. Not a great time."

     Roy nodded, happy she was there to shut her up before she said something she'd later regret. Mace faltered, a little frustrated but soon, a smile was plastered back on his face as he turned back to the tour group. 

    "Turns out," he said positively, like their conversation had just been a casual mention of the weather, "it wasn't the best idea 'cause Agent Couslon here has a better one. Uh━who wants to step inside a real-life quinjet?"

     It was an immediate show of hands. 

     As Mace led them out of the lab, he sent the three of them a short look of, sort this out. Once they were gone, Clara let out a sigh, slumping forward as all of her anxious, awkward tension fell.

     Couslon turned to her, "Bright side? Look on the bright side? Really, Clara?"

     She gaped, "I━I━I didn't know━I freaked out, okay?"

     He sighed, but then said, "Chen? Do you have any idea what set him off?"

     Roy and Simmons shared an uneasy look. Clara pursed her lips, "Have you spoken to May recently?"

     Coulson's eyes filled with dread. 

✲══〖✰〗══✲

     a/n: not really a cliffhanger if we know what happens is it? ahahah. sorry if there are mistakes, i'll see you in the next episode!

     (also, clara and fitz are just ... *screams and dies from cuteness*)

     (too bad shit's gonna happen really ... really soon ... *cough* framework *cough*)