Split or String

Chapter 1

            “No,” she turned to leave.

            “Melinda..”

            Agent May stopped at the use of her first name.

            “I know we aren’t exactly friends, but we are still on the same team. And right now, we are the only ones from our team. I don’t like being alone right now either. In fact, it makes everything worse because I just can’t stop thinking about Fitz and Skye when I get a spare moment. So I understand,” Jemma folded her hands in her lap, resisting the urge to get up and hug her.

            May set her jaw and sighed.

            “We could use your help on the research deck,” she said and then closed the door behind her.

            Jemma let a few tears fall as she sat in the vicious beam of light.

            Down the hall, Melinda stood leaning against the cool metal wall in the darkness. Her body sagged beneath the stress and worry she felt. The burden appeared the moment Coulson disappeared, and all she was left with was the empty noise of a dead communication line. She relentlessly wrestled with her decision to leave in the middle of that op. If she hadn’t, she would be lost with them. At least she would be with him. With all this nonsense of parallel universes, perhaps somewhere she was with Coulson. Or better yet, maybe there was a place where they were together longer than just a mission.

            She balled her hand into a fist and slammed it against the wall behind her. The metal vibrated, but she didn’t feel anything. She couldn’t waste time on wistful thinking. She had to think of Agent Simmons, and Agent Hill needed her now. SHIELD needed all remaining agents. With that, May squared her shoulders and walked down the corridor to the main deck.

           

            “—and this is where the new coordinates are,” Maria Hill pointed to the holographic map in front of her. She marked it with a red dot, accompanying a dozen other dots scattered across the projection. The research team surrounding the table all nodded and scribbled on their notepads like science robots. They gathered information with the commitment of worker bees, but it seemed like the more information they obtained, the less they dispatched. Hill really liked the Simmons girl for her willingness to participate. She knew Agent Simmons was motivated by the loss of her team, but strength must be drawn from somewhere.

            “Agent Hill.”

            Maria looked up and was instantly relieved to see Agent May standing in the doorway.

            “I talked to Simmons and she will be joining us shortly. Has there been any progress?” May crossed the room and stood beside the table.

            Hill shook her head. “No, but we are currently waiting for Pepper and Romanoff to send their ground report.”

            “I’m glad to hear they are finally working together.”

            “Yes, it’s amazing how an intergalactic crisis can bring people together.”

            Hill noticed that the researchers had turned from their notepad scribbles and were looking at her. She raised an eyebrow.

            “Do you need a direct order to get back to work, or is the imminent threat at hand not enough incentive?” she snapped. The team scurried out the door, stammering yes ma’am’s and apologies as they scrambled to their desks. As the deck cleared, Agent Simmons squeezed her way past the fleeing scientists.