"Agent Coulson, please sit down," the director greets as I walk into his office. "Agent May please give us a moment." The seasoned Agent gives the director a terse nod before leaving.

"Director Coulson," I smile taking a seat across from my father. "You and May?" I asking, raising an eyebrow hopefully. I know things haven't been the same since he died. Audrey, his last girlfriend, thought he died. Neither of them ever really moved on.

"Just business," he brushes off my implication. "I wanted to see how you were doing. You were undercover for a long time." I tug on a loose thread on my SHIELD sweatshirt. I know he's more worried about the nine months I spend as a prisoner of HYDRA.

"I'm fine, readjusting is hard," I answer forcing myself to make eye contact. "Dad, I promise, I'm okay. I ready to go back to work, I need too." My dad smiles at me.

"Sophia, you were undercover in HYDRA for over a year. They held you for nine months," he insists. "Please take more time, at least until your doctor clears you." I hand him a file.

"I'm cleared." I say defiantly, "Dr. Jones said that I'm cleared." My dad reviews my file and makes a quick call to Dr. Jones who confirms my clearance.

"Thank you doctor," he says as he hangs up and looks at me, "Sophia, I'd still like you to take some more time off, please." The gentleness in his voice makes it hard to turn in down.

"How long?" I ask, trying to hid my annoyance. Before he can give me an answer, alarms start blaring. Without another word, we both race to the command center. "What's going on?" the Director asks as we stride into the room.

"We have a breech on the west side," an analyst says, "We never picked it up, until it was inside the geofence." I move towards the armory.

"Where are you going Agent Coulson?" the director addresses me. I holster an icer and a real gun.

"We have someone who breeched our security without triggering any of our warning systems, we have trouble," I say not slowing down. The Director trails just behind me. Several other agents go to join us, but the Director orders them to stay back.

"So how long were you going to ask me to take off?" I joke as we silently move through the woods. I offer my father a knowing smile.

"Two weeks, have you go to the cabin. Have some real time to yourself, away from SHEILD, the doctors," he stops suddenly as we approach where the bogey was picked up. We slow our pace as we skirt a clearing. There's a human form in the middle of the clearing.

"I'm going to approach," I signal silently. He nods and covers me as I approach the form. The form's breathing is shallow, ragged. I slowly circle the body until I find a face. My weapon falls to my side as I process what, who, I see before me. Loki.

Holstering my weapon, I kneel next to him. "I need help! Get Simmons!" I shout to my father. He steps towards me, I point back to the base, "Now!" I turn my attention to bruised and tortured god in front of me.

I take a second to gather my thoughts, he looks very different than when I first faced him in New York. In New York, he practically reeked of crazy, he had chilling blue eyes. Now his face is drawn, covered with bruises and cuts. A muzzle still wraps around his face, keeping his jaw shut. My stomach drops, how long has he been like this? Who did this to him?

I was held and tortured by HYDRA for almost a year and I'm still unknotting that mess. I move to undo the muzzle, but a weak boney hand grabs my wrist in a vice grip. My olive eyes meet his fear filled emerald eyes. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," I try to soothe. "I want to help you." He doesn't let go of my hand. "Shh, Loki, please let me help you."

I feel his grip become weaker as he loses consciousness. I take the chance and unclasp the muzzle, throwing it away from him. The muzzle leaves ugly red welts, I feel my stomach turn as I keep checking him for injuries. Both wrists are broken, his right shoulder is fully dislocated.

A thin and tattered shirt barely covers his thin frame. There are numerous angry red lacerations on his chest. The back of his shirt is soaked with blood. I hear Jemma and my dad approaching, "Jemma! Over here," I call out. Her footsteps quicken as she runs towards me.

She starts to ask a question, but the words never leave her mouth as my dad shines a light on Loki. "Is that?" Jemma asks, her voice tight.

"Yes, this is Loki," I answer looking at the pair, "Director, it's your call how we treat him." I watch my father, as he processes the scene in front of him. I don't know what he'll do. Part of me wants to leave Loki to die, the rest of me knows to help him.

"I'll figure out what to treat him as when we get him back to medical," he says, his voice void of emotion. "I'll send Mack with a gurney." He turns on his heel and walks away. I let Jemma know I'll be right back and jog after my father.

"I'm sorry," I apologize, "I didn't know what to do." He turns and places his hands on my shoulder.

"I'm not mad at you," he sighs, "I'm not ready to face that yet," he points back to where we left the doctor and broken god. "But I am proud that your instinct was to help him. I know that it's hard for you."

"I hate him. For everything he took away from us," I say, my voice shaking with rage. "He took you from me, and me alone…" I take a second to gather my emotions.

My dad pulls me into a tight hug, "It's okay to be angry," he reassures me, "But don't let it override the compassion that comes to you so naturally." He gently kisses my forehead, "Go back to Jemma, I don't want to leave her alone with him…" I nod and jog back to Simmons.

"How's he holding up?" Jemma's accent asks as I approach her. Kneeling on the ground next to Loki, and steady his head.

"Well enough when you come face to face with the person who killed you," I comment dryly, "What are we working with here?" turning her attention back to the patient in front of her.

"His injuries are extensive and I can't even begin to properly treat his wounds," she says a matter-a-factly. "I've never seen damage this extensive before, I can't even begin guess what made this."

"Torture," I answer flatly, "He was hung by his wrists and then cut with something sharp and hot, I'd guess." Jemma face twists in horror.

"Please stop," she begs, "I can't listen to that." She sets and wraps the worst of the injuries. "I need to scan him for internal injuries."

"Trust me, they're there," I comment, wondering more how extensive they are. I hear someone coming through the forest. Moving to my feet I draw my lethal weapon and aim it towards the sound.

"Whoa there, little girl," Mack comments, putting one hand up. His other arm holds a gurney. "Your dad said you found Loki?" I nod as I holster my weapon. I jerk my head towards where the doctor and Loki are waiting.

Mack draws a sharp breath when he sees Loki. "This is the same guy to destroyed half of New York and killed your dad, right?" he asks. I glare at him.

"Yes, will you help me move him?" I gently grab Loki's fragile upper body and move him onto the gurney. Even unconscious his face twists in pain. "Shhh, you're okay," I whisper, gently pushing a strand of matted black hair away from his face.

Mack and I lift Loki and carry him back to the base. Agents line the hallways when we get back. We make a beeline for the medical center. Jemma locks the door behind us to keep the growing audience at bay.

Jemma gives Loki an injection of some kind. I glance at her, "To keep him calm and comfortable," she reassures me. "I need to run him through the CT, help me." Carefully, Mack and I move him onto the machines slide.

We move behind a protective shield as Jemma starts the machine. She mentions that this might take a while. I tell them I'll be back in a few minutes and go find my dad. Swinging by the cafeteria, I pick us up both a cup of coffee.