Coulson was on the Phone with someone, when May came into his office. When he saw her, he ended his Phone call.
"Hey."
"You're the man in charge, but I am in charge of you, remember? I had two rules."
"Avoid field operations-"
"And check in with me every few days. It's been two weeks, and right now, I'm not even talking about-"
"Nyla? Yeah, I know. Last time she gave someone a speech like that, it was Odin, who didn't listen to her advice. As a result, 75 procent of his army ended up dead, because he didn't wanted to listen to her. By the way, I'm flying back out tonight. I have to focus on recruitment. It starts to wear me down."
"The hours?"
"The numbers," Coulson said.
"Why has Sanchez returned to us?" May asked.
"She didn't say," Coulson replied. "I do know we will face someone or something she knows in the near future. And without her help, we'll be in serious trouble."
"Her own words?"
"Yup," Coulson answered. "She has changed her cover too. Nyla Sanchez, the gifted specialist. But ofcourse, she isn't on the index."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?"
"I know. She also says she wants to help with recruiting, which is fortunately to us. Everyone who can possibly be considered loyal to SHIELD, are scattered all around the globe."
"You have no choice then to meet them face to face, get a lead on them."
"I know. That's why I like it that Sanchez is around."
"You are still not telling me why she is mad at you. The entire base could hear her yell at you."
"You want to know why she's mad at me?" Coulson asked. "Because of change. She's convinced that we have changed to much, which will cost us our heads one day."
"Looking forward to it," May replied.
Coulson looked for his glasses. May made a face, took them from the table, and gave them to him.
"Any progress on the cloaking equipment?" Coulson asked.
"Like I can tell."
"Well, we need it now. Badly. The plane is gathering dusk for months, but I still can't risk a take off with this guy trying to get us on a bonfire, so flying coach it is."
On screen, Talbot was giving a press conference about his hunt for SHIELD and Hydra.
"Though, I just returned from London."
"What was there in London?"
"Allies. Only to be activated if necessary."
The screen changed, and it showed a map. A map with little dots. They were everywhere.
"It's a start. And it's gonna be slow going without resources."
"Bad news on that front," May said. She gave him the ordner they got from their mission.
"We were hoping agent Browning would be a friend, and if not, at least sell us tech. Negative on both."
"Assassin..." Coulson murmled. "Hydra?"
"Likely," May answered. "Possibly gifted. Killed Browning. He wanted the intel. Another 0-8-4 I guess."
Coulson said nothing.
"What's your assassement of Hartley's people?"
"You know what I think, they're mercenaries, they're here for the money."
"But what's your assassement?"
"They're good mercenaries."
"Hartley spend a lot of years undercover. Those are the kind of friends you make. If she trusts them-"
He saw something in the ordner.
"What?"
"SSR... I just read about this."
"It's not in any of the history books?" May asked.
"No. It's in Fury's toolbox."
He took the Phone, and started a call.
"Ginny, cancel my flights. And get Sanchez to my office."
"An 084 can be anything," May said. "That's what we learned."
"It's not just an 084," Coulson told her. "It's the first. And all Fury knew about it, was the trail of bodies that follows it. Talbot is saying he's beating both sides, but we're just hiding underground. If Hydra gets their hands on this, they may not have to."
Someone knocked on the door.
"You asked for me?" Sanchez asked.
Coulson threw a photo of the 0-8-4 at her. Sanchez almost jumped through the roof.
"HOW DO YOU DARE, THROWING A PICTURE OF THAT FILTY THING AT ME?!" She shouted. "TAKE IT UP AND PUT IT AWAY!"
"I guess she does know about the 0-8-4," May said.
"Hell I do," Sanchez replied. "I've catched the thing myself, alongsides Carter and the Howling Commandos, even with Tripplet his Grandfather!"
"And why is it freaking you out like this?"
"Because... Because... Dammit. I can't tell you."
"The rules?" May asked.
"Unfortunately, yes. The rules," Sanchez said. "But luckily, you aren't stupid. If I freak out about this, what is the conclusion you can make?" She asked Coulson.
"That this thing is more dangerous then we can imagine," Coulson replied.

*

"Fitz, now would be the time that you test the resident frequenties of the metal, so that I could determin the properties we're dealing with. Fitz? Fitz, can you even hear me?"
Fitz sighed. "Yes Simmons, I can hear you. I am trying to hear the body frequenties that you keep going on about, but all I can hear is you."
"Calm down, I'm only asking-"
Simmons quitted her talk, when someone came in who didn't look like she belonged into a lab. And she was carrying a saxophone.
"Hey Fitz."
"I'm sorry, can I help you?"
Something else quite unexpected happend. She walked right at him, dropped the sax on her back, and embraced him.
"Can you forgive me?"
He knew who it was. She'd only changed her appareance.
"I...I..."
"I'm so sorry I wasn't able to save the two of you, I wasn't allowed to, according to the rules. You were meant to be down there, so you could..."
She said nothing. But he knew what she meant.
"It was meant to be. And if something is meant to be-"
"You can't... Ehm...Eh... Change it," he replied.
"I was ordered not to engage, and to stay with Coulson and the others. Do you know what happends if I disobey?"
"Punishment."
"That's right. I would be punished. I would get a punishment no normal human being would survive. I am allowed to help you heal, but I don't want to take a chance. Last person I helped to heal his brain died."
"I... Understand," Fitz answered. He wouldn't get any help from Sanchez.
"But I brought you something else."
She took the Saxophone, and blew a few notes.
"I know you're having trouble with speaking through your mind right now. That's why I brought you something to help you speak through your voice. To speak through your heart. Through music."
She gave the Saxophone to him, but he looked like he didn't know what to do.
"Come'on. Take it. I have plenty of others at the gardens. This one has been made by Adolphe Sax himself. Blow a few notes."
With shaking hands, Fitz took the sax from Sanchez, and blew a few notes. They sounded... Magical.
"Woah... Thank you."
"Don't thank me. You're smart enough, so I guess you can read notes. I have also a book for you, with some songs you can learn when you have time."
She pressed a kiss on his cheek.
"See you soon, Fitz."