Work Text:
They hide in plain sight. They earn our trust, our sympathy. They make us like them. And when you hesitate, they strike. If we are to survive, we must learn to strike first.
Victoria Hand understood where the younger agent was coming from. Really, she did. All day she had watched respected agents at the Hub turn on S.H.I.E.L.D and reveal themselves as Nazis. All day, she had been testing people, people she thought were allies. She found only five she could trust.
Until those two agents in that room.
Now she had seven.
Jemma Simmons -- Ally.
Antoine Triplett -- Ally.
It was a miracle, really, that Simmons hadn’t been swayed to Hydra while working with Coulson on that plane. On a different day, Hand might’ve been inclined to dock that as evidence towards Coulson’s innocence.
But not today.
Not with friends dead, and her life’s work in shambles.
She couldn’t afford to trust anyone. Least of all him. Especially considering his specialist had shot the wrong man, most likely on purpose.
No, she thought, quelling all emotions before they could be exploited.
She would trust no one.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Any other day, she might’ve allowed herself to feel a bit of pride for how well she’d handled and controlled the situation at the Hub. Pride clouds judgement, however, so instead she simply listened carefully as the traitors conspired in the control room.
And as she listened, the real enemy was quickly revealed.
Hand heavily disapproved of Agent Coulson’s recent actions. He was disorderly.
But seeing him defend the values of S.H.I.E.L.D as Garrett only got more and more bloodthirsty, for her own blood? Watching him get so excited at the thought of killing her that he got sloppy and revealed himself?
Watching all three, ready to die before serving Hydra?
She could be sure.
Phil Coulson -- Ally.
Melinda May -- Ally.
Leo Fitz -- Ally.
Now to go save them before Garrett eliminated more of the only people willing to fight for this.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Hydra ran deep.
More proof, to Hand. Trust no one.
The initial troops she sent to take them in had moles in them. So, as usual, she had to get things done herself.
With Garrett taken into custody and the Hub secure, anyone else may have relaxed. But it ran too deep.
She pulled Agent Coulson aside shortly before heading to the Fridge to put the Clairvoyant away for good.
“He really had you fooled, didn’t he.”
Coulson sighed. “I gave him everything he wanted. He was a friend. Didn’t suspect a thing.”
“He’s going away for good. But we have another problem.”
Coulson’s eyebrows furrowed, then he nodded.
“He was Trip’s SO.”
“Ward’s too. I’ve been testing my agents today, Coulson. It’s been the only way to know who I could trust. Trip was prepared to die before serving Hydra. Ward and Skye have yet to prove themselves.”
“Well Skye was recruited by me. No one could have indoctrinated her into Hydra. And Ward’s been protecting her this whole time, Hand. He almost died.”
“Ward was her SO. Hydra runs deep. You can’t trust anyone.” It sounded cold even to Hand’s own ears, but she couldn’t afford weakness. She couldn’t afford to lose anyone else.
Coulson hesitated. He knew, deep down, that Hand was right, but this was Ward.
“You really think it’s possible?”
“I thought Ward was acting under your orders, when he killed Nash. But he’s Garrett’s man too. And now he’s volunteered to stay very close to him as we head to the Fridge. It’s a possibility we cannot ignore.”
Coulson glanced at Ward, saying goodbye to Skye before takeoff. He looked grim.
“So what do we do?”
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
“Course is locked, ma’am.”
“Good.”
Hand was watching Ward closely. He looked betrayed. Furious.
“I’ve been thinking the Fridge is too comfortable for you, Garrett. Maybe we bury you a little deeper underground.”
Garrett looked too cocky for her tastes. She really was tempted, too. But she had to be smart.
One last test.
“What do you think, Agent Ward? You shot the wrong clairvoyant before. Care to shoot the right one?”
He looked determined. Almost excited, at the prospect of it. As he stood up, Hand thought maybe she was wrong. Coulson would never let that go if she was-
Ward shot at the agent on Garrett’s left, then pointed the gun at the other agent before realizing something was very wrong.
“What-” Ward looked at his gun in confusion, then growing horror.
The agent that had been “shot” recovered quite well, drawing his gun and pointing it at Ward along with the other agent. For the very first time, Garrett looked scared.
Traitor. Hand allowed herself a single, metaphorical pat on the back for her insight before pulling an ICER (she would have to commission Fitz sometime) and pointing.
“It was a blank. One final test of loyalty. Sorry to say, you failed.” She shot him twice and he slumped.
She looked at Garrett again.
“No more cockiness, John?”
He scowled.
She shot him too, for the promise of a quiet ride and for calling her Vic. She wasn’t "Vic."
She was Agent Hand. She wasn’t fun. She was orderly, and smart, and a survivor. She singlehandedly saved the Hub and exposed more than one rat.
She trusted no one.
But the rest of Coulson’s team (with the possible exception of Skye) had proven themselves. When this was all over, perhaps she could start to trust them.
Maybe.
“Cuff the other traitor. Watch them both carefully. I want no more surprises before we reach the Fridge.” She went back to the cockpit to page Agent Coulson and let him know.
She couldn’t wait to put both traitors in tiny boxes where they belonged.