Chapter 12
2013, date redacted
Maria Hill is not a sentimental person, but as she clears out her office, she stops to look.
At what she has accomplished. At what the real S.H.I.E.L.D. has done. Without the influence of HYDRA, S.H.I.E.L.D. had bloomed and evolved. They had ensured some semblance of world peace and intergalatic relationships.
Maria Hill was proud. The pride was a warm feeling, warming her core. S.H.I.E.L.D. was like her baby, metaphorically.
Maria would miss S.H.I.E.L.D., miss the busy days, miss the missions and craziness and nights of sleeplessness. She'd work at Stark Inudstries, a desk job. Natasha and Steve would be full-time Avengers. Maria was grateful to Tony for allowing them to have a place at Stark Towers, for giving her a job even though she might have gone on to FBI, or be like Sharon and go to CIA. But Maria disagreed with many of their rules, and they probably wouldn't welcome the ex-Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Besides, there were also HYDRA sleeper agents there too, waiting to be discovered. The Avengers' priority would be to destroy HYDRA. S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy was also no more, the children going to other organisations' schools or in Yelena and Galina's case, they were going to live with the Bartons, go to school with them.
Maria would miss the two hooligans, but they were better off safe there. Nick had ensured that the farmhouse would remain uncompromised.
Nick was dead to the rest of the world, so he was relatively safe.
Maria packs up the last of her stuff, takes a few pictures of her office, the view, and leaves with knots in her gut.
A last goodbye to S.H.I.E.L.D., to the Helicarriers Tony was going to take apart, to the life she had led for about a decade.
Maria spotted Natasha talking solemnly to Clint and saying goodbye.
There was a certain cloud that hung over the agents gathered for the final salute to S.H.I.E.L.D.
After the dump of HYDRA intel, along with a majority of S.H.I.E.L.D. intel (thank god they blacked out most sensitive information on files, only accessible to Nick Fury) so the public would only know the main gist of the missions and people, it was chaotic. HYDRA agents escaping, they had handed Alexander Pierce over to the FBI (after doing a bit of their own interrogation, of course), and for the best, decided that S.H.I.E.L.D. was to be disbanded.
Maria set down her things and stepped onto the Commanding Deck, one last time.
"Dear agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Maria begun, lump already rising in her throat.
"This has been an insane roller coaster ride. S.H.I.E.L.D. has always stood for protecting the ones who need to be protected. With the recent news of HYDRA infiltrating our ranks, it has been decided between our small committee that S.H.I.E.L.D. must be disbanded. We will, especially me, have to discuss and reflect on what went wrong. On how HYDRA members managed to, right under our noses, climb into ranks like Alexander Pierce and Jasper Sitwell."
"Many of you have lost your jobs. We have made partnerships with other intelligence organisations, and they have agreed to let you join. Make S.H.I.E.L.D. proud of its agents. S.H.I.E.L.D. is just a name we give to our community. Its values live on, through us. Today is the last day of S.H.I.E.L.D., but not the last day we meet. So, as we say before missions, till we meet again, comrades and agents. Thank you," Maria bows as the agents clap. The clapping becomes louder and whistling is added into the fray as Maria fights to keep the smile off her face, inevitably failing as she catches Natasha's grin and fake swooning into Clint's arms.
"Lets have a three cheers for Commander Hill and Director Fury for dealing with our bullshit for years!" Clint yelled.
"Three cheers, and three cheers, and three cheers for Hardass Hill and Pirate Man!" The agents yelled, laughing.
"They're getting bold huh," Maria comments, but the smile on her face betrays the amusement.
Everywhere, there are agents saying goodbye, saluting the place where they met their family, their trusted friends. S.H.I.E.L.D. was more than just an intelligence organisation, it was a home. A place of refugee. For the lost, for the broken, for the ones in pain and suffering. They have rebuilt together, supporting one another. That was what made S.H.I.E.L.D. so strong. They were bonded and close knitted, willing to give up their lives for their fellow agents.
Maria Hill was proud. But, she had a reputation, so she only begun to cry when Clint did which made Sharon cry and made Natasha cry and even Melinda was seen shedding a few tears and excusing herself for a moment.
All around them were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, if not officially then at heart.
Maria had found her purpose, her home, her family, her life at S.H.I.E.L.D.
It was time to march on and show the world what S.H.I.E.L.D. was really made of.
Maria kissed Natasha in the middle of the Commander Deck as they laughed and sobbed with their family. Yelena and Galina and other Red Room girls would be cared for, because they were also family. The agents would be relocated because they were cared for and not just grunts.
In his hotel room, Director Fury gave a rare smile as he watched from afar.