Nick Fury of SHIELD

Sterling watched the battle rage on behind Marco's eyes and he swallowed from the familiarity of it. Marco's fight was far more sinister, much more difficult to break, and more ingrained than Sterling could ever imagine for himself, but he saw him and he saw the fight left in him.

Marco wouldn't lose. He would be sure of that.

"It's ok." He said softly as Marco took a step further away from Sterling. He could tell he wanted to go to him, though he wasn't sure why. If it was for physical comfort he would welcome it but Marco didn't seem to trust himself. "It's ok. We're all safe here. I trust you."

'How?'

"Chemically induced dreamless sleep. Basically block off adrenaline in your brain to reduce the effects of PTSD while you sleep as well as some of the areas where memories are stored. It helps block the effects of many types of brainwashing from taking control but we can only do it during sleep. It's temporary. No major side effects that we've found. I don't pretend to know the science behind it, but I've seen it work in a few trials. If it can get you even close to rest for a few hours..." Sterling sighed and puts his hands in his pockets. "Works far better than mixing alcohol and sleeping pills to block it."

Spoken from experience.

Marco wanted to let Sterling help him, but that damn voice was determined to convince him Sterling and the other agents were the threat, rather than Erebus.

A break? Marco tilted his head curiously. He could certainly use the break.

"It would certainly help..." he said slowly, trying to ignore the mental protests. "It's a lot. Fighting and processing the memories." But he knew it was necessary to be able to really move on from this, and to help make sure there were no more hidden triggers.

Sterling's eyes widened at Fury's further explanation. He had to admit he was a little embarrassed at how quickly he had jumped to conclusions, essentially accusing Fury of doing something unsavory to Marco to 'deal with it'.

"Ah. Apologies." He breathed out the words in a sigh. He'd never see Kristi angry or had ever been on the opposite end of an issue with Kristi, but it was rather curious how she could be making demands that Fury was cooperating with.

Then again, he himself had gotten upset and essentially hijacked care of Marco from the director himself. Perhaps it was a similar issue, Kristi seeing Marco's state and assuming a protective role, but Sterling was his handler now and he was making sure he was cared for. Would Kristi keep him at bay as well?

That could be a problem.

"I'll talk to her too before I leave the base. I'd like to see him." He wasn't sure what his plan was if Kristi refused.

It seemed he had a whole list of missions today and not one of them seemed like an easy task. Sterling let out a huff of a sigh and nodded, determination and focus in his eyes.

"Got my work cut out for me. I'll update you as often as possible with each stop I make. Should make for an interesting day."

"Hm. Good luck with that." Better you than me.

Truth was, righting overturned tables sort of was something he did on the regular. His love language for a grieving or angry friend was to show up at their apartment with food they wouldn't eat, send them off to take a shower, and while they were standing there letting the water wash over them he would be busy cleaning up the alcohol bottles and fixing furniture. He would be making grocery orders when he saw how empty their fridges were. He would calmly take the insults thrown at him when they came back out and noticed he had cleaned.

This wasn't new for him. The reason for it was, but the actual act of service wasn't.

"I know." Sterling nodded quietly, sympathy in his eyes but his tone remained overall neutral. "A relapse like this is... devastating. No one should have to go through this even once, and you're doing it again. The fact that you did it the first time though means you can. Yeah, they missed something the first time, but you know they can't beat you. Doing it again means you're experienced this time. You can kick its ass. And with Hartell's skill and power assisting? Hydra won't know what the fuck hit them." His eyes were determined now and his voice backed it up. He was serious. Sterling was not going to let them take another one of his friends.

"You think if you sleep you'll be more susceptible? Your guard will be lowered and that voice will win?" It was reasonable. You spend so long fighting to keep that door in your brain closed you think if you slip, if you show weakness even once, they'll force it open and it will all flood in. "I've studied this conditioning. We know how to block it. We know how to let you rest without risk."

Marco slowly nodded at Sterling's words, but his eyes weren't entirely focused.

Lies. You're here because you can't beat it. Erebus countered in his mind.

No. Sterling is right. I can. And I have friends this time to help.

Marco gripped the back of the chair tightly, ducking his head with a pained expression as he struggled internally. He almost missed what Sterling said as he fought the conditioning.

Block? They knew how to block it now?

It's a lie. Don't trust them. Kill the agents.

He released the chair and straightened up, taking a step towards Sterling before stopping, hands clenching and unclenching. He wanted to rush over to Sterling and demand help so he could rest. But he couldn't just charge over there. Sterling, or more likely, the guards outside, would react. And then there was that darker part of himself he was struggling against...

Marco's breathing was heavy as he stepped back, watching Sterling warily as if he was the one presenting a risk to others.

"That's why we have each other." Sterling quietly. "To stop our friends when we see they are making a mistake. See it through outside, unbiased, logical eyes and know when to step in." It was often just as hard being the logical one. Sterling found himself giving Fury a sympathetic look when he said it, knowing they often had to full that role. Sterling hard stepped between friends and their mistakes and he'd been called all manner of awful things, he'd had his nose broken twice, he'd lost friends, but not once did he regret his choice to stop them from regretting theirs. "Ellis needs the comfort and to see what he's fighting to return to. She needs to see he's ok and what he's dealing with. They're both agents. They know how this works. They'll be ok."

Sterling had tucked the file under his arm when Fury's words really sunk in. He froze and his jaw tightened.

"Dealt with? I'm gonna need more than that, sir." Part of him felt like Fury had been softening him up, talking about bias vs sensible right before dropping some bomb on him. He waited, demeanor shifting to a hard stare, as he waited for Fury to elaborate.

None of this would work if they couldn't trust others to step in and call each other out when needed, himself included.

Still, it bothered him how often Sterling was right. They both needed to see each other, even if he was hesitant about it. What was the harm though, if someone was helping keep a lookout for signs Weimaer might be making decisions that risked the safety of the rest of SHIELD, or the public?

When Sterling's attitude suddenly shifted, Fury realised he'd brought up the topic in a very poor manner. He raised his hands in a calming gesture.

"I have zero doubts that, if Hartell wanted to, he could drop us all."

Sterling noticed the slight tensing of Fury's body and he couldn't help but feel a bit flattered. He didn't think the tensing was for concern for his safety, but it was a nice thought to have anyway. Despite how high he had risen in ranks, despite the years of service to SHIELD, despite all he had sacrificed for the organization, he still knew SHIELD could carry on just fine without him. It wouldn't even flinch. It wouldn't spiral. He was a cog in a machine and he knew his death would do little to rattle production. To think it might rattle Fury meant something to him.

As he walked into the room with Marco he thought back to when he had first gone to recruit Dean. He was only a level 3, still pretty new to things. No combat training or any real danger in his veins. Dean had grabbed his throat and threatened him yet he had stared back with a calm that confused him now. It had been foolish, HE had been foolish, but that Sterling was an entirely different person. Confident. Casual. He'd joked with superiors, played pranks, gave nicknames. As he looked upon Marco, noted the way his fists clenched at his sides, he knew the risks of this visit.

He stared with that same calm, that same unflinching confidence he had then but this time he had the experience to back it up.

Marco could fight this. Even if he lunged, grabbed his throat as Dean had done that day, he knew Marco could pull himself back before he managed to kill him. He was stronger than this.

Sterling was willing to bet his life on proving it.

"I did." Sterling said quietly, confirming Marco's statement. His voice was level and calm, almost a whisper, yet still echoed slightly in the small, practically empty room. "Hydra has a lot of different ways they like to torture people. A lot of ways to create sleeper agents. Your brand in particular is a bitch and a half but you're not lost." He moved slowly but casually to one of the overturned pieces of furniture, righted it, and placed the tray of food on top. "They're going to work you pretty hard to break it. In a sense, it's like breaking you all over again. When it's done, however... Well, it's worth it. You're not free, that pain and those memories will always be there, but the hold it has on you won't be. That voice in your head..." Sterling paused, sighing with a weight that spoke volumes, "It won't be so loud anymore. I want you to get some food in you and try to get some rest before they start again. I'll do everything I can to try and make that happen. To make sleep happen. You need it. That voice is deafening when you're tired, I'm sure. We'll quiet it for a bit but you have to trust me to do that."

A skiddish agent with a murderous voice in his head was not going to take a medically induced sleep easily, no matter what form it came in. Sterling had to get him as calm as he could and, if he decided to take their help, possibly administer the pill or injection himself so force at least a couple of hours of sleep. Ray needed the break too, he knew.

"We're going to help you."

Marco took a long, slow breath. Focus. Fight.

He tilted his head curiously as he watched Sterling casually fix his mess as if he righted flipped tables regularly. No big deal.

"The problem is that it's necessary in the first place," Marco muttered, turning away from Sterling.

He reached a hand out towards an overturned chair, rolled his eyes and then closed his hand again, letting it drop to his side. So used to the action, he'd gone to use his shadows to right the overturned chair.

Oh well, the physical action of walking over to do it himself helped distract his mind.

"I've already been through this," he continued as he stood the chair by the table, hands gripping the top of the backrest tightly. He hated that all those weeks spent back then still apparently hadn't cleared everything. Hated that it made him a risk to people he cared about. Hated that he struggled to keep it under control.

Food?

He glanced down at the tray blankly, too tired to have even registered that it was food that Sterling had brought in. And yet-

Sterling nodded. He was vaguely aware of Marco and Kristi's relationship. He wasn't in either of their lives much and he kicked himself for it now. He couldn't be in everyone's business at once, he knew, but the amount of friends he had that quietly suffered, even loudly suffered, but he had been too occupied with other things to notice was... a staggering list. He couldn't save them all, it wasn't his job to save them all either, but it didn't stop the guilt from bubbling in his stomach.

It didn't stop him from wishing he could protect them.

"I can imagine how comforting it is to have access to a loved one during this. I'll get with her later. See if there's anything she does or says I can use to help him. If we can't bring her in on this fully we can at least utilize her where we can."

Sterling sighed, looking down at the file of Ted on his desk. He couldn't imagine what he was going through right now. He wondered how Morgan and MacMurray had felt in the days before they found him. That stuck feeling while they waited for word from other departments. On updates.

"I'll talk to Miller and head straight to Hartell." He said, getting up from his desk and pulling on his jacket. "From there, unless Hartell gives any concrete leads, I'll pick up Collins and swing by his apartment." He scooped up the file again.

He paused, noting the hesitation in Fury's voice.

"What is it, sir?"

He wasn't saying that was currently happening, but it was always a concern that had to be taken into consideration when agents were in relationships, or even close friendships.

He nodded at Sterling's plan, quickly scribbling himself a note on one of his own papers he had in front of him.

Sterling smiled at the statement regarding the various departments. People often forgot that SHIELD was more than just trigger happy field agents. They were accountants, secretaries, trainers, costume designers, technicians, and countless other dedicated and talented people who all came together with a common goal. Fury couldn't know everything but each of them could know a piece of it and come together to make the puzzle complete. It was good to be reminded that their leader also recognized that.

"He's come a long way." Sterling said finally, some fondness in his voice. "I hadn't been keeping up with his power progression but he recently... helped me deal with something. It didn't quite work how we expected but damn was it effective." He'd been trapped in his own emotions after the Void incident. Hartell had heightened that emotion hoping he'd be able to finally express them and get help from his therapist. Instead it had caused a huge fight with his wife.

But because of that fight he was able to speak his truth and, finally, did seek the help he needed. It was a long road but his head was back in the game and he intended to repay the favor here and now.

He was going to help Ray and Marco in any way he could.

"That's quite alright, sir. I want to do this alone anyway. I think Ellis needs a little calm right now." He took the tray of food, thanked the agent who had brought it, and stepped to the door. "If this goes south, don't send someone in immediately. Give him a chance to fight it. You'll know if I need backup but I certainly hope I won't."

He stepped from the observation room and headed to the door of Marco's cell, clearing it with the guards and walking in quietly.

"Marco. We got you some food." He announced, raising the tray for him to see. Sterling's eyes scanned the room for anything he couldn't have seen from the camera and window. Memorized the dimensions of the room. How many steps it would take to reach the door if he needed to get out. With Marco in his current state of exhaustion and hunger he could probably best him in a struggle, but Erebus was an entirely different beast he didn't have much intel about.

Truthfully, he was proud to hear the development, but at the same time concerned. More power meant more of a target and more danger should such a person lose control. And Fury sure as hell didn't want any sort of psychic in his head. He tended to avoid any meetings with Professor Xavier when those came up for that reason.

Give him a chance to fight it.

Fury tensed ever so slightly. It was a risk, but it sounded like one they needed to take. He slowly nodded. "Go ahead."

Marco froze when he heard his name. He took a moment to decide how to respond. He took a few steps further away from the door, but not so far that he was backed against the opposite wall, giving himself room to move if needed.

He glanced at the overturned furniture with a guilty frown, then focused on Sterling. He studied the agent warily.

Kill the agent. They can't be trusted.

Marco's hands clenched at his sides. He took half a step back, as if he was expecting Sterling to try something. If he could access his shadows, they would have been lurking around his feet like a dark mist.

"You had them turn down the lights," he said quietly. It was phrased more like he was reminding himself of that fact, rather than asking to confirm it really had been Sterling.

If you could access your powers you could shadow walk right out of here.

Then I could go home. He meant home to his apartment, yet that wasn't what he saw mentally.

Sterling nodded.

"I'll take it straight to Agent Miller and no one else." Miller was so paranoid about betrayal he knew he would keep it close to his chest. If he told anyone it would likely just be Cortez, his second in command. Sterling liked the Cortez and would trust him with his life if the situation called for it.

Even if his mustache was ridiculous.

He considered, for a moment, an agent he would bring with him to Ted's place as backup. His mind immediately went to Akela, the agent he usually used as his muscle when going into the field. Sterling had to remind himself she no longer worked for him. He was still adjusting to his new position and the lack of his team. Perhaps Phillipa would be up to the task. He didn't see the point of bringing in an Avengers level asset just yet and he knew Phillipa would jump at the chance for any sort of action.

"I'll bring backup. I learned my lesson in 2012." He offered Fury a slight smirk but he hadn't yet grasped Fury's... brand of humor. "How's Ellis? Have you been to see him?"

And back up?

Fury nodded his approval. He showed no signs of whether or not he picked up on the humour.

"Of course. Not directly myself though. Ellis is... hanging in there," he eventually replied, being careful about how he phrased it. "I know Weimaer has visited him. He seems...calmer when she does."

Marco's sigh of relief seemed to ease some of the tension in Sterling's body. He dipped his head as if mentally praying a thank you, and he took a deep breath in through his nose. Sterling knew it was risky volunteering to bring him the food, but this wasn't about Sterling right now. Marco was cuffed, he was secure, he was being heavily monitored, and there were guards outside that would rush in should things go south. What Marco needed right now was a friend. Even if they weren't entirely close, he was a familiar face. If the roles had been reversed, he knew he would welcome Marco like a brother in such terrifying and isolating times.

"With you?" Sterling asked, looking up suddenly as Fury spoke. "I didn't know that. I didn't know Hartell before Bancroft. We met... not long after he'd begun working with him. You can't know everything, sir. I know that's your whole thing but we do the best we can with the information we have. That was my job for the longest. Gathering puzzle pieces and seeing what was missing. Trying to fill it in the best I could. The picture wasn't always clear and the choices made weren't always the right ones, but they were made with the best intentions and we live with the consequences."

Fury knew all this, of course, but Sterling had found sometimes you need to be told things you already know by someone you trust in order to believe them. We don't always trust ourselves with advice and wisdom, even when we know it's true.

"If Ray hadn't been placed in Bancroft's past, be might very well still secretly be pulling strings for Hydra within SHIELD. Despite all that's happened, that mistake may have saved more lives than it cost."

Agent Weiss might still be alive, but who knows who wouldn't be if Bancroft had been allowed to continue unchecked.

As true as it was, the statement both annoyed and reassured Fury. He felt like he should know everything, considering his role. But at the same time...

"That is true," he sighed. "Which is why we have multiple departs of people helping fill the gaps."

As for Hartell- "When he first developed abilities," Fury explained. "It wasn't perfect, of course, but he was damn useful for interrogations and tracking." And Fury was curious to see it in action these days now Ray had years of proper training and development. He'd only briefly experienced it interrogating Ellis.

Damn. Sterling, he knew, was quite well respected and Fury was starting to get a better idea why. Solid, logical responses. Attention to detail. Reassuring while still being realistic instead of sugar-coating.

He nodded.

"Right." And that was exactly what Fury tried to do. Minimise the amount of damage. Sometimes loss of life was unavoidable, but, as Sterling pointed out; one is sometimes a small sacrifice to save many. But he still hoped that kind of result wasn't about to be repeated.

The files mention was for a few reasons that he wouldn't bring up at the moment, but if he had been given any sensitive files, even level 1, that data could now belong to Hydra if he was indeed taken by them. Anything Ted knew they could get out of him if they squeezed just right. Also, if he had been compromised before this absence and had been this entire time, they'd need to know what files might have been tampered with.

Of course, Sterling's mind had gone straight to the paperwork.

"Yes sir." He nodded. "Perhaps he told Hartell something about where he was going or something he was looking into." That's what had happened to him, after all. Coulson had been his last contact before Merc, just letting him know he was looking into an anonymous tip and he'd report back.

He hadn't gotten to.

"I'll have Counter Terrorism scanning surveillance footage for him as well. With that and Hartell's ability to find people it shouldn't take long to track him down. Here's hoping he just overslept and he's about to have a very rude awakening." The innocent answer was never the one with SHIELD though, was it?

Fury really hoped Hartell would be able to help. He was aware the empath had done plenty of training with the ability, but they'd only ever needed to actually use it to directly assist an agent once and Fury had no idea if that only worked because Hartell was closer to Agent Shepherd. He had no idea if Hartell was actually friends with this younger agent or not.

The look of surprise caused Sterling to tilt his head, a curious interest at the reaction. He'd file that away for later, however. There were more pressing matters at hand.

He opened his mouth to protest, to insist that could all have been a clever rouse, that he was more likely to be one of them than most. He had a similar reputation as Ward. Stiff. By the book. Dedicated. In fact, there was a time Sterling had looked up to Ward. Defended him. Sterling wasn't sure why he was so eager to convince Fury he could very well be a traitor. It was likely his way of fighting back against Merc's three phrases. He'd come so far in the last decade, but there would always be that worry that the brainwashing had taken hold somehow without his knowledge. Perhaps he was just fishing for reassurance from Fury.

The reason he was given, however, surprised him. Hartell? Fury held Ray to such a high regard he would trust his judgement equal to or above his own? That was... impressive. Hartell did have a unique ability that was very beneficial to SHIELD in various ways, but Sterling was also reminded just how close Ray had been from being swayed to Bancroft's side. Twice. Sterling had seen a darkness in Ray in the beginning. He wondered if it was still there. He wondered if he still struggled to choose good day after day. If his weaker moments were the product of outward influence from his powers or if it came from Ray himself?

"I trust him too." He said truthfully. After all, they all had some darkness in them, didn't they?

"I'm going to stay with you for as long as I'm able." Sterling spoke into the microphone for Marco. "You don't have to speak. I know how overwhelming it can get. I'll bring the food in myself. If you need a distraction, a way to ground yourself, I'm here." His fingers lifted off the button again and he looked up at Fury. "Thank you for bringing me in. For letting me go in there to see him when the food arrives. I think he just needs help fighting it. I can't see in his head, of course, but the way he's acting... I think it's similar to... Me. Maybe I can help."

Sterling wasn't sure if Fury was aware of the progress he'd made over the years, but perhaps he was finally in a place where he could help someone else.

A distraction? Well, he wasn't sure how that would go, and visibly tensed at the idea of Sterling coming in, but he didn't argue. Sterling was far more capable than people gave him credit for, Marco knew. He had the added benefit of the power inhibitor on his side too. Should anything go wrong, Sterling at least wouldn't have to deal with a powered Erebus.

"...thank you," he said quietly. Even that felt like an effort while struggling to keep control.

He frowned, suddenly understanding better the constant look of exhaustion and frustration Ray used to have after Bancroft.

You should have helped Bancroft when he invited you in.

No. I chose right. I chose to help Sterling and Hartell, Marco mentally reminded himself.

Fury slowly nodded at Sterling's words. He didn't want agents to be left behind, not if he could help it. Yes, he absolutely went about things the wrong way at times, often coming across as cold and uncaring, but that was far from the truth. He wouldn't fight to keep so many people inside and out of SHIELD safe if he didn't care.

The problem was finding a balance between being a professional where every little decision mattered. Where one wrong call could lead to devastating results for SHIELD, or for whole cities (or even Earth in general on rare occasions). Trusting the wrong people, handing over cases to people who turned out to be deceitful.

"Were you aware Hartell used to work with me?" Fury asked, turning to properly look at Sterling. Technically confidential information, but Fury was the one who'd decided that in the first place. He needed to be sure he kept a few good people he could absolutely trust, which meant they needed to trust him too and so sharing a degree of otherwise closed information seemed necessary.

Besides, it was relevant to their conversation and his own motive for being so involved in their current situation.

The base is quiet.

It's so early, most agents aren't there yet, besides those who work through the night. Fury is sitting at Sterling's desk, absorbed in a small stack of files and a printed list. He looks like he's been there for some time.

When Sterling arrives, he doesn't look up.

"We got our list of missed check ins," he says, frowning as he compares the names on the list to the profiles, searching for possible connections.

He's quiet for a time, checking over another file before shaking his head.

"We've got one I'd definitely raise concerns over." He sighed and held out a printed summary of one of the agents.

Jordan, Theodore (Ted)

Lvl 1 access

Rookie field agent

Secretary for the Training and Intergration department.

Sterling wasn't startled by finding someone in his office before he opened it up for the day. If he had a nickel for ever time that had happened, mostly Barton and Romanoff but occasionally hostile forces, he'd have at least 50 cents.

He'd moved straight to the coffee maker to brew them both a pot when Fury announced they had a match. He stopped, mid step, and moved quickly to look over the Director's shoulder.

Level one.

Fuck.

Sterling had been secretly hoping that none of the victims would be low level. Sure, higher level agents would make more skilled combatants for them, but he had hoped those taken were better trained, better prepared, to withstand the horror of what Hydra had in store for them. Sterling remembered what it was like to be a level 3 nobody. No training to endure torture, no contingency plan, no means of escape, no planning, and after 3 days, no hope.

"I've met him a few times." He said quietly. It wasn't often he ventured to interrogation but their paths did occasionally cross when he was still a department head. Sterling was still in the habit of delivering his own paperwork to different departments if he wasn't overly swamped at the moment. It was nostalgic and he liked the social interaction it provided with the other departments. "We gotta go through every file he's touched for the last few months at least."

Of course Sterling's main concern was the agent himself, but with him not technically being in the field he wasn't sure if Fury wanted him to touch any part of securing the agent. Volunteering to help with the paperwork until he was given an official assignment felt more appropriate for his skill level and current position. Still, he didn't want to close off other possibilities. Fury had said he trusted him and the man was firmly planted in his office even before he'd come in. Surely, he had more in mind for him than just filing.

"What's the plan, sir?"

"We'll need to follow up with his contacts, maybe send someone by his address to make sure he's not just one of those absent-minded types who forgot to respond." Not that 'we' meant Fury was about to go out on the streets when he was worried his own base was compromised. He'd be foolish to go door knocking, especially on his own.

"My biggest concern is that he was working in Ellis' department, with him and Hartell."

Fury hadn't ever met the young man directly, being 'dead' to anyone outside of a small circle, so he didn't know the personality beyond a basic sign up assessment.

"I'd like you to go up to their department and have a look around. See if there's...notes or anything," or signs of a struggle. There hadn't been any alerts overnight, but he wasn't going to assume these days that that meant they were safe.

It was strange and, frankly, terrifying to hear Fury admit to not knowing something. Sterling wasn't sure he'd ever heard those words leave him. He looked sideways up at Fury, catching his eyes but seeing quickly he wasn't focused on him. He looked away in hopes he wouldn't tear Fury away from whatever thoughts had a hold of him. This was... worrisome.

"I'm sorry. For snapping. I know you're doing all you can for as many as you can. I just hate to see some slip through the cracks. I'm here to help make sure that doesn't happen. I know that's why you called me in. This... hits home for all of us. But, sir, how can you be sure you can trust me?"

Sterling was indeed on that list of agents that had the possibility of being brainwashed. Despite being cleared in every way they could possibly think to clear him, Hydra still had the means and the opportunity. It felt like a gamble to pull him in on this when he knew so little.

He froze as Marco spoke, shifting his focus and leaning in.

Food. He could get him food. Sterling wondered if Fury would allow him to bring it into the room personally or if they would send some guard in with him. It might have been foolish, but Sterling desperately wanted Marco to have someone who knew him give him a moment to breathe. Some stillness. Some care. He thought back to when Nero had betrayed him, took advantage of his kindness and willingness to help someone else and used it to escape. How it had almost gotten himself and a few others killed. Was this a trick?

No. He wouldn't let Merc drown him today.

Sterling took a deep steadying breath in through his nose as he heard Marco say the word 'no' to the empty room. He knew what that meant. He knew what that felt like. His fingers shook ever so slightly as he pressed the button and spoke to Marco.

"I can get you some food." He said quietly. "I... I know what you're going through. It can be so loud sometimes. That voice in your head. I know what it's telling you. I know you won't obey it. I know you're tired and I know you want it to stop, but you're going to keep fighting it and we are going to do everything we can to help you do it. Starting with some food."

Sterling slowly pulled his finger off the button. He took several seconds to stare blankly at the floor before his brown eyes focused up at Fury.

"Please. Let me get him some food. Sir."

'But, sir, how can you be sure you can trust me?'

Fury crossed his arms, carefully studying Sterling as he thought about how to explain it.

"You said it yourself," he eventually replied. He spoke in a calm, even tone, as if he was stating facts from a textbook. "You've been through this. They've tried this shit on you and you're still here. All the time you've spent rebuilding after Merc. The time you spent uncovering Bancroft and his SABRE project after barely knowing Hartell. If you were one of them, you'd have quietly helped."

Unless, of course, all that was a carefully planned act as well. How many missions had Ward helped with while quietly helping sabotage the entire organisation?

Damn it. They'd never found that traitor after his last disappearance, had they?

Later. Focus on that later. There were other problems to deal with.

No, Sterling to him felt different. He stood by his words.

Besides, there was another important factor. "Hartell trusts you."

He left those words to sink in and went quiet, watching Sterling interact with Marco.

The last thing Marco had been expecting was the softness. No fired up, desperate courage, like agent Jordan when the rookie got overwhelmed-

How was he, anyway? Marco hadn't been able to check in on him since getting back and being a rookie, it was unlikely the young agent would get filled in on the situation.

Why do you care? He's an agent.

Because I'm an agent, Marco mentally reminded himself. Ted works in my Department and I am responsible for him. Sterling is right. I won't obey you.

Oh, right.

Marco managed a nod, to let Sterling know he heard. It was the best he could do while struggling to keep Erebus quiet.

Fury watched the exchange silently. He could see how, though the change was subtle, Ellis was a little less tense after Sterling spoke to him. A little more focused. Fury nodded.

He turned to one of the guards, ordering him to sort out having food brought down.

Sterling eyed the key card in Fury's hand as he made the excuse as to why he hadn't been in there to check on the man.

"Then you should have called me hours ago." Or have them program you a need key card under someone else's name. Use disguise mesh. Something. His voice was a bit harsher than he had intended and he willed himself to calm down. Sterling was not a man who was quick to anger, but even when it presented itself, it never lasted long. Sterling knew that in situations like this, the neglect was often unavoidable, caught up in the red tape and secrecy of it all. It was sad, but it was the way things often were. The higher ups had their hands tied. Most of the justice was served by the enraged lower level agents taking matters in their own hands. Coulson had extracted his team when Hand had refused. Barton often went against protocols to do what he thought was right even if it was risky. Now it seemed Fury was using Sterling to seek justice for Marc's treatment when he himself couldn't risk being seen or detected.

That worried Sterling, however. That Fury was avoiding signing off on things in his own agency. He must have suspected a leak of intel or a mole of some sort. Perhaps more sleeper agents among them.

Fuck. It never ended.

"Old orders." Sterling mulled it over in his head, his voice softer now. "So either they know you're alive and they still want you dead, they're testing to see if you are, or they activated him just hoping he'd take out as many SHIELD agents as possible." He turned to Marco again, watching him through the window. He wondered what would happen to his mind if Fury was, in fact, already dead, and he was unable to complete that particular mission. Would he just accept that it was already done by someone else or would his mind latch onto the order and never let it go? He'd have to do some digging in his files, see what they already knew of that result from past Hydra brainwashing.

He leaned forward and spoke to Marco again.

"Yeah, it's me. I'll make sure you glasses are safe, I promise. Are you alright? Do you need food? A sedative to sleep? What can I do?" He repeated his questions, needing an answer.

He wondered how long it would take for Hill to get back to him. Probably a few hours at the very least, likely she would wait at least 24 hours before marking agents under 'no response'. He let out a frustrated sigh. It was both a time-sensitive matter where he needed information quickly, but at the same time had to wait to avoid marking busy undercover agents incorrectly.

He looked like he was watching Sterling, but his mind was elsewhere. Fury would never admit it, but the situation scared him. The chaos and destruction -and death- that followed last time when Garrett and Ward had helped lead an uprising from within their ranks had been devastating. SHIELD still wasn't at the level it had been and struggled gaining support after the uprising and the whole Insight mess.

They couldn't afford to have another incident like those.

"I don't know which of those is the case," he admitted quietly.

Marco stared at the glass, as if he could see through it. Really, he was just going by familiarity with the layout. He was looking more or less in Sterling's direction at least. He nodded at the reassurance.

"Food...perhaps," he responded slowly.

He should sleep. He needed to sleep. But what would happen then, if he wasn't awake and actively fighting Erebus and his damn compulsion? There were agents out there. Sterling wouldn't be alone, there would be guards. And he could guess who was likely to have called in Sterling. There was a good chance he was out there too...

Marco tensed. His fingers curled, as if preparing to grip the familiar shadow knife. He frowned and looked down at his hands.

It wouldn't be clear if he was frowning over the fact he couldn't use the power, or if he was frowning because Marco realised how close he was to losing his control over his own actions.

If it wasn't for the inhibitor bracelet, he could simply shadow jump out of the cell...

And then what? Attack my friends?

They're agents. You have your orders.

'I don't know if you noticed,'

Sterling shot Fury a stern look. This wasn't the time for his sarcastic sassy bullshit.

Putting Marco through this and didn't even bother to make sure he was taken care of. Didn't even know if he'd been eating. Didn't know if he had slept. All he cared about were results. Was he really this heartless or was he expected to be and he had to rage bait Sterling into action on Marco's behalf?

Well, he was about to succeed.

Sterling stepped forward and immediately lowered the lights to what he knew to be a more comfortable level for Marco. They'd worked together for many hours looking for Hartell. He remembered the man's aversion to bright lights. He had the inhibiter bracelet. There was no need for the lights, right? Here they highlighted the bags under his eyes. The shine in them that suggested he was close to breaking. He took a deep breath through his nose to calm himself and pressed the button beside the microphone. His voice was calm and level, a softness in it reserved for those he cared for most.

"Marco. Can you hear me? It's Sterling. You're going to be ok. I'm taking care of it. I know... something of what you're going through. Are you hungry? I'd like you and Ray to get a few hours of rest, if possible, before any of this begins anew. Do you want or need a sedative to sleep? I know..." He paused a moment, choked up for a reason only he knew, "I know I need it sometimes. Tell me what you need."

He slipped his finger off the microphone button and spoke slowly and calmly to Fury now, not looking up at him.

"I know Erebus has answers you need, but right now he's Marco Ellis. A SHIELD agent. Your SHIELD agent." His eyes traveled to Fury's now, flashing with possessiveness. "MY SHIELD agent. You assigned him to me. I'm going to make sure he's well and taken care of because 10 minutes ago you made it my job to do so. You'll get your answers, of course, but he will be treated like he's one of ours. He because he is and he is fighting to keep being one of ours. You deprive him of sleep and rest and you push him too hard and you'll end up with Erebus whether you like it or not... Just as I almost ended up as everything Merc wanted me to be." He trailed off, his eyes glossy and sad at that last sentence, but he renewed the determination in them before looking back up. "With the highest possible respect, as always, Sir."

He had his own access card to the room, but clearly didn’t use it. 

Inside the room, Marco immediately stopped when he heard the voice, as if he’d forgotten until then that people could see and hear him. He tilted his head a little to one side as he listened, hands dropping loosely to his sides. 

“Sterling…?” he mouthed the word, as if trying to recall why it was familiar. He shifted to look over his shoulder at the glass, though, making it clear it wasn’t the case. He absolutely remembered who Sterling was; he just looked genuinely surprised to hear the agent’s voice. Clearly, he hadn’t been informed of Sterling’s assignment.

Slowly, he looked around the room, seeming to have only just realised the lights had been dimmed. He looked relieved. 

“I gave Hartell my sunglasses…” he said, exhaustion clear in his voice. “When I let him cuff me.”

Sure, he was technically fine in the light with his powers blocked, but that didn’t take into consideration that he’d spent decades being used to low lighting. Active powers or not, the brightness still bothered him. At least it didn’t hurt. It wasn’t simply the habit that had him wanting them back, though. “They were a gift.” 

Damn. When did he last eat or sleep? He knew he’d had a few hours before going on the mission, but only because Kristi absolutely refused to let him get away with none at all, no matter how focused he was.

Marco zoned out as he tried to work it out, forgetting he’d never actually answered Sterling’s questions. He shifted to sit facing the window, side on, so he could look more easily but still avoid it if he wanted to. Normally, Marco would be upright, standing or sitting relaxed on a chair, but here he was sitting on the floor with his knees to his chest, much more withdrawn than his usual body language. Too tired to bother moving, or even wiping away any lingering tears.

Fury had approached to stand by Sterling, still wearing that difficult-to-read frown as he watched the interaction with Marco. He was aware that Sterling was deliberately not looking at him, and he was very pointedly not looking back, at least until Sterling ripped into him. Fury actually took a step back, surprised at the backlash.

Shit. Well, he did deserve it.

Fury sighed. He reached into a pocket and held up his unused keycard. 

“I’m dead, remember,” he hissed, keeping his voice low. “If I start signing off on everything here or using this to visit, there’s a good chance whoever set this up will pick up on that.” He gestured to the camera above, monitoring the window he’d avoided going up to as Sterling had. 

“I’m still standing here despite being in to question him the first time because of a damn technicality! Which Hartell ended up injured over. I already had the crew fix that footage to show Hill, but…” but he still couldn’t guarantee it hadn’t already been seen. “What we did get out of Ellis was that he’s fighting old orders to kill Director Fury and SHIELD agents.”