Chapter 2A
Gone.
Theres a gasp as suddenly Maria falls forwards, her knees hitting the floor as she collapses to kneeling in front of wall, body racking with sobs. Fury hangs his head as Bobbi’s crying become vocal, May shaking on Coulson’s arms as the agents, most crying themselves start to slowly trail back to their positions. Some stay, wondering why their strong Commander Hill is still on her knees, forehead leaning against the new badge, head in her hands, almost perfectly still and silent except the weeping. She stays.
First May pulls back, then Coulson, then Bobbi, reaching over to hug Maria tightly, before leaving, Fury glares at the lingering agents until they too follow him out of the hall.
Maria cant feel her ankles after a while so spins around, when the day shifts start to leave they poke each other and whisper, pointing to where Maria is cross legged, her forehead still resting against the wall, eyes shut and hands tangled in her hair.
The SHEILD legend always remains that Maria Hill left part of herself on the wall that day. She hung up her old self with Natasha Romanoff and never got it back. Rumours circle of why she was so sad, many wrong, few right (thought they would never know).
The legend goes every time theres a memorial on that wall she’ll stay with it, for hours after everyone else leaves, just sitting in silence, staring at the new plaque, and then the blank space on the wall next to Natasha’s, waiting for it to be filled.
The day her badge is added to the wall (the only time in SHEILD history Fury’s cried) all the agents stay. Every person huddled onto the floor in silent memory, only leaving when the calls come in and the sun breaks over the horizon. The next morning a small chain is hanging between hers and Natasha’s plaques on the wall and threaded carefully on it are two silver wedding bands.