Agent Kitsune

Neoma walked down the bustling hallways of the HQ towards Maria’s field office, having removed the mask when the extraction had completed, allowing anyone to see her lilac-colored eyes and her forest-green hair with brown highlights. In addition to the mask, she had just a helmet to cover her hair so she couldn’t be identified.

The gloves, however, were a necessary thing to keep wearing; at least the hand-scanners worked regardless, so she could easily pass through the security checks. Weaving past other agents heading out on their missions and scientists transporting equipment to be tested for field use.

Neoma nervously waved to some when she got stares; it was inevitable since she was part of the index, so her powers were well known to everyone. Some were split on her decision to be part of S.H.I.E.L.D. But it was mostly the younger, brash agents who felt like she was getting all the attention.

Ignoring most of them as she entered through the doorway into Maria’s office, who hadn’t arrived yet though two agents stood vigilant, one held a case in his hands. Someone that Neoma did recognize was seated on one of the chairs, “Grant?”

“Oh, Neoma,” Grant chuckled with a soft smile when he noticed her presence, waving from his seat. His chair was on one end, while another was on the other side, and one in the middle, “How did your task in New York go?”

“Nearly difficult. Still, a lot of press running around, and when you have a flying billionaire helping repair the city,” Neoma sighed as she took her place at the middle seat, remembering how she nearly got caught once. Leaning back in her chair, “However, I finished it sooner than expected thanks to a Rising Tide leak.”

“Yeah, well, you and I have different opinions on that little hacker group,” Grant rubbed his head in annoyance, “Posted the package's location online.”

“Like you’d let that stop you,” Neoma shook her head with a laugh, glancing at the empty seat, “It feels like back in school where you get called to the vice principles office.”

Grant leaned back while crossing his arms, smirking, catching Neoma off guard, “We’ll I’d be the bad boy, and you’re the teacher's pet.”

“Hey! Just because—” Neoma's cheeks had flushed red as she jabbed a finger at him, interrupted as the door opened and Maria entered.

Maria took her place while keeping a neutral expression as she stared at them both, having heard the prior conversation as she held her datapad. Then, for a fraction of a second, she smiled softly in Neoma’s direction before focusing on Grant, “What does S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for, Agent Ward?”

“Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division,” Grant answered slowly; Neoma was glad about whoever came with the abbreviated version, as it’s annoying to say the whole thing.

“And what does that mean to you?” Maria placed her datapad on the desk while still paying attention to him.

“It means someone really wanted our initials to spell out “shield.”” Grant quipped, aiming to get laughter out of her, but he failed from Maria’s unimpressed stare. Neoma laughed in her thoughts, Grant sighing as he answered appropriately, “It means we’re the line between the world and the much weirder world. We protect people from the news they aren’t ready to hear.”

“But if we can’t do that,” Neoma responded, feeling like Maria wanted input from her, “We keep them safe. Like that Chituari Chariot, I vaporized.”

“Or this, much less impressive,” Grant shook his head at Neoma, outdoing him, reaching into his suit, and pulling out a small device. Placing it on the tabletop and sliding it across to Maria, “Chitauri neural link. So we get to them before someone bad does.”

“I mean, it’s still a cool thing?” Neoma shrugged, looking at Grant, while Maria placed it inside the case the agent possessed

“It’s tiny compared to the flying machines they used in the attack on New York,” Grant deadpanned at her response, then gesturing to her hands sarcastically, “And your powers easily destroyed it. So yeah, the neural link is obviously on the same scale.”

Maria closed the case after the link was secured inside, facing them, “Any idea who Vanchat was planning to sell it to?”

“I’m more interested in how this Rising Tide group found out about it,” Grant replied while holding his hand up to Neoma to keep her from interrupting, “Don’t defend them. I thought they were just hackers. What changed?”

“Everything changes; nothing can stay the same forever no matter how much you beg. Hell, not too long ago, people thought the strangest thing was a billionaire in a flying metal suit,” Neoma answered despite Grant wanting Maria to respond. Then, staring at her palm, she let small beams of energy from her fingertips form a floating orb, small like a baseball, “Then when aliens invaded, well, it just sped up the process.”

“They were beaten back by, among others, a giant green monster, a costumed hero from the ‘40s,” Maria eyed the orb floating harmlessly in Neoma’s palm, quite knowledgeable about her abilities. Knowing from a glance that with the density currently, it wouldn’t cause harm, “And a God.”

Grant eyed her suspiciously at the last addition, “I don’t think Thor is technically a God.”

“I…have to agree with him. Isn’t he an Asgardian?” Neoma couldn’t help but join in on the teasing, knowing that Maria was bisexual, so she had a good guess what her answer was, “Isn’t he an alien as well?”

“Well, neither of you have been near his arms,” Maria replied casually, but Neoma could sense the embarrassment of admittance coming from her. Then, shaking her head to refocus, “The Battle of New York was the end of the world. This, now, is the new world. People are different; they have access to tech, formulas, secrets they aren’t ready for.”

“Like how some of them aren’t ready to know of my existence,” Neoma nodded as two vulpine-shaped ears rose from her head, the same color as her hair, “And what I truly am.”

Neoma heard shuffling in the dark of the other part of the room, confusion on her face as Grant sat up straight, “Why was I pulled out of Paris?”

“That,” Maria crossed her arms while slowly explaining, as if weary of Neoma’s reaction, “You'll have to ask Agent Coulson.”

Neoma gazed at her, shocked, as she reached up and cleaned her ear to see if she had misheard her words. But from the gentle look Maria was giving her, she hadn’t, and Neoma knew Maria wouldn’t joke about him, so she must be serious. But, the question is, how was he alive? She got the report as well.

Phil Coulson had first encountered her when she was to be put on the index after being discovered in a small forested-off community after reading her energy levels on scans. He and another agent were, well, she preferred to call the process the welcome wagon treatment. It was also his recommendation that she join Shield to help protect others like she safeguarded them when the mission was sideways.

He was always like a father figure to her.

“Uh, yeah. I’m clearance Level Six,” Grant didn’t have much tact, as he didn’t personally know him, “I know that Agent Coulson was killed in action before the Battle of New York. Got the full report.”

Footsteps sounded out from the dark corner of the room as a figure emerged, the familiar smiling face of Phil Coulson, “Welcome to Level Seven.”

“I-It can’t be….” Neoma’s voice crackled a little as her emotions took over a little; she could sense that his energy was the same, but it also felt tainted. Then, standing up along with Grant, they both couldn’t believe he was standing in front of them, “Is it really you?”

“Sorry,” Phil looked back to where he was initially standing, chuckling and grinning, “That corner was really dark, and I couldn’t help myself. I think there’s a bulb out.”

“It’s him, alright,” Neoma didn’t care about regulations, as she swiftly circled the table and embraced him tightly, “I-It’s good to see you alive.”

“Guess I’m just hard to kill,” Phil responded in kind with his own hug, patting her softly on the back.

“Wait, so it was Director Fury’s idea to fake your death to motivate the avengers?” Neoma had an innocent smile, but the anger hidden behind it was still shown. Ears perked and twitched as they waited in the elevator, “I don’t care if he’s the Director. I’m going to kick his ass.”

“Why do you think he’s not here? Last time you let your rage show, he was thrown across the room,” Phil wasn’t affected by her anger as he was used to those rare moments, laughing a little, “We still talk about it, hell, even kept the security footage of the incident.”

“He even had a talk with me to try and convince you to take anger management classes, so your energy didn’t erupt while in those moments,” Maria had reached up and pinched Neoma’s fluffy ear. Immediately calming and making her cheeks flush, “So please, keep your thoughts of fighting our boss in your head.”

Grant was just silently listening to the three of them, looking at Maria as the elevator reached their intended floor, “So why did he do it?”

“Well, the death of a common ally is a particularly effective team builder,” Maria answered as they reached sealed glass doors. Everyone looked at the camera on the wall to scan their identities and allow them access.

“Plus, it wasn’t that much of a stretch,” Phil pulled the door open once it unlocked, holding it open for them as they entered, “I stopped breathing for about forty seconds.”

“Forty seconds?!” Neoma looked at him, alarmed, hoping he was just joking.

Maria sighed, shaking her head as she pets Neoma’s shoulder, “Eight. It gets longer every time he tells it.”

“Yeah, well, you get shanked by the Asgardian Mussolini; you can tell it your way,” Phil responded as they reached a service desk, grabbing his id card and handing Neoma hers. While Grant picked up his own before they continued, “I was looking at the big white light, and it felt a lot longer than eight seconds.”

“Do they know?” Grant wondered while attaching his tag to his suit, realizing he would have to clarify, “The Avengers? That Fury played them?”

“They’re not Level Seven.” Maria quickly answered his question.

“If we didn’t have the rules, would you have let them know you’re alive?” Neoma curiously glanced at Phil; she knew they must be hurting at his loss. Then, tapping her fingers nervously, “Since you’re practically friends with them.”

“I think about it every day. But for now, I need to stay in the shadows,” Phil could still remember Thor’s shout of anger when being stabbed through the chest; he would be one of the first to contact him. But he highly doubts they have reception where he lives, “If at some point I get an order to reveal myself, I’ll happily accept it.”

“So, what happened when they faked your death?” Grant asked.

“Got out of the ICU; Fury stuck me in a grass shack in Tahiti. Rough gig,” Phil explained as he led them to the small command center nearby, “Mai Taits, Travis Mcgee novels, and a physical therapist whose command of English was irrelevant.”

“But something put you back in the game,” Grant muttered as they entered the room, agents working at the desks as the giant screens on the back had footage playing. One of a fiery explosion and a man landing from the top floor to the ground unharmed while carrying a woman, “What’s that?”

“From what I can tell, it’s a Gifted, but his identity is not on the index,” Neoma observed all the details she could from the shaky phone camera video, well versed in learning about everyone on the index. Finally, her tail poofed into existence and reached inside, pulling out a book and skimming through, “And seems to be playing Superhero. Who caught him on video?”

“At first, we thought it was just a random civilian, but it has the same type of signature from a certain poster,” Maria brought up a message they received, complied with videos of all different sightings. Some were easily identified incidents involving the members of the Avengers, “The Rising Tide.”

The audio from the message came from a young woman; of course, a voice changer could be implemented to hide their true identity, but Neoma knew they weren’t the type to do so. Especially the one who was speaking, making her groan and rub her face.

“Another little present from the Rising Tide,” Phil slightly smiled while leaning against a desk, arms crossed as he looked over at Neoma, “Sound familiar, Agent Kitsune?”

“The voice, yes, as I’ve talked to them being undercover in their little group. She was the one who unknowingly provided the whereabouts of the device in New York,” Neoma pulled out her phone, which had its location hidden, so she couldn’t be tracked. Funnily enough, her ‘hacker name’ was The Fox, “She wouldn’t pull a stunt like that.”

“Maybe you just don’t know her well enough,” Grant scoffed while looking at the screens, confused about something, “How are they getting this stuff before us?”

“Same way they cracked our RSA implementation,” Phil casually spoke, getting looks from the three, “They’re good. So I need better.”

“Agent Coulson has requisitioned a mobile command unit,” Maria finally explained why they were called in and their reassignment, “To which both of you are assigned.”

“I’m assuming Fitz-Simmons are already en route to the bus. Can I be dismissed to join them?” Neoma’s tail swayed, happy with the reassignment. Received a chuckle from Phil as he nodded, “See you on the plane.”

“Wait,” As fast as lighting, Maria kissed her cheek softly, causing her to flush red, smirking as she backed up, “I did the same with Jemma, so you guys can complain about how I embarrass you.”

“It doesn’t have much effect if you know about it,” Neoma hide her face behind her hands, leaving the command center.