Tracing the Webs

Chapter 15

No one moved.

No one spoke.

Gwen's heart pounded in her ears. Her muscles were tight and she felt dizzy. If her sense of balance weren't so good, she might have collapsed to the ground. In spite of all this, she kept her expression cool.

Slowly, Garrett put his hands up in confusion.

Skye shakily broke the silence. "Gwen..." She couldn't take her eyes off of the gun in Gwen's hand.

"Gwen, what are you doing?" He's had to understand and accept many things in this line of work, but this was one thing Coulson couldn't wrap his head around what was happening.

The blonde's eyes didn't leave Garrett. His eyes were wide in confusion. Instead of answering Coulson, Gwen spoke to the man at the end of her gun. "John Garrett: a Level 7 agent of SHIELD, friend of Phil Coulson and S.O. of Antoine Triplett and Grant Ward." Her eyes narrowed.

Everyone's eyes were on her. She took in a breath and let it out, calming her nerves. Her voice rang clear in the silence. "And the figure known as the Clairvoyant."

Everyone was quiet for only a moment before Garrett spoke up. "What? Me?" In his apparent disbelief, he lowered his arms and pointed to himself. "You think I'm the Clairvoyant?" He smiled and laughed. "Phil, I think your new agent's got a screw loose."

"Gwen, what do you mean by this?" Unlike Garrett, Coulson didn't find the situation funny.

"I mean this." Gwen held up her other arm that was previously clutching a folder to her chest. She raised the folder and threw it across the table, papers sliding out of it.

During the time the team was confronting May, Gwen had been putting something together. Two somethings. A case file against Garrett, compiled with all the evidence and things that point to Garrett being the Clairvoyant.

And also: herself. After Nash's death, Gwen's mind had to reboot, and she shut herself in her bunk. Listening to music and trying to get her camouflage under control until she stabilized. She kept it mostly calm on the surface, but that defense mechanism did nothing to help her shuddering heart. She knew Nash was innocent, and she didn't stop his death.

Coulson cautiously moved closer to the table as Gwen continued her rant. "I gathered every piece of evidence we could find on the Clairvoyant and crossed it with everything I found out about Agent Garrett." She stared Garrett down. "And things started to align."

Coulson picked up some of the papers and skimmed through them. They contained theories and connections made between Garrett and the Clairvoyant.

"I started thinking of this when I found out that he went with you to find the drug. It was the only thing the Clairvoyant couldn't see. He said it was because you yourself didn't know, but because it wasn't in the files. But how could the Clairvoyant know the truth behind your death after you visited the facility?" Gwen conveyed her theories with a cool and calm face. "If he went with you."

Everyone turned to Garrett, gears turning in their minds. Garrett saw this and continued smiling. "Come on, you guys don't actually think I'm the Clairvoyant do you?" He turned to Coulson. "Phil, you know me. You've known me for years. I wouldn't do this."

Coulson's face was grim. He didn't know what to believe. A minute ago he thought it was Victoria Hand. But he wasn't close to Hand like he was Garrett. Garrett was a good man.

Wasn't he?

"Gwen, for now, put down the gun." He couldn't let the situation get any more out of hand.

"I can't do that. If he really is the Clairvoyant, and I know he is, then he's killed many innocent people. Innocent agents." She couldn't allow him to hurt anyone on the team.