The Triskelion's emergency protocols transformed the building into a fortress within seconds. Blast doors slammed down across key corridors, security teams mobilized from their ready stations, and automated defense systems came online with mechanical precision. But the attackers had planned for this response, and they were already three steps ahead.
Fury led the team through a maintenance corridor that bypassed the main security checkpoints, moving with the purposeful speed of someone who knew every inch of his headquarters. Marcus followed with Hill and Romanoff flanking him, their weapons ready and their movements coordinated through years of tactical training.
"Sitrep," Fury demanded into his comm unit as they descended a service stairwell.
"Eight hostiles confirmed, sir," came the response from the security center. "They breached through a delivery entrance using stolen credentials and moved directly toward Research Division. They knew exactly where they were going. Two security teams are engaging now, but the hostiles have superior firepower."
"Casualties?"
"Three wounded, none critical. But sir, the hostiles are using the same modified Stark technology we saw in Baltimore. Our standard tactical gear is not adequate to counter it."
Fury cursed under his breath and increased his pace. They emerged from the stairwell on the research level and immediately heard the distinctive sound of energy weapons discharging. The corridor ahead was filled with smoke and the acrid smell of burning metal.
"Stay tight," Fury ordered. "Romanoff, take point. Hill, cover our six. Reid, you are in the middle where I can keep an eye on you."
They moved forward in formation, passing security personnel who were taking cover behind overturned desks and equipment carts. The energy weapons had carved through the Triskelion's reinforced walls like they were paper, leaving glowing scars in the metal and concrete.
A security agent stumbled toward them, his tactical vest scorched and smoking. "Director, they have reached the outer vault access. Doctor Chen and his team are sealed inside, but the hostiles are setting up some kind of cutting equipment. We estimate they will breach the vault door in less than three minutes."
"How many hostiles between us and the vault?" Hill asked, already assessing tactical options.
"At least four maintaining a defensive perimeter. Two more working on the vault door. The last two are providing overwatch from elevated positions."
Romanoff studied the corridor layout, her eyes tracking angles and sight lines with professional calculation. "We can flank them through the adjacent research wing. The laboratory spaces connect to the vault antechamber through an emergency access corridor. If we move now, we can hit them from an unexpected angle."
"Do it," Fury said. "Reid, you are with Romanoff. Hill, you are with me. We split up and hit them from two directions simultaneously. On my mark."
Marcus followed Romanoff as she peeled off from the main corridor and through a door marked "Authorized Personnel Only." The research wing was quieter but no less tense, with scientists and technicians huddled in their labs following lockdown protocols. Romanoff moved like a ghost, her footsteps silent despite their speed, her weapon tracking smoothly as she cleared each corner and doorway.
They reached the emergency access corridor, and Romanoff paused to check her ammunition and confirm her comm unit was on the correct tactical frequency. She glanced at Marcus, and something in her expression shifted from professional assessment to genuine curiosity.
"You are the one who identified Rumlow in Baltimore," she said quietly. "And according to your preliminary analysis, you have connected him to multiple compromised operations. That is impressive work for someone who has only been with SHIELD for three years."
"I am just following the patterns in the data," Marcus said, uncomfortable with her scrutiny. Romanoff was too perceptive, too skilled at reading people. If anyone could sense that he was hiding something significant, it would be her.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps you have better instincts than most analysts." She turned her attention back to the corridor ahead. "When we breach, stay behind me and watch for crossfire. These hostiles have demonstrated they are willing to kill SHIELD personnel without hesitation. Do not give them a clear shot."
Marcus nodded, and Romanoff keyed her comm. "In position. Awaiting your mark, Director."
"Copy that," Fury's voice crackled back. "On my count. Three, two, one, execute."
Romanoff kicked open the emergency access door and flowed into the vault antechamber with fluid grace. Marcus followed immediately behind her, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to process the tactical situation in the split second before weapons fire erupted.
Four hostiles in black tactical gear occupied defensive positions around the vault door, their modified energy weapons tracking toward the new threat. Two more worked frantically on a sophisticated cutting device attached to the vault's security systems. The last two were positioned on elevated catwalks overlooking the space.
Romanoff's pistols barked twice, and one of the defensive hostiles dropped with rounds in his shoulder and leg. She was not aiming to kill, Marcus realized, she wanted prisoners for interrogation. But the other hostiles were not interested in surrender. Their energy weapons blazed in response, sending blue-white beams that chewed through metal and concrete where Romanoff had been standing a moment before.
Marcus dove behind a support pillar as return fire intensified. His precognition kicked in, showing him the pattern of incoming fire and allowing him to time his movements to avoid being hit. He could feel his powers wanting to manifest, the purple energy responding to the danger and the adrenaline flooding his system.
Fury and Hill burst through the main entrance at the same moment, catching the hostiles in a crossfire. The tactical situation shifted immediately as the defenders were forced to split their attention between threats from two directions. Hill fired with mechanical precision, each shot aimed to disable rather than kill. Fury's weapon roared as he advanced steadily, his expression carved from stone.
One of the elevated hostiles swung his weapon toward Hill, and Marcus's precognition showed him the shot that would catch her in the chest. He moved without thinking, his enhanced speed carrying him across the space faster than should have been possible. He slammed into Hill from the side, driving her behind cover as the energy beam scorched the air where she had been standing.
"What the hell, Reid?" Hill demanded, but her eyes showed recognition rather than anger. She had seen him move with that impossible speed before, and this confirmed what she had suspected about his capabilities.
No time to worry about that now. Marcus returned fire at the elevated hostile, his shots forcing the man to take cover. Romanoff used the distraction to advance on the defensive positions, her movements fluid and deadly. She swept the legs from one hostile and rendered him unconscious with a precise strike, then rolled under return fire to engage the next target.
The two hostiles working on the vault door abandoned their equipment and brought their weapons to bear. But they were too slow, too focused on the tactical teams, and they did not notice Fury flanking them until he was already in position. The Director's pistol cracked twice, and both hostiles dropped with rounds in their legs.
"Secure those prisoners," Fury ordered. "I want them alive and able to talk."
The remaining elevated hostile made a break for an emergency exit, but Marcus had already anticipated the move. His precognition showed him the path the man would take, and Marcus positioned himself to intercept. When the hostile dropped from the catwalk and ran for the door, Marcus stepped into his path and delivered a perfect strike to the solar plexus. The man doubled over, and Marcus followed with a controlled blow that dropped him unconscious.
The entire firefight had lasted less than ninety seconds. Six hostiles down and secured, two more wounded and contained, zero friendly casualties. It was a clean operation by any standard.
Fury moved to the vault door and examined the cutting equipment the hostiles had been using. His expression darkened as he recognized the technology. "This is advanced. Way beyond what criminals normally have access to. Someone gave them this equipment specifically to breach our vault."
"The vault contains recovered alien artifacts," Hill said, joining Fury at the door. "If they had succeeded in breaching it, they could have obtained technology that would make their modified Stark weapons look like toys."
Marcus studied the unconscious hostiles, noting their tactical gear and professional bearing. These were not random criminals or opportunistic thieves. These were trained operatives executing a specific mission with military precision. And more importantly, they had known exactly where to go and what systems to target.
"They had inside information," Marcus said. "They knew the vault location, the security protocols, the response time for tactical teams. Someone inside SHIELD gave them intelligence for this operation."
"Which confirms our worst fears," Romanoff said, checking the hostiles for identification and finding none. "The infiltration is active and ongoing. This was not just about stealing technology. This was a test of SHIELD's response capabilities and a demonstration that they can strike at the heart of our headquarters whenever they choose."
Fury's comm unit crackled. "Director, we have another situation. Someone just accessed the secure server room on level twelve. Security is responding, but whoever is there has bypassed our security systems and is downloading classified files."
"Son of a, " Fury cut himself off. "Romanoff, Hill, secure this scene and start interrogating these prisoners. Reid, you are with me. We are going after whoever is in that server room."
Marcus followed Fury as the Director sprinted toward the nearest elevator bank. They took a secure lift that moved with stomach-dropping speed, ascending twelve floors in less than thirty seconds. The doors opened onto a corridor filled with security personnel establishing a perimeter around the server room entrance.
"Sitrep," Fury demanded.
"Single hostile inside, sir. He locked himself in and activated the emergency protocols that seal the room. We cannot breach without risking damage to the servers, and he is downloading files at an alarming rate. We estimate he has already copied approximately thirty percent of our classified operational database."
Fury's expression could have melted steel. "Get me a technical team up here now. I want options for breaching that room without destroying our servers. And I want security footage from the past hour showing me how he got access."
Marcus moved closer to the server room door, his enhanced senses picking up details that others missed. He could hear the faint hum of cooling systems working overtime, could feel the electromagnetic signature of massive data transfers in progress, could sense something else, a presence inside the room that felt oddly familiar.
"Director, how long can the emergency seals hold?" Marcus asked.
"Indefinitely. They are designed to contain fires and chemical threats. But they also lock from the inside, which means our intruder can stay in there as long as he wants."
"What if we cut power to the room? That would stop the data transfer and force him to either surrender or try to breach the seals himself."
"Cutting power also means losing environmental controls. The servers generate massive heat, and without cooling systems they will start failing within minutes. We would lose critical intelligence data."
Marcus considered the problem from multiple angles, his analytical mind processing possibilities. "What if we cut power to everything except the cooling systems? That would stop the data transfer while maintaining environmental controls. He would be trapped in the dark with no way to complete his mission."
Fury considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Do it. Someone get me a technical specialist who can execute that shutdown without killing the servers."
A young woman in a SHIELD technical uniform rushed forward with a tablet. "Director, I can isolate the server room's power systems and execute a selective shutdown. But it will take approximately five minutes to configure the correct parameters, and we need to ensure we do not accidentally cut power to the cooling systems."
"You have three minutes," Fury said. "Get it done."
While the technician worked frantically on her tablet, Marcus positioned himself near the server room door and focused his enhanced senses on what was happening inside. He could hear someone moving around, could hear the rapid clicking of keyboards, could sense urgency and determination from whoever was stealing SHIELD's classified files.
Then he heard something else, a soft mechanical sound that he recognized from the original Marcus Reid's memories. A SHIELD-issue personal teleportation device, one of several experimental technologies that were being tested for field operations.
"Director, he has a teleportation device," Marcus said urgently. "If we cut power before he finishes the download, he is just going to grab whatever data he has already copied and teleport out. We need to jam his device's signal before we execute the shutdown."
Fury immediately keyed his comm. "This is Director Fury. I need a signal jammer deployed to level twelve server room immediately. We have a hostile with experimental teleportation technology who is attempting to escape with classified data. Jam all frequencies in a fifty-meter radius."
"Sir, jamming those frequencies will also disrupt our own communication systems and security protocols."
"I am aware of the consequences. Do it anyway."
Within ninety seconds, two technicians arrived with a portable signal jamming device. They set it up in the corridor and activated it, and Marcus immediately felt the electromagnetic shift as wireless signals were suppressed throughout the area. His comm unit went dead, as did everyone else's in the immediate vicinity.
"Execute the power shutdown now," Fury ordered.
The young technician tapped her tablet, and the lights in the corridor flickered. Through the server room door, Marcus heard a sudden cry of frustration as the systems inside went dark. The hum of data transfer ceased abruptly, replaced by the steady drone of cooling systems maintaining their operation.
"He is trapped," Fury said with grim satisfaction. "Get a breaching team ready. On my signal, we go in hard and fast. I want this person alive and I want whatever data storage devices he managed to fill."
Security personnel assembled with breaching equipment and flashlights, preparing to force entry to the sealed room. Marcus positioned himself in the breach formation, his enhanced senses still focused on what was happening inside. He could hear the intruder moving frantically, could sense growing desperation as the reality of being trapped became apparent.
Then the movement inside stopped abruptly. Marcus's precognition flared with warning, showing him an image that made no tactical sense, the intruder pointing what looked like a weapon at the server hardware itself.
"He is going to destroy the servers," Marcus said urgently. "He has some kind of explosive device, and if he cannot escape with the data, he is going to make sure we do not have it either."
Fury did not hesitate. "Breach now. Shoot to disable if necessary, but I want him alive."
The breaching team moved with practiced efficiency. They attached shaped charges to the door's locking mechanism, everyone took cover, and the charges detonated with a sharp crack. The door swung open, and tactical flashlights pierced the darkness inside the server room.
The intruder was indeed holding an explosive device, his thumb hovering over the detonator. But in the split second before he could trigger it, Romanoff appeared behind him, having somehow entered the room through an access duct, and delivered a precise strike to his wrist. The explosive device clattered to the floor, and the intruder found himself face-down on the ground with Romanoff's knee in his back and her pistol pressed against his head.
"That was a mistake," Romanoff said calmly. "Now we are going to have a very unpleasant conversation about who you work for and who gave you access to this facility."
Tactical teams flooded into the room, securing the explosive device and collecting the data storage drives the intruder had managed to fill before the power cut. Fury stepped over the threshold and looked down at the captured infiltrator with cold fury.
"Get him to an interrogation room. I want to know everything, who sent him, what files he copied, how he got access to our systems, and what other operations are planned. Use whatever methods are necessary."
As security dragged the intruder away, Fury turned to Marcus. "That was good tactical thinking, Reid. If you had not realized he had a teleportation device and suggested jamming the signals, he would have escaped with classified files that could compromise active operations and endanger agents in the field."
"Just following the logic of the situation, sir."
"Maybe. Or maybe you are getting very good at anticipating threats that should not be anticipable." Fury studied him with that penetrating gaze. "We will discuss this later. Right now, I want you and Hill to inventory what files were accessed and copied. I need to know exactly what intelligence has been compromised so we can take appropriate countermeasures."
Marcus spent the next six hours working with Hill to analyze the server logs and determine what data had been stolen. The intruder had focused primarily on personnel files, operational briefings, and classified technology assessments. It was a targeted intelligence gathering operation, not a random data theft.
"They are building a complete picture of our capabilities and personnel," Hill said as the scope of the breach became clear. "With this information, they can identify vulnerabilities, compromise operations, and specifically target agents who pose threats to their objectives."
"Like someone who identifies patterns in operational data and connects compromised personnel to larger infiltration networks," Marcus said quietly.
Hill looked at him sharply. "You think they are specifically targeting you based on the work we have been doing."
"It fits the pattern. The assassination attempt in the medical bay, the confrontation in Baltimore, and now this breach that accessed files about personnel involved in counter-intelligence operations. Someone is very interested in eliminating or compromising anyone who might expose their infiltration of SHIELD."
"Which means you are now an even bigger target than before." Hill closed the file she had been reviewing and turned to face Marcus directly. "Reid, I need to ask you something, and I need an honest answer. When you saved me from that energy beam earlier, you moved at a speed that should not have been physically possible. This is the second time I have seen you demonstrate capabilities that exceed normal human parameters. I am not going to report you or make this official, but as your partner I need to know, what exactly are you?"
Marcus met her gaze steadily, knowing that this moment would define their working relationship going forward. Hill had given him multiple opportunities to come clean, and continuing to deflect would only damage the trust they were building.
"I honestly do not know the full extent of my capabilities," Marcus said carefully. "I have always had enhanced reflexes and situational awareness, but since the head injury, something has changed. I can sense things before they happen, move faster than I should be able to, and occasionally I feel energy building inside me that I do not fully understand or control."
"Energy. Like what put that woman in the medical bay against the wall with electrical burns."
"Possibly. I have not been able to control it consciously. It only manifests in moments of extreme danger or emotional stress."
Hill processed this information, her expression showing calculation rather than fear or suspicion. "Have you told Director Fury about this?"
"I have tried to downplay it, but I think he suspects. He has been watching me closely and testing me in various ways to evaluate my capabilities."
"Because he is trying to determine if you are an asset or a threat." Hill stood and moved to the secure terminal, typing commands that Marcus could not see. "I am going to do something that could get me in serious trouble if anyone finds out. I am going to restrict access to your personnel file and remove certain performance evaluations that highlight your unusual capabilities. This will buy you time to figure out what you are and what you want to do about it before SHIELD's bureaucracy forces you into a program designed for enhanced individuals."
"Why would you do that for me?"
"Because you have saved my life twice in the past week, and because you are a good agent who genuinely wants to help people. I do not care if you have abilities that fall outside normal parameters, as long as you use them to support SHIELD's mission and protect your teammates. Can you promise me that you will do that?"
"You have my word."
Hill nodded and finished her modifications to Marcus's file. "Good. Now let us finish this analysis so we can brief Director Fury. And Reid, be more careful about when and how you use your abilities. The more people who notice, the harder it will be to maintain your privacy."
They completed their analysis and submitted a comprehensive report to Fury detailing exactly what files had been compromised and what operational countermeasures needed to be implemented. When they finally left the intelligence analysis wing, it was well past midnight and both of them were exhausted.
"Get some sleep, Reid," Hill said as they parted ways in the corridor. "Tomorrow we start the interrogations of the prisoners from the vault attack. I have a feeling they are going to tell us things that will make this entire situation much more complicated."
Marcus returned to his quarters, where the protective detail was still maintaining their vigil. He acknowledged them with a nod and collapsed onto his bed, too tired to even remove his uniform. Sleep claimed him immediately, pulling him down into dreams where purple energy danced between his fingers and enemies wore friendly faces.
He woke six hours later to his alarm and the realization that everything was accelerating faster than he had anticipated. HYDRA was making bold moves, striking at SHIELD's headquarters and stealing intelligence that would help them identify threats to their infiltration. The timeline was changing, events unfolding differently than Marcus remembered, and he would need to adapt his strategies accordingly.
Marcus showered, dressed, and made his way to the interrogation wing where Hill was already waiting. She handed him a cup of coffee and a tablet displaying profiles of the eight prisoners they had captured during the vault attack.
"None of them are talking yet," Hill said. "They are trained to resist interrogation, and they know we cannot use the same methods on them that we might use on foreign operatives. But one of them keeps glancing at you whenever you are visible through the observation window. I think he recognizes you from something."
Marcus reviewed the profiles, but none of the faces were familiar from either the original Marcus Reid's memories or his knowledge of the MCU timeline. "Which one keeps looking at me?"
"Prisoner Four. The one you dropped with the strike to the solar plexus. He has been asking questions about who you are and what your role is in this investigation."
They moved to the observation room overlooking Interrogation Cell Four, where one of the prisoners sat handcuffed to a table. The man was in his late thirties, fit and professional-looking despite his current circumstances. When he saw Marcus through the one-way glass, his expression shifted from neutral to something that might have been recognition or concern.
"He definitely knows something about you," Hill said. "I want to try a different interrogation approach. Instead of one of our trained interrogators going in there and getting nowhere, I want you to go in there and see if you can get him to reveal why he is so interested in you."
"You want me to conduct an interrogation? I am not trained for that."
"You are trained to analyze patterns and identify connections. Apply those skills to reading his reactions and responses. Sometimes a fresh approach works better than traditional techniques."
Marcus entered the interrogation cell and sat down across from Prisoner Four. The man studied him with open interest, his eyes tracking every detail of Marcus's appearance and bearing.
"Agent Reid," the prisoner said, his voice calm and educated. "I have been hoping to speak with you. My name is not important, but what I need to tell you is critical. You are in much more danger than you realize."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you have been asking questions about operations that certain people want to keep secret. Because you have identified patterns that connect to a much larger organization. And because there are people at the highest levels of SHIELD who will do anything to protect those secrets." The prisoner leaned forward as far as his restraints would allow. "You think you are investigating a simple infiltration, but the truth is much worse. SHIELD is not compromised, SHIELD was built compromised. The enemy has been inside from the very beginning."
Marcus felt ice water flow through his veins. This man was confirming what Marcus already knew but could not prove, that HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD decades ago and had been operating from within ever since.
"What organization are you talking about?"
The prisoner smiled slightly. "I think you already know, Agent Reid. I think you have suspected it for some time but have not been able to prove it yet. And that is why I am going to help you, even though it means betraying the people who sent me here." He paused. "HYDRA is inside SHIELD, and they are planning something that will change the world forever. Project Insight is only the beginning."
Before Marcus could respond, the door to the interrogation cell burst open and three STRIKE team members rushed in with weapons drawn.
"Step away from the prisoner, Agent Reid," the team leader ordered. "Director Pierce has given us authority to transfer this prisoner to a black site facility for enhanced interrogation. You are to exit this cell immediately."
Alexander Pierce. The man who would eventually reveal himself as HYDRA's highest-ranking agent inside SHIELD was taking direct control of this prisoner, the one prisoner who had been willing to talk.
Marcus stood slowly, his mind racing through implications and possibilities. If he resisted, he would reveal that he knew too much. But if he complied, this prisoner would disappear and whatever information he possessed would be lost.
The STRIKE team leader aimed his weapon at Marcus's chest. "I said step away from the prisoner. Now."