Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Raps, I h- have something I need to tell you. Can we talk in private?"

"Oh, okay" Rapunzel didn't know what to expect, but she saw urgency in Faith's eyes. She was willing to listen to her. Raps missed Cass so much; she was glad she was able to get closer to someone new. 

As they were walking, suddenly Zhan Tiri took the opportunity and revealed Cass in front of everyone by taking her cloak away. The cape fell down and the true identity was uncovered. 

“Cassandra?”  Rapunzel asked with a surprised look on her face. 

There was panic. Everyone was shocked. Cassandra's plan to be inconspicuous was ruined and everyone was scared of her. She was freaking out too. Rapunzel seemed so afraid of her for a moment, so she thought that Rapunzel wouldn't want her back anymore. That she won't accept the apology she wanted to say.

Guards immediately noticed the threat: "We have to protect the princess!" They ran towards Cass intending to stop her.

Cass quickly said to Raps: "Rapunzel listen, I-I can explain..." She didn’t want to hurt anyone.

Rapunzel saw terror in Cassandra's eyes, so she wanted to reach her and talk to her, but guards were coming from all sides. She shouted at the guards: “Stand down!” But they didn’t listen.

Cass looked around, with fear in her eyes, finally realising that guards were going after her. She wanted to avoid them, so she pushed blunt rocks towards them to keep the distance. But they weren’t stopping. They didn’t seem to give her another option than to fight, so she fought. Pushing more blunt rocks, trapping guards, so they wouldn’t be able to reach her. But she was holding back. It wasn’t an attack but protection from her perspective.

Rapunzel, in the meantime, still not believing what's happening, went to reach Cass and managed to grab her hand. "Cass! Don't do this! It's not too late for us to make things right." 

Cassandra stopped. She didn't want to do this, all she wanted to do was to apologize. But with everything going on, it seemed impossible. Yet she made herself vulnerable, thinking that this moment can be the last one to try it. 

She struggled with it, but then with her shaky voice she started: "Rapunzel, I want to believe you, but..."

She was interrupted. Out of nowhere something hit her hard and she started to feel the strong substance surrounding her. Strong as stone, maybe even more. The amber. It grew pretty quickly. Climbing up, not leaving any space for another movement. All she could do in that moment was to outstretch her hand towards Rapunzel. With terror in her eyes, she tried to reach her. But it was too late. Just a few moments later, her whole body was completely frozen in place. She couldn't move, not even breathe. Her vision was blurred by amber, but she could still see through.

Sh-she betrayed me! That's what went through her mind first. But the panic was stronger than anger. She was struggling to do anything to break free. Her body couldn't make any movement. She was trapped. Her only hope was the moonstone laying on her chest. Trying to summon the power within, her calls for salvation were not heard. Something was wrong. The moonstone wasn't reacting. It was horrifying. She felt completely helpless. Her efforts were for nothing.

Being encased in the amber was painful for Cassandra, and the lack of air wasn't helping. Trying to breathe was useless, but something was preventing her from passing out.

All she could do was to be there, watching the world outside. She saw Rapunzel. If anyone out there could break her free, it was her. As Rapunzel came closer, Cass saw her terror when she touched the external part of the amber. Even though she wasn't able to do anything, she saw that Rapunzel didn't mean for this to happen. Her expressions confirmed it. Cassandra's anger disappeared. The important thing was to find a way out.

Then Rapunzel turned around and glared at Eugene, as if he was arguing with her. Cass couldn't hear the words properly, but knew who was speaking. Rapunzel turned back toward Cass and let down her hair. She knew what was about to happen. No. Hair was thrown around the amber. Not this. Cass knew exactly what had Rapunzel on her mind. She wanted to scream on her to not use that incantation, as it only caused pain. But she couldn't. She was willing to stay there longer to find another solution. But it wasn't her call to make.

Rapunzel had already begun to sing, her hair turning black. Before the incantation effect could be felt, something happened. Cass couldn't see exactly what, but outside there was panic. In a matter of seconds, everyone was running and her blurry vision noticed Rapunzel's hair making weird movements. Turning away from the amber. Not melting it. And then Rapunzel turned away too...

What is happening? Did Rapunzel lose control just like that first time in the Great tree? Seeing the ground becoming dark, people falling on their knees… It was all a sign of something really bad. And she couldn’t do anything to stop it. She saw Eugene closest to Rapunzel. Moving slowly closer to her, just like when she herself tried to stand or move in the effect of the incantation. It was a horrible feeling, like she was dying from the inside. Now they all felt the same way. Eugene tried to snap her out of it. 

Rapunzel stretched out her hand towards Eugene. Cass would scream to Eugene to run away from there, but she couldn’t. All she could do was to watch. And it was horrifying, what a simple touch could do.

In fact, Cass didn’t hate Eugene so much. She was just annoyed by him most of the time, but now seeing him like this… she just couldn’t accept this. He deserved better. What was happening was a nightmare. Cass was filled with grief and terror, wanting to scream, fight, literally to do anything to stop this madness. 

But something in this didn't make sense. Rapunzel hadn't moved in her trance in the Great Tree. She had just stood still, unlike now. She wouldn't move her hand and kill Eugene if she was still herself. Even in the spell, she's been able to snap out of it before. Not this time. This wasn't her anymore.

Soon she saw others falling down. At least her sight was blurred, she thought, being spared the worst images. Suddenly, Rapunzel turned on her again. She turned with an evil grin and headed towards her. Cass thought that this would be the end. I’m completely helpless against her now. If she won’t melt the amber, I won’t be able to do anything at all. This isn’t Rapunzel! What happened to her? She wanted to scream the question to the evil creature that was once her friend. But then she realised. She’s possessed. It’s Zhan Tiri. The demon. She would be able to do that. That incantation probably made Rapunzel more vulnerable, so she used the opportunity. But what can I do against her? I can’t move. I can’t protect anybody, not even myself. She’ll kill me.

Rapunzel stopped. She didn’t say anything and her expression remained blank, but her blackened hair continued to move as if the hair was still alive, separate from her, but it did not try to touch the amber. So this is how it is, she won’t get out. Cass realised, and she had never felt so powerless in her life as she did right then.

Then, from behind the tent nearby, a small purple figure revealed herself and came closer to the amber. Closer, so Cass would be able to see her, but still far enough from deadly Rapunzel’s hair. Her eyes began to glow purple and soon the real form of the sweet child Zhan Tiri showed up, changing and growing high enough to be sure everybody would see her true face before their deaths.

Cass immediately reacted: Oh my- whoa, so this is how Zhan Tiri looks in her true form? Should have expected it with clues from the past, but it’s just… I was with that for the last few months? And took advice from it? How could I have been so careless? Will she kill me now that she's done with me?

She didn't wait too long for the answer. Even though she couldn't hear properly through the amber, Zhan Tiri found a way to talk to her through mind: “Hello Cassandra, my dear, you’re finally seeing the real me. So, what is it like to fail completely? To see your world burn? To be denied by your own destiny? Your goal being refused? Being imprisoned unfairly, feeling completely helpless in fulfilling what had always been meant to be yours? I’ve been there. I know the feeling. It either destroys you or you’ll become stronger than ever before.”

Cass couldn’t reply, she didn’t even know how the demon was able to give this speech. Her thoughts were all blurred with Zhan Tiri’s voice. She couldn’t focus on anything else. Feeling defeated with this hideous demon, she didn’t know what to expect from her now. Then the enormous creature grabbed the whole amber with just one hand, which just intensified her terrific power. Taking amber closer to her, so Cass wouldn’t be able to focus on anything but her. 

“Even though our paths may be different, we have something similar. We both wanted to achieve our goals but we both felt injustice as the world turned against us. In my life in imprisonment I thought there was nothing I could do to be freed at first. But there is always a way. Before, of course, there is long suffering, but at least it’ll teach you to be stronger and unyielding. Or it’ll kill you. So, as my gift to you, for your help, I’ll teach you this lesson. I won’t kill you, but I won’t also make this easy for you either.”  

The demon moved with the amber from the castle courtyard, going further to the town of Corona and then leaving it completely. The whole Corona island was covered in the dark shade of the decay spell. Cass realised that Zhan Tiri took her away so the decay incantation wouldn’t free her... 

Then on the near hill, the demon stopped and turned around. Showing Cassandra her destroyed kingdom for the last time. “See? I’ve accomplished my goal, succeeded, had my revenge and satisfaction.”

Cass, still not believing how this got so dark so quickly, was mourning internally. All was lost - her kingdom which was so remote to her, but yet so important; her friends who wanted to probably even help her and get her back from her dark path… She already missed everything and now this happened. The worst nightmare she didn’t even know that existed came true.  

"You on the other hand are going the other direction. When I was firstly imprisoned, I thought I had no hope, so I want to show you what it is really like to have nothing left to lose, what is it like to have no hope of escaping," Zhan Tiri smiled. "Say goodbye to your vile kingdom."

Cassandra watched with horror as she was whisked away to the outskirts of Corona. She saw everything, from buildings collapsing to dust clouds spreading as the incantation destroyed the place she called home. 

Cass was destroyed by everything; guilt, sadness, fear and anger. She wanted revenge, but it was impossible. She was thinking about what the demon said. Would she throw me somewhere, so I won't be able to escape? That's her plan. She wants me to suffer. She's doing pretty great so far, but I can't stand the thought to be here any longer. With everything I've experienced today. I'd rather die than to live in the pain, without air, without a way of moving or doing anything at all. I-I wanna die. This horrific thought was the final decision she saw. With her limited options this was the best one. To end this here and now. But how could she even say it when she couldn't speak? Zhan Tiri could speak to her, but she couldn't do the same thing. Then she heard her again.

"You said your path was dark, but you saw where it ended. Is this what you saw, Cassandra?" she devilishly laughed.

Cass noticed the ground open up. The demon had it all planned out. She wanted to beg her to rather kill her than this, she wanted to scream, but all was in vain. 

As the demon was holding the amber closer to the hole, Zhan Tiri said her last sentence: "I could never have done this without you." 

And that was the last thing she heard. Then she found herself falling in the amber. Falling several seconds deep down and then there was an impact. She was in the bottom of the cave. The only light from where she was thrown was soon covered in dirt. The demon erased all traces that she's down there. It was over.

She lost. Lost her life, but she was still alive. That stupid amber didn't let her die, nor did the moonstone. Darkness everywhere, the only tiny light was from her stone. But why have a magical stone if it can't get you out? What was the meaning of having any power if she was powerless with it?

The first few hours were pure torture. She remembered all those horrible things she's seen, Zhan Tiri's words echoed in her head. "I could never have done this without you." It was true, and the guilt grew much further. This whole darkness floated her darkest memories even from the past. Making the unbearable pain and headache to Cassandra. She couldn't end it. She couldn't even cry. She was a wreck buried alive. 

There were times when she tried to summon rocks again, just to try to do anything. The Moonstone failed her. Maybe that amber had an effect on its use. But it was useless. Days passed, maybe even weeks. She couldn't tell time as everything was constantly the same. There was only darkness and soon her hope extinguished. She gave up. This was her worst death, because she was alive, but dead inside. Nothing mattered anymore. Cass could feel herself becoming a hollow shell of a once hopeful person, someone who struggled but at least had the will to live but not anymore. Now she truly had nothing left to lose.

Chapter Text

S.H.I.E.L.D. Research Basement, 2011

Though their methods and motivations were different, the motto of both S.H.I.E.L.D. and CERN Research was the same: seeking answers to questions about the universe. Tasked with protecting the world from global threats for decades, it had become a priority of S.H.I.E.LD. to analyze a particular object which had mystified mankind for centuries: the Tesseract. It was believed this cube had formed the universe. Trying to research it in America didn’t lead to much. It made sense to use the resources only accessible to CERN in Switzerland.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had the advantage of cooperating with the space organization NASA, with whom they were doing the latest experiments. Both organizations agreed that safety needed to be put first, because the power of the Tesseract could be as dangerous as it was interesting. It could be classified as a weapon of mass destruction in the wrong hands, or worse. So for a mission like this, transporting something so valuable and volatile, everything had to be planned carefully and fully secure. 

After boarding one of S.H.I.E.L.D. 's Quinjets, designed with stealth missions in mind, the agents had mostly been experiencing an unremarkable flight. No evidence of intrusion into nearby aerospace or any outside threat, and they were over an unoccupied area. There seemed time to relax, if slightly, while still being ready to fight... until there was a faint buzzing sound as the devices monitoring the Tesseract began to act up, well outside their normal calibers, a few needles on radars not where they were expected. A cautious, senior agent looked at the devices -- there was no significant energy discharge, it wasn't too noticeable, but clearly something nearby was causing this reaction.

Something like this wasn’t common, either for scientists or for agents. This was something new. Scary to some, interesting to others. Experts were struggling to find out what was happening with it, but when they passed the area, the Tesseract was once again in its normal state. But this anomaly attracted the attention of everyone on board. On their way, they requested an investigation of the area they passed. This was really rare, to see the tesseract reacting to anything external. For sure, if they wanted to change the location of the flight, agents from other teams firstly needed to check the area of reaction, to see if there’s nothing dangerous, if that’s not a trap.

Their research mission was postponed, now they wanted to check and find the source. They returned back to the area where there was that reaction and with a quinjet they landed on the ground. Field agents started to search the area for anything unusual that might have caused it. They were still fully armed, because there could be some danger on their way. Although it was an unoccupied area, they needed to be sure that nobody or nothing would attack them. They searched the surface, but there was nothing to be found. Area secured. Everything was clear. They brought the tesseract back to the area and the increasing reaction pointed them to something. This time it was visible also for the eyes of agents, not just from devices. The tesseract was shining brighter. It was like a lead to the source, drawing agents closer and closer.

They finally stopped as they found out the strongest place of reaction. There was some indistinct rock formation near it. There appeared to have been a cave buried underneath the soil a really long time ago. They knew that something was underground, so they brought equipment and started digging. When they dug deeper, they reached closer and closer until the cave opening was visible. 

They made passage big enough for agents to be able to get in. They turned on the flashlights and were looking for anything unusual in the darkness of the cave. The cave wasn’t that big. It was narrow from the beginning, but still accessible. The passageway got wider until they reached the point of the smaller cave hall. They found a large amber with a person inside and a light source on them. They brought the tesseract to the cave and everyone witnessed the reaction of the tesseract on that blue light from the amber. This was it. They needed to figure out what this all meant, why the tesseract was reacting and who was in the amber…

Inside it, Cass was conscious the whole time, but not fully aware of what was happening. She was thinking that she could stay like this forever, unable to die and unable to break free. Life spent in the darkness. Surrounded by fear and gloom. Pain in her eyes fixed like that forever. Her internal cries were hunting her long enough. She just wanted to get out.

 All she saw in the previous years was eternal darkness, so seeing light was something unexpected. She finally saw a spark of hope in it, some chance that she won't be there forever. She thought her life could be once again hers, that she could be free and released from that amber.

But with that light also came fear. Firstly, she felt that the power of moonstone was awakening but she didn’t know why. It was something external, something close to her which made the moonstone brighten again. It was shining, she felt the moonstone’s yearning for the source of its reaction. She couldn’t control it. She couldn’t do anything to stop it. She couldn’t use the power, at least not yet.

Secondly, she also noticed strange figures moving in the darkness and only little lights were revealing their presence and were reaching her. She couldn’t see clearly through the amber, everything was blurry, but she saw few people wearing weird clothes when there was more light brought to the cave. This light wasn’t from the sun. She's never seen that kind of light source. All she’d known were light sources from fire. This was new. 

She couldn't even think how long she had been there. She was wondering about it. The odds became more clear now. She was there for a really long time and these lights were the proof.

As they were getting closer and bringing there more stuff and light, she had an unpleasant feeling. The fear that came with it was also disturbing her. It reminded her that she was still unable to do anything. To protect herself, to run away, to scream. Now she could be saved but also endangered. The intentions of these particular people were unknown to her. But still, getting out of the amber would be the greatest thing that could happen to her. So no matter what, it couldn't be worse than staying there. She couldn't react, so she was just observing everything.

In the meantime, agents made a call to bring more experts to the area. They needed someone with knowledge. S.H.I.E.L.D. sent more agents to figure out the next move. They didn't know anything about the stone inside of the amber or the host. It could be some alien and they needed to be careful with that. Everything was highly classified.

They wanted to study and examine everything, but firstly they needed to move the amber to some bigger place. In the cave, there was just little space for some research, so they took samples of the amber, which were really hard to take. The amber was really strong, hard to break. Scientists were examining and finding out more about the substance of amber. They wanted to know about the shining source inside of it too, but they couldn’t examine it more without breaking the amber first. They could study it in their basement. 

During that day, agents also prepared the transport. They made a bigger space to be able to get the amber out. They also needed to decrease the size of the amber, so they cut protruding parts out with heat, but it was still a lengthy process to remove. When it was all ready, they sent up the amber and loaded it to the plane. The plane was on the way to S.H.I.E.L.D. basement in France. In the basement, agents prepared a big room with all the equipment and machines that could possibly cut the amber.

Chapter Text

S.H.I.E.L.D. Basement, France, Location: classified

The agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. were really active these last days in the basement. Something big was happening, but everything was classified. Agents with higher rank were included in that mission, but there were also agents with lower rank who were also interested, but didn’t know anything about it except the fact that it was big. 

Among them there was one agent in training, Gabriel Perez, who wanted to fit in with other agents, but he was just a second level agent still in training. He was curious about this big classified mission and saw this as an opportunity to prove himself for Shield. They wouldn’t give him some bigger role as an agent, but he still wanted to be part of the team, to help others to solve the case. He knew he could help with missions because he had good skills with computers and hacking. He was studying that and now he wanted to use it for good and show his training was worth it. His training was almost complete, so he hoped that they would give him at least a smaller part of some bigger mission.

So far, he had only boring small missions, but he was patient, he knew that becoming an agent could be really hard. His training was only for missions in the basement, so he wasn’t really strong or trained for fighting or combat like some of the others. He wanted to use his hacking, tracking and programming skills, but Shield hadn’t given him important tasks so far. He didn’t have any connections, so he needed to earn Shield's trust on his own.

Now he thought it might be a good time to ask for a bigger assignment, so he sent a request if he can be part of that classified mission. Unfortunately, his request was denied, because of his low rank. He didn’t think that it would be easy to get a good assignment. The first denial was not so bad, he was used to it, but he didn’t want to give up.

He went to the other part of the basement to find another way to become part of the mission, but while he was walking, he met a few agents with big lasers on their way to the classified zone. Although he wasn’t some kind of expert, he knew that those lasers needed programming and machine operators. 

Then he recognized that he knew one of the agents who was carrying those lasers. They had been in Shield Academy together. "Hey, could I help with this?" Gabe asked politely.

The other agent looked at him: "You think you can lift this? We can handle that, Gabe."

"Well, no, but I know a lot about programming, someone will have to make sure the laser cuts are precise, right?" Gabe nodded, "Remember, we had the same programming class, Gordon?"

Gordon nodded, "Yeah, I remember, modern tech was always your specialty... Maybe you could be useful here after all. I'd vouch for you to get a security clearance but we’d need to send a request to the boss. We have one laser programmer but this is a big mission so two would probably be better." he laughed. Gordon was always a jolly, friendly guy. “Go ask the boss, tell him I sent you.”

Gabriel went to the room of his superior, breathing in nervously, holding his request for the new mission and task in hand. He really wanted to succeed, so he went in with self-confidence and ready to earn the task as he opened the door.

Agent Thomas was at a desk with a computer, a board behind him with all sorts of papers on it. He was one of the only agents to still use lots of paper when he could still use computers and holograms. 

“Can I talk to you, sir?” Gabe asked.

“Perez? What is this about? I only have a few minutes.” Thomas insisted.

“Of course, sir. I just heard about some aspects of the mission where I thought I could be of assistance.” he folded into professional mode, trying to sound official, “I spoke to some of the agents working with the lasers, and they said they could use another programmer. Gordon Harris told me to talk to you.” he handed Thomas a folder. “This includes my relevant background, I was one of the best programmers in my class at the academy, and I know the same program languages used by the lasers. I can make sure there’s no mistakes or bad cuts.”

Thomas took the folder: “Well, I’ll have to look it over. We’re not really looking for another programmer, whatever Harris told you…” he stopped. “You don’t have any experience with lasers, Perez, but I know you’re good with your tech. Maybe we can work something out.”

Gabe nodded quickly: “Of course, sir. I want to do whatever I can to help this mission succeed. Just let me know what I can do.”

“Well…” Thomas rubbed his chin for a moment, “all right, so we don’t have room for a programmer exactly, but… I could recommend you as a consultant to work with our assigned programmer.” He nodded: “You can make sure our guy doesn’t screw anything up, and get a little more experience. You’ll never get anywhere stuck behind a desk all day.” He looked at his own desk. “This isn’t where I started, you know.” he chuckled a little.

“Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.” Gabe nodded, appreciatively. This was his chance to prove what he was capable of, that he could be a part of the team and help make S.H.I.E.L.D. better, so they could see his abilities and see what he could really do.

“This is a classified zone mission, so I’ll have to send in a request for a security pass for you. You’re a low rank and you won’t be allowed to know anything more than what’s necessary, and you’ll be monitored to make sure you’re up and up. You’re a good guy though, so I’m sure you’ll do fine.” he nodded.

Once the amber arrived in the basement, agents and scientists started doing different cuts to the amber to find out the most effective way of cutting it. 

Gabriel for the first time entered the classified zone with his brand-new lanyard. He passed the security easily, but anyways, the security agent threw a pensive gaze on him. Maybe it was because of his level, who knows? Now, he met his laser colleague and they were entering The room. The centre of the mission. This was really exciting for Gabe but he wanted to keep his professional face. But his friend Gordon could still see his smile under that mask, he was excited for Gabe too. His first big mission was starting right now.

They entered The room. This was also the cover name for this specific space in the basement, where they brought the most interesting and potentially dangerous assets. Something with a reaction like the Tesseract was both dangerous and interesting. Gabe didn’t even know this information. He was only there for the research, and as a help for his fellow agent with lasers which were used during the process too. 

That first feeling was so memorable for Gabe. Entering the huge room with a high ceiling through a big steel door, which would probably hold even Hulk… it was really something else. 

It was like a field mission for him - entering an unknown place with just one goal for him, but not knowing anything else about it. Then he saw her. In the middle of the room, surrounded by many agents and equipment they brought, there was a girl, trapped inside the amber substance. It was a huge mass, surrounding her body. 

He already had several questions, but knew that he shouldn’t ask, it wasn’t his business anyways. But he was curious. Where did they find her? How did she even manage to get inside? What happened to her? Who is she? Is she still… alive? ...

Gordon noticed Gabe’s curious eyes, so he explained: “Alright, no questions and don’t look that surprised. We’re doing our job here and everything else isn’t our business. If something happens, listen to orders, is it clear?”

“Yeah, I guess. Can I just… inform myself, are we trying to get her out?” he couldn’t resist asking anything, so he changed the word and nervously looked at agent Harris.

Gordon sighed: “I said no questions… but I can tell you that we’re just going to do research on what method works the best, they’ll try other stuff, we try lasers. That’s it, then we’ll receive new orders.” 

Gabe was glad that he received at least some info: “Oh, okay, thanks Gordon for informing me.”

Among the other ways of cutting the amber, the lasers proved to be most effective during the research. Agents received new orders. To get ready with cutting the amber with lasers, the leading agent entrusted laser operations to agent Harris. Gabe was glad that their method was the most effective and that he could stay there longer. The operation was about to start.

A couple of agents were really concerned about the girl having opened her eyes, because it looked like she was watching them. They were ready to free her body and to get to the source which led them to the amber a couple days ago. But they didn't know that she was alive and conscious all the time and seeing everything around her.

Chapter Text

“The room”, S.H.I.E.L.D. Basement

The operation with a cover name “Laser cut” has begun. Agents were cutting the amber carefully with lasers. Gabriel was watching his friend programming the lasers to do precise cuts and another agent operating them. They didn't want to cut her, so the programming process couldn’t have any flaws. Gabe was checking data after Gordon did his job. However he was there just as a consultant, he felt that his job had a meaning.

The hardest part was to program laser movements so that it wouldn’t cut the woman inside while cutting the amber. The critical moment was for them to get the amber off of her head. After cutting it carefully, agents removed the cut piece of amber and something unexpected happened.

The woman was alive and conscious! Shock came from both sides. 

Cass was finally free to breathe. She finally closed her eyes after years of being unable to do it. Her first breaths were so hard and irregular, her body was still constricted in the amber. It was as if she was learning how to breathe again. But she felt the air. The real air. She’d missed it so much.

But she was panicking. At least she could finally react. React to suddenly louder noises. She opened her eyes once again. Everything was clearer, she could finally see without the thick layer of amber in front of her eyes.

Breathing wasn’t easier even later, when she tried to look around her. Restricted movement didn’t let her breathe more air in, even though she needed it. She had to calm down or she would pass out from lack of oxygen, which was funny, because she couldn’t pass out when inside the amber.

Looking around, she saw many strangers surrounding her. She was also able to see light again, but this one wasn't something she knew. No, it wasn't from the sun or candles, this was different and unknown to her. All those people around her were scary too. They had weird clothes and unfamiliar things in their hands. Aiming on her. She wasn't paying much attention to it at first, because her panic caused her to not focus on anything else than trying to get out of that amber. But she wasn’t completely free.

There had been stories like this, but he had always assumed they were only stories. Gabe felt his heart pounding as the amber broke open and he came face to face with what they had been trying to free... initial speculation suggested some kind of alien, perhaps a relative of the Asgardians or something. The amber wasn't like any known substance, and they hadn't been sure they could cut through it at first. When he saw her face though, he was surprised... it was no alien or monster, but a pale woman with blue hair in waves. He noticed agents pointing weapons at her in panic, on instinct, but he only saw fear on her face.... his training said that a look of fear meant an attack out of desperation, but he wasn't sure he believed that right now. 

The other agents were freaking out just as she was. None of them had expected her to be alive or even awake. The two agents with lasers stopped cutting immediately. “Stay back!” a voice called out to Gabriel, his friend and others. This made the situation more difficult, they had to wait for new orders. They could see her fear and that she was panicking, but other agents were alarmed and trained to be ready to strike in case of any danger.

All Cassandra could see that they were pointing some strange things at her and they didn't seem friendly. She could guess what that meant. She was afraid of everything; she didn’t have anything under control and she couldn't even resist. How could she protect herself if they attacked her? 

Her panic increased because of her inability to move or even take a deep breath. She was struggling to break free on her own, but so far the Moonstone wasn't reacting in any way. It was useless. She was just able to move her head and was forced to face those people. She didn't want to be there; she was so scared and would rather just hide in the corner of the room than be in the centre of attention.

Gabe saw the growing panic on her face and wanted to say something or step forward, but he knew he had to wait for instruction, or maybe from one of the other agents. This didn't feel right... but what if he messed things up? What if he took one step too far and made everything worse? What's to say his judgement was better than the senior officials in S.H.I.E.L.D.? He knew he needed less time behind a desk and more training to be in the field, to make those split-second judgement calls. He was no Nick Fury or Peggy Carter, he was just... Gabriel Perez. So, he stayed back as commanded. He had programmed the lasers, but he could not shoot or cut with them.

The tension in the room was thick, agents had orders to stay back with weapons ready to shoot at any moment if ordered. But the situation still seemed safe. The woman couldn’t move or run away.

The door opened and Agent Phil Coulson entered the room. He came right in time, because if something big was going on in S.H.I.E.L.D, he was always there. He had been called to the basement a few hours ago to supervise on the mission, at the personal request of Director Fury. Now he walked in and found all the agents in the room alarmed, weapons ready. He wanted to tell them to calm down, his job was to ease tensions when he could, but he didn’t know the situation too well. He looked to the highest-ranking agent in the room and motioned him over: “Come here.” They would figure out new moves and issue new orders.

Cass heard agents discussing something but didn’t know what, because they were far from her. She still felt a lot of fear, but tried to contain it as long as they were in predominance and aiming on her.  It wasn't a good time for tears or to have some panic attack. She had to stay strong even though she felt completely weak and helpless. They had to get her out somehow, no matter what. She couldn’t stay in the amber any longer.

Agents didn't even know if she was human, because of the black rock armor she was wearing. So they had to figure out the next step. They needed to get her out of the amber first, she wasn’t dangerous while she was trapped in there after all. Finding out who she was and if they could trust her was their next goal.

“Perez, Thomas, keep cutting and be very careful. Let’s not scare our new discovery here,” Coulson instructed, trying to stay optimistic but also practical. Keeping her calm was the key to get her out. “Other agents, weapons down,” he ordered.

The other agents obeyed the order and then observed the situation, holding their weapons down, but still ready. Gabe wasn’t too close to her, but he knew they needed to keep her calm. He could tell she was struggling to get out without success. It would be just more complicated for them to cut her out of there while she was panicking, and more likely she could be hurt.

After a while, she realized that it wasn’t a good idea to resist them while they were getting her out of the amber. She wanted to calm down a bit. Few agents came closer and slowly and carefully continued with their work. Including Gabe and Gordon, agents slowly cut and removed another part of the amber.

As long as her right arm was free, she put her hand close to the body. It was at least some small feeling of protection and control for her. In the meantime, she was closely watching those people, not knowing what they could be capable of, mostly now that her options for protection were limited. The two closest to her seemed to be as careful as they could. She even noticed the tension while they were coming closer, as if they were afraid of her. That was probably good, she thought, keeping their distance. 

But those devices they were using were ominous. Also pretty strong, because they could cut through the amber. Nothing could do that back in Corona. She rather looked away when they were using it, not wanting to see that blinding red light which was melting the parts of the amber. It was so close, she was afraid that it could cut her too. But luckily no. Her chest was free soon, and she could now protect the un-ambered moonstone. She still didn’t know why it wasn’t working and why she couldn’t create the rocks to break herself free right now. She wanted to use it to speed it up.

Holding her emotions in as much as she could, Cass was impatiently waiting for them to get her out. Mostly, she didn't want to cry in front of these total strangers. She didn't even want to think of what had happened back in the past. She was focusing only on this one situation, practical as ever, because she couldn't handle more emotional pain now and it seemed easier to ignore it. 

There was silence among the agents in the room, and the only sounds that could be heard were those from lasers. When her second arm was free, she crossed her hands, a small feeling of safety calmed her a bit. 

It took three hours until the whole process was done. For Cass it felt like an eternity, time suddenly went slower and she felt already emotionally drained by keeping her mask on. Seeing that soon she would be able to move freely, she had to think about her next move. The need for a strategy. 

Okay, so I’m not in a really good emotional state and I’m clearly outnumbered. In this unknown place and without knowledge how to escape. So, when I’m free, the better idea would be to retreat. I can't fight them all. Not now. I don't even know if I can use the rocks again when I’m free. Also, there is the possibility of being completely powerless… What should I do? 

There was growing tension near the end of the un-ambering process. Agents were ready to take action if something went wrong. Coulson ordered to not shoot. He wanted a friendly welcoming for their new guest, but he still needed to stay vigilant for possible unfriendly or hostile behaviour. 

Gabe, his friend and agent operating the lasers were growing more nervous, because they didn’t know how she would react when they set her free. They were really careful with cutting the last parts of the amber holding her feet. 

When they were done, Cass was nervously walking backward and away from them. Then the black rocks started showing from the ground. Now she knew at least that her powers were back, she could feel some small relief, but she couldn’t control them well, because she was still so afraid and because her emotions were a big mess now. It was so overwhelming. More rocks appeared.

The agents were all alarmed by those rocks, even Coulson - none of them had seen anything like it. They quickly read it as an attack on them. They were aiming their weapons on her. Out of fear, someone took the first shot as her rocks reached nearer to some of the agents. She panicked and blocked the shot with a jagged black rock that she created from the floor just in time. The bullet bounced from the rock back to the agent's direction. Luckily it didn’t hit anyone, but it was dangerous.

She saw that this situation wasn’t looking good for her and she needed to protect herself and the Moonstone. She covered the stone with black rock armor to be unreachable for them if she couldn´t stop them. More shots were coming.

“Take cover!” someone shouted. The bullets were soon flying everywhere as they were bouncing off the impenetrable rocks.

“Get out of the way!” Everyone without weapon or fight training either got out of the way or covered themselves behind other agents. Stronger agents protected scientists and programmers. 

Gabe was terrified, he’d never been in this kind of action before. His friend Gordon and another agent turned a metal table upright to use as a barrier against the bullets and hopefully also those rocks, hiding behind it. The exit was too far from them and it was risky. 

“I told you to stay back!” Other screams were heard. There was panic. Gabe didn’t even know what was happening anymore. Was the woman really attacking? Or did just agents take the first shot and she reacted to it? Why do they keep shooting?

“I outrank him, keep shooting!” 

“No, hold on-”

“We’re engaged and that’s that!” Agents were shouting at each other, because everyone was stressed and tense, some listened to orders to not shoot and others were shooting from sheer panic and fear. 

Cass was protected by her black rock armor against shots, but it didn’t make this less scary; she was terrified. She made sure to protect her face. A few of the shots were too close, her hands and rocks weren’t shielding her enough. One shot scraped her face a bit, when she was more focused on shots from a different direction. It hurt, this made it clear that she could be seriously harmed or killed if she wasn’t careful. She knew that this was getting out of hand and the situation was really dangerous.

Thinking about fighting back with more rocks seemed like a better option, but their unfamiliar weapons were so loud and strong, she had never seen anything like this. Creating more rocks as shields against the shots, pushing some of them towards those people who were attacking her, she didn’t have the intentions to kill them, just to keep some distance and to stop them from shooting at her. In self-defence she pushed more blunt rocks, some of them getting agents off balance or making them drop their weapons. Anything for protection.

This only alarmed agents more. More of them were shooting out of panic, and fewer coordinating or obeying orders. More bullets were balanced backwards. It seemed to them as if she was the one who was attacking them. 

But she wasn’t. Taking steps backwards, dodging the bullets and using her armor as a shield, Cass was approaching the back wall without any further space to retreat. Cornered to the wall, she didn’t have many options left. She was forced to take some action. With a gesture with her shaky hands, she created a big cage of black rocks and isolated herself away from the shots and agents. She made the cage fully impenetrable. 

All agents stopped shooting, because their target disappeared in black mass. Those rocks weren't a good place to shoot, because bullets were bouncing back towards them, so they would harm only themselves. 

Chapter Text

Terrified as ever, Cass slid down and sat on the ground in her little cage, hugging her knees, finally safe from those people, finally exhaling from that dangerous situation. She was alone at last. The feeling she hadn’t felt since… well it wasn’t anything new. This time though, she could move and breathe and react, she was free. Even if the concept of being free was relative at the moment.

Cass was trembling and she was scared, finally able to think about everything that happened outside of the amber. She could let all her emotions out. She realized what she had lost and that she had been in the amber for a long time. She had seen through the amber all the things that had happened... how her best friend Rapunzel was forced to do horrible things... to kill everyone in Corona. 

All of these things... all of these horrible things happened because Cassandra let herself be manipulated by that little ghost called Zhan Tiri, the ancient sorcerer demon who had reached her victory. Cass felt extremely guilty for all these things, she’d lost everything... all she wanted to do was to find her destiny, she hadn’t meant to help destroy Corona and kill her friends and family. 

She was having a total breakdown. I destroyed everything! I d- destroyed everything… it’s all my fault! Everything’s gone, everyone is… 

Heavy breaths. Tears rolling down her face like rain. She wasn’t that crying type of person, but this broke her. Holding herself as tight as she could. 

Before, of course, she checked that nobody could hear nor see her. Not like this. She felt safe enough to let it all out, she couldn’t hold it any longer. Knowing that they were still present didn’t change the situation, she kept it for herself too long to keep it in any longer. A thick wall of black rocks provided enough privacy for her. 

There was nothing she could do now; she couldn't go back and make things right, she couldn't change the mistakes that she already made, it was all so overwhelming for her. She wasn't even thinking about what could happen next, her heart was beating faster from fear. This was her worst nightmare and it was all real.

She couldn't think straight about the future, not even past this situation. Then she returned back to reality. All of sudden, she heard a strange noise really close to her. She couldn't tell what it was. But it was scary. Cassandra decided to back up a little from the wall that she made with black rocks. She didn't know what was happening, she just knew that she didn’t feel safe anymore. Her heart was racing faster each second. She begged for an end, but that wasn't in plan.

She felt so helpless. Why? The answer was easy, Cass had literally nobody who could help her or save her out of her misery. She didn’t have Raps who always gave her positive energy in dark moments, she didn’t have her dad who always wanted to protect her and taught her how to protect herself, she didn’t even have Eugene who was trying to be supportive too, even if they argued.

Nobody had left the room, and Cassandra knew it very well. Any one of them could still try to attack her if something happened to her cage. Who knew if they had a way to break through it now? Her heart continued pounding.

Wh- what can I do now? Just to wait here for them to come after me? If- if they can cut the rocks too, I’m helpless against them. I- I have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide… There were s- so many of them, I stand no chance against them all now. I can’t even stop shaking…

She knew she was on her own and that she was very afraid. She was shaking from fear. What are they doing? The noisy sounds were getting louder every minute and Cass was just sitting there in despair. They weren't so friendly before. Yes, they got me out of the amber, but why? What do they want from me? Their intentions were unclear to her and she just grew more scared. 

That fear was consuming her. For everything that had happened and was happening to her, she was slowly losing control. Control of her feelings and her powers. She felt that horrible feeling before, but not with such intensity, and then the Moonstone acted. To protect her from that fear, red rocks started to spread everywhere around her. She just let go, she couldn’t do anything about it.

Now, glowing red rocks started to spread in the room, cracking out of the floor and soon spreading outside the room and into the basement. Agents were alarmed and took the sudden appearance of the jagged, mysterious rocks as an attack. Their classified mission was getting further out of control. They couldn't break those black rocks, which was frustrating them already, but now a new kind of those rocks appeared and the atmosphere in the room was even more tense. 

These new red rocks weren’t reaching agents or stabbing them, they just appeared there, but it seemed like a warning sign. The agents felt a growing sense of fear and dread, but that fear served as a motivation for them to stop the threat. 

“Keep cutting!” a voice called out, and the agents focused on trying to cut through to reach her. They used stronger methods, more motivated to break through than before, but they still failed. 

The effects of the red rocks continued, fear seized several agents and overcame them, all seeing terrifying visions, starting from the ones closest to the source. The least courageous agents in the room couldn’t hide their fear any longer and panicked, some of them were so consumed they seemed to freeze.

The agents, who weren’t suffering the effects as quickly, were alarmed. Coulson spoke up, “Stand down!” The agents started to back down. It was clear there was no way they could get into the cage and their position was beginning to endanger every agent in the basement. The agents saw their frozen allies and did not wish to end up like them, overwhelmed by her clear show of power and strength. 

“Avoid the red rocks at all costs.” came the commanding voice of a senior agent, noticing as more agents continued to panic.

Chapter Text

Gabe knew this had turned out all wrong. He was in shock and knew that the agents could have acted differently, they didn’t have to attack. He was there as a consultant who was checking agent programming lasers, but as soon as his job was done, everything went horrible. He was trying to convince agents to stop firing, but no one was listening to him. He had to hide, to not get hurt. He was just a novice, a low-level agent. He couldn't give orders; he could just listen to them. Shield acted as it was written in protocols, but right now, he had a bad feeling about that.

He just saw that the woman with blue hair was backing away after they freed her, but those rocks... they freaked him out too. This whole situation made the agents see her as the threat, but he didn’t see her only that way. He actually saw the fear in her blue eyes, he saw how she was trying to protect herself and he had a feeling that she wasn't really attacking at all.

After the situation seemed to calm down and she was out of their reach, the other agents were busy discussing and trying to plan their next moves. But Gabriel wasn’t involved. He wanted to see that Shield wasn't going to make new mistakes and tried to move closer to the conversation, to defend the potential alien woman’s intentions, that she wasn’t acting hostile.

“This isn’t part of your mission, Perez.” came the gruff voice of his superior, an older agent he didn’t know as well. He recognized the man’s tone. He wasn't supposed to be involved in this mission for that long, he was just a guy with lasers. He still wanted to resolve the whole situation though. 

Another agent looked at him: “Could you help us program the lasers again? You did a pretty good job cutting up that... amber material with your friend, we could use knowledge like that again.” he pointed out.

But why would they want to use lasers again? On the rocks? His guess was right. He wasn't happy about it... where this was heading. He didn't want to be part of this anymore, because he could imagine how bad it could end, all those bad scenarios and possibilities. Couldn’t they just leave her alone at least for some time, to exhale? He thought that agents were acting too quickly on the situation and he wanted to convince them otherwise, but nobody would listen to him.

“Perez, can you help us try to cut through these things?” one of the senior agents asked.

“...n-no.” He didn't want to be involved in Shield's protocols to stop the threat and their quick decision to make things maybe even worse than they were. “I’m not… feeling great.”

“Then you’re dismissed.” the agent said quickly, not finding it worth bothering anymore, sending Gabe off.

Gabe was done with the mission and all those absurd orders. But he wanted to find another solution, to help the girl. But how? Now, when he was gone, away from the room and agents, the source of all the troubles; what could he do now? He was wondering...

Suddenly, a few minutes later, he could hear a warning alarm. He was wondering what had gone wrong. He knew that agents weren't making right decisions when he left and now there was the alarm. In these types of situations agents were supposed to stay calm and follow the protocols and orders. He'd never been in this situation before but he didn't want to freak out. He was walking to the place where other agents from the basement were dealing and deciding about this kind of thing and he wanted to be initiated into the problem.

As he was walking, he noticed a few red rocks on his way, little similar to the black ones from his mission, but these were different. First of all: how could they be so far from the room? Did the woman escape? Or was she attacking the basement? He didn't want to believe that she was somewhere out there attacking, but his thoughts were filled with fear. Suddenly, everything stopped making sense, because he was seeing something surreal, something he was afraid of. No, it wasn't the girl, but it was his biggest fear.

Two strong, tall, muscular adults appeared behind the red rocks, one of them pounding fists into his other palm, as they approached Gabe, looking intimidating. His face went to awe and he started to step back as the two men came closer.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” Gabriel asked. He just simply couldn't get how they could get here. 

“Oh... We just wanted to show you your place, you know? That you don't belong here... after all you little egghead, you're just a loser, having a big brain but in reality, capable of nothing.” laughed one of the guys.

“Yeah, everyone else here knows how to use weapons and work in the field but all you can do is program some lasers? Like a big useless nerd? How’d you end up there, couldn’t make up your mind on something better, something useful?”

“No... No... H-how could you?” Gabe remembered what horrible things they have done to him. His breath was faster, sweat falling down from his face. He felt like he was freezing... He didn't know what that meant, but then he got it... He thought for a second. There's no possibility that they could be here, right now at this moment. 

“You're not real.” he said to them. 

“Are you sure, wanna risk that?” one of them asked, laughing.

Gabe stopped and let one of the guys come closer to him. “I'm not afraid of you anymore, you can't be here, there's no possibility for you to be here,” he said, stammering but trying to be confident, and suddenly both of these men disappeared. 

“What was that?” Gabe thought aloud for himself, then he looked at red rocks, “there must be something more behind these...”

Gabe tried to analyse red rocks and got as much information as he could to pass on, then he was ready to face the agents. 

Some agents were in front of the entrance to the room, which was the source of all troubles that S.H.I.E.L.D. was experiencing, as they discussed what to do next. They didn't really seem to know what to do and every idea they had so far wasn't actually a good solution. They were out of ideas. More discussions were in the other area of the basement in the control room, but Gabe wanted to go to the epicentre of all the trouble.

While he was walking to that room, he saw that some agents were still afraid but were fighting back against the hallucinations. He also saw a few agents that lost that fight, lost in their fears. He wanted to find a way to help them.

This didn’t feel right. Gabe thought, hesitating, that there had to be some way she could be helped. He wished there was something he could do... But maybe he was wrong, maybe he was too soft, still so inexperienced, everyone was scared...

He returned to the classified area and on his way spotted an agent heading to the others discussing in front of the door. He wanted to speak with them. 

He walked to them and even though he was already expecting that they wouldn't accept his ideas, he wanted to at least try. He turned to the closest senior agent, rank level 7, a man with graying temples and brown eyes, to tell him about what he discovered.

Gabe started to talk with an urgent voice: "Hello sir, I'm Agent Perez, I was on this mission as a programmer of lasers, but I noticed those red rocks and their effect and think I might have a solution!"

“Are you authorized for this?” he asked, knowing not to let anyone near that room without authorization, much less in the middle of a crisis that was causing so much distress throughout the basement. He checked his lanyard and it was alright. Still, he was also curious what agent Gabriel could suggest. "So, tell us, what did you find out?"

Gabe was glad that the agent gave him an opportunity to talk and explain the situation: "I saw these red rocks have an effect on us, we are affected by fear after we are close to them, we have hallucinations.... but as I realized, those fears seemed more personal, something we are each, individually, most afraid of. But if you can overcome it, the hallucinations disappear and rocks won't have any other effects on you. They’re connected to our thoughts and emotions."

"Interesting," agent Gombert continued, "and you have the solution only for the problem with fear? Or is it also for those agents who are already frozen? And what about-"

Gabe stopped him and continued: "I have just an idea for a solution with their fear powers, I think it's from that woman in the cage. I think she was so afraid when you started shooting at her and then also tried to cut the rocks... maybe she wasn't attacking but just trying to protect herself."

The older agent was a little confused why Gabriel was defending that girl and asked: "So you're guessing that this whole situation, in which we are now, is just a simple misunderstanding?"

"Yeah, and it could be better if you don't interfere with force other times... just until things get clearer."

“Right, but she’s still a threat and we have protocols to follow.”

Gabe still didn't want to lose this argument: "Maybe we can do better now, it doesn't have to end up with a fight, we can... I can try to talk to her."

The agent was surprised that Gabe didn't want to retreat, but he liked his courage: "We can try to arrange something from your mind, but other agents have to approve it too. It's not your call, but your ideas might not be the worst and this situation isn't going to change without doing something..."

Gabe was excited that his idea was heard and also considered for further discussion, but he hid his excitement a bit to look more like a professional.

The older agent took him to a conference room, with chairs surrounding a longer, larger table, where many senior agents were struggling with finding good solutions, each seated around, papers strewn around the table with different plans and notes jotted down.

Gabriel was nervous, this was his moment and he didn't want to screw it up, he got ideas, possible solutions, now the only missing part was approval. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he believed in himself. And that there could be some better solution.

As they both were walking, they heard a sudden warning through broadcast indistinctly with words like “evacuation” and “don't panic”. They both guessed that agents had already decided to do the evacuation to get most of the agents to safety. It was in protocols too. The situation seemed dire for basement leaders. But then Gabe and Agent Gombert arrived and joined the discussion.

“This could be a significant threat, we can’t let all this fear and panic leave this basement, we have to keep it contained.” said one senior agent, “If this gets out, it could create more problems for agents everywhere.”

Agent Gombert spoke up as soon as he had the chance, “Me and Agent Perez were just talking and he thinks he has a solution. The rocks apparently, somehow, use our thoughts and feelings to read into our deepest fears and reflect those fears back as hallucinations. The goal is to overwhelm someone with fear so they don’t act or threaten the asset, and they can get away safely.” he explained, “Perez says if we become self-aware of these hallucinations and don’t back down, they disappear.”

“Intriguing.” one of the other agents responded, rubbing his chin, “That certainly explains the high panic level and why agents are responding so differently.”

“Very impressive for a mere level one agent. Good find, Gombert.” a female senior agent nodded.

“He’s a level two actually, sir, but I agree, for someone of his rank, it’s a very important discovery.” Agent Gombert, the level seven agent, nodded, “It looks like there’s two problems here. Perez thinks he can calm down the woman if he can talk to her, but he can’t talk to her if she’s out of reach hiding in a cage. Perez is also going to put himself at a lot of risk if he goes in unarmed, he could die given how powerful she clearly is… but he’s telling us we won’t want to have weapons aimed at her.” They both knew she clearly didn't want to see them or hear them after everything that happened. And also if Gabe wanted to go alone and unarmed, he would be at risk. 

“First things first, let’s find a way to get her out of that cage.” the first agent mentioned, “Cutting didn’t work and we can’t break them by force. We don’t have a lot of options. You’d think we were dealing with vibranium with how strong these things are, but the signatures are clearly different.”

“We could try to lure her out using some kind of loud sound directed at her, like the sonic weapons we’ve seen used by Ulysses Klaue.”

“We don’t know for sure that that would work.”

“Did you have anything else to suggest, Monet?”

Gabe was worried again, by the prospect of using force to get her out. They could direct sound to make her move to another part of the basement where he could wait for her, but there were still so many variables and possible outcomes. He tried to trust his distinctness. If he was wrong, he was gonna die there. Of course, other agents would be prepared to intervene and strike if something went badly. Problem was, they couldn't be too close to him to act quickly if the situation got out of control, or it would undermine his goals.

The other agents continued to discuss with more details of how it should work out and also some safety catches. Gabriel was sent to the place of meeting. Agents were arranging everything and also placed armed agents, trying to keep them hidden a little more out of view, to make sure there would not be any more accidental firing. Gabe wasn't sure about them, but he agreed as long as they wouldn't interfere with his mission. He got a transmitter for emergency to call reinforcements with simple pressing of the button. Everything was planned, everything was arranged. The Mission was ready. Gabe grew nervous.

Chapter Text

The sound of the weapons suddenly disappeared. 

Was this the end? That was the first thought that went in Cassandra's mind. But then she put that idea away. They wouldn't give up so easily. She tried to calm down and settle her thoughts, but it wasn't enough. After all, she was still afraid, she still couldn't shake off all what had happened before...

After a few hours of silence, crying and shaking Cass was still in deep pain, but she was glad that she had silence. But it changed again. Unfortunately, she was going to suffer one more time. 

Suddenly another kind of sound could be heard. This time it was really loud, but she could tell that this was some different sound than cutting, it wasn’t reaching her cage directly. This sound was stronger, in a range of several minutes it became unbearable. Cass was once again in panic.

She wasn't thinking of where this sound was coming from, she just knew this was another kind of "attack" she had to deal with. She firstly thought that if she stayed here in the cage, everything would be alright… that they couldn't hurt her, but she was wrong. This sound made her head hurt, so she held her ears to make it better, but the sound wasn't disappearing at all. Maybe it was supposed to kill her, or to lure her out of there. She felt so horrible after a few minutes, she knew she needed to get out.

"Stop..." She spit to herself, but it didn't, it made her also angry, not just scared. She stood up and as she was thinking she must go out, she let the black rocks disappear. The cage was gone. She looked around and saw nobody moving. 

But she noticed a few frozen agents next to the red rocks. They weren't moving, they were frozen in fear. They weren't dangerous anymore, but this was the first time she saw somebody like that. She'd never seen the effects of the red rocks from so close before.

"Is this my fault?" she thought for a moment until the sound blurred her thoughts once again. 

It was weird that nobody else was in the room, nor that the door remained open. Nevertheless, she ran away as fast as she could from that noise, it was terrible. The sound made her less concentrated, but she made her way out of places, where that sound was the worst.

She saw a few other frozen agents on her way and felt horrible for them. She didn't mean to hurt anyone, she just wanted to be left alone... 

Luckily for her, she found a place where the sound couldn’t be heard. It was an empty room which could be used as a possible hideout for her, it was dark and there were some things behind which she could hide. Her only problem with that darkness was the lack of certainty if this was a safe place. She stepped in anyways. She thought she was alone, but the opposite was true.

“Hi” said some voice she couldn't recognise, she immediately looked around to find the source.

For a moment looking around she couldn't find anyone, then more lights in room turned on and showed a young man wearing a black leather jacket which had a S.H.I.E L.D. symbol on one of the sleeves. Cassandra's eyes widened and she began taking a few steps back, getting ready to protect herself. 

“Hey, hey, calm down... sorry I didn't want to scare you,” he said calmly, even though he was really afraid, too. He stood up from the chair he has been sitting on the whole time while he was waiting on her.

He put his arms up to show he had no weapon and he knew that from this position it is hard to react fast to any attack. 

“See? I don't want to hurt you. I'm just here to... to talk, well if you want?” he tried to step forward but Cassandra immediately took a few back, which was a sign that it was no good to go closer and that she was afraid, so he did step back. 

Cass was sweating and trembling, her fear was still overwhelming her. Her face and mouth were dried due to crying and the salt from tears.

Talk? That’s probably the last thing I wanna do now, this seems like some kind of trap. she thought.

“O-okay.... Phew, okay, so... ummm... Maybe we didn't start out so well, but I’d like to try it again. My name is Gabriel Perez, friends call me Gabe so... umm... call me however you wish.” Gabriel was thinking more about what to say to the young woman, he now was sure she didn't want to hurt anyone and that she was not all that bad. Still, he wanted to make her talk, he could see that she needed help.

Gabe tried to continue: "I can stay here if you want, I see that you're scared..."

Cassandra wasn't reacting much, she still wanted to calm down after the previous situation that made her a headache. It had been an attack and it had been from these people, like him. They were against her. 

This one guy seems to be acting weird, without any weapons and very calm. He doesn’t seem dangerous at all, but he can do something unexpected, maybe wait for his friends to come. I have to stay on guard and keep my eyes on him. Keep it cool and play tough, I can do this. But I still can’t stop shaking, it’s horrible.

Gabriel wanted some answers, but he was thinking how he should ask. "I guess you were so scared before too, I saw you when you were in that amber... saw the fear in your eyes and when we got you out... I think your intention wasn't to attack. Am I right?"

He hoped for some answer, at least some sign. Then he saw her slightly nodding.

He saw my fear, this seems bad. I can’t even play tough now. But why does he care? She was still trembling and had no idea where she was or who this guy was. The last time she trusted someone she didn't know, it turned out to be an ancient evil demon who manipulated her into turning against everyone she ever cared for.

Gabe sighed, he had to find a way to calm the woman down, good thing was that she could understand him, he had to somehow earn her trust.

He continued "I'm sorry those agents acted that way, they were afraid too... and also me, but I guess it was mutual, we just didn't start well, we panicked and then..." 

Gabriel wanted to sound natural, he was ready to ask a second question, but instead he continued with his sincerity.

"We all were frightened by those rocks... and a few agents were panic-struck and started shooting. It wasn't my call but I'm sorry” he noticed her scratch and continued, “that you got hurt and we caused you panic," he said honestly and let all his feelings out to prove that he was on her side and that he didn't want to trick her anyhow. The poor girl got hit by a bullet, but luckily it wasn’t anything too terrible, she was still alive. 

Cass felt better somehow to know that he was sorry and that he sounded honest. But still there was some block in her that told her to not trust anyone, not even a guy like him... She had so many thoughts in her mind: Was he telling the truth? Why is he so calm and open? Wasn't this all just a trick? Doesn't he just play for time? Isn't he dangerous at all?

She was just standing there and listening to him. She didn't know what to do, at least he calmed her a little. No sudden movements. Nothing dangerous or bad happened so far, it was strange.

Gabe sat slowly back on the chair and finally was ready to ask: "What's your name if I can ask?"

Cassandra was quiet and she didn't want to say anything at the moment.

Gabe noticed that she didn't want to answer that one... so he guessed he needed to come with more yes or no questions. For a moment there was just silence.

Other agents guessed that she could be an alien, because of her strange look, but Gabe didn't believe that. She looked human, she just had blue hair and weird armor... but from what time could it be? Is it even possible for humans from the past to have something like that? Just her bag looks like it's from the past... How am I supposed to ask her if she's human to not confuse or scare her? But he needed to know.

"Okay, so I guess I can ask rather something else... um, this question is a little strange, but... are you from Earth?" he asked doubtfully.

Cass was confused with that question. Why would he ask something like that? Aren’t we on Earth or what? What could even possibly lead him to think that I’m from anywhere else? Her confusion was visible on her face, but anyways she nodded.

Gabe was happy he was right. He suddenly noticed that he didn't ask this banal thing in the first place: "Do you understand me? You know... Just making sure."

Cass thought for a moment, seriously? She just nodded him two times, why was he asking this? Wasn't it obvious? 

She nodded with a raised eyebrow and slightly annoyed expression on her face. 

Gabe noticed it and felt a bit embarrassed that he brought up that kind of question in the middle of their "talk". He saw that her fear was disappearing a little, she seemed calmer every minute. 

"Do you feel calmer now?" he asked to make sure if he was doing a good job with calming stuff.

Cass nodded once again, but still, she was just standing there without moving much, even though she felt calmer, she was unsure about everything. 

Gabe was looking at her and was thinking if she would feel more comfortable to sit somewhere like him. This wasn't an official interrogation, so she didn't need to stand there like a statue, she could go and sit, but he guessed that she was afraid to even move. Since she entered that room and saw him, she hasn't moved from that place.

"Don't you want to sit somewhere? You don't have to stand there... Just if you feel more comfortable," he tried to convince her that she was free to move and she didn't need to be afraid. Gabe indicated that she could go and sit on the chair not far away from her.

Cass looked on the chair and then back on him. Maybe it would be better for her to sit, but she was doubtful. She slowly moved to the direction of the chair, still watching the young man. She approached the chair and unsurely took a seat. Looking around from her new position and then back on him, she crossed her arms over her chest. Holding her arms tightly. 

Gabe saw that she was in a protective position. “Well, I hope this will be... more comfortable for you. So... You were trapped in that amber for a long time, right?” She nodded as an answer, but it was so slight that it was difficult to see it. “I am sorry about that...” 

Cass was looking sadly at him and her gaze shifted to the floor. She thought about the time spent in that amber, she was thinking about it really long even before Gabe mentioned it. She thought that it was really long. But she couldn’t be affected with it now, she had to focus and protect herself from possible danger. This was her weakness he could use.

Gabe continued: "... do you know how long?" Cass returned her gaze to Gabriel and shook her head which was also down. She had no idea how long. 

"And do you want to know? Agents did some research on that amber few days ago and we revealed the approximate age of the amber... so if you want to know I'll tell you."

Cassandra's eyes widened and she started to grow nervous since he said it. She didn't even know if she wanted to know. She was curious but at the same time nervous. Her expressions were full of doubts and anxiety. Her breath became deeper. She needed to know, but at the same time she was terrified of what the answer was going to be.  She leaned forward. Her body was speaking for her. 

Gabe saw her doubtful expression, so he wasn't sure if she was ready. He wanted to help her, but even as she leaned forward and seemed to wait for an answer, her wide eyes and deep breaths told him otherwise. She had been so scared and so vulnerable since they'd found her. As much as he wanted to help her adjust, to learn more about this mysterious woman and the time she'd come from, she seemed so uncertain that he couldn't bring himself to tell her just yet. He wanted to earn her trust, not break it down further, to make her feel safe enough with him to share and relax. As uncertain as she was about what had happened in the hundreds of years she'd been out, he was uncertain how to convince her that his intentions were altruistic. He knew making her panic wouldn't help.

But after a few minutes of complete silence and thinking, Gabe decided to tell her the truth. Hiding it from her wouldn't help anyway. Also, it could cause that she wouldn't trust him afterwards, because he didn't say the truth which was expected from him and could cause problems later. 

Gabe took a deep breath and said: “You were in that Amber for over two centuries. I’m sorry for that.”

The woman’s eyes widened.  S-so long that I've been there? So I really can't get back home! Well... everything was lost a long time ago anyway. It doesn't matter anymore I guess... she thought to herself. Her position changed. Her body leaned on the chair. She looked at the ground, horrified. So long in the amber... She missed so much, she couldn't do anything and actually lost everything and all because of her all alone. Not just the people she loved, but also her world. The world she had been used to living in was never going to return, she was in the future now. She was holding barely to not to cry, afraid it might be seen as showing weakness. 

The young man felt that this information had to be destructive for the woman. He wanted to help; he didn't want to see her like this. He didn't know why he cared so much, but simply, he couldn't resist. She seemed so sad even if she wanted to hide it. Gabe had to do something about it. Maybe saying that he was there for her and changing the topic could help, he thought. He stood up, and step by step went slowly toward her. He was afraid, yeah, but not because he thought she would hurt him, but because he didn't want to hurt her. 

He approached her and spoke with a calm voice: "Hey... I-it's okay... I know it must be horrible for you... but if you want, I'm here for you, okay? You... you can trust me. I know we don't know each other yet, so you probably won't, but what if I told you something about myself?” he tried that. She didn't give any sign of response.

“I know... I'm just someone from those agents for you and that you think I have some bad intentions, but I promise that I don't... maybe this kind of promise won't convince you to trust me, but... for me... promises are really important, they're something that I wouldn't break... like ever.” 

This kind of talking reminded Raps to Cassandra. She remembered how she once told her that she keeps her promises... So she knew what it meant, when someone said that, especially in that way, which Raps and Gabe said it. She looked at him, their gazes met.

“So... Would it be better for you if I said anything about myself?” Gabriel asked. She nodded.

“Well, you already know my name, so...” Gabe tried to think of something to say, “Well, I know you’re from so many years ago. I was born twenty-three years ago in a town called Colmar, Alsace. There was so much water and many bridges. We lived right by one of those, I’d watch the water every day. I have an older sister and a little brother and my parents were usually busy and we’d try to keep ourselves busy. It was kinda lonely though and you couldn’t always find an adult for help.” he laughed a little, “I wanted to keep people safe from when I was little, even though I was never very strong, and when I was older, I learned some computer programming and I was able to use that to find my job at- here. Where we found you.” he shrugged, “So yeah, that’s me…. heh.” he tried to sound a little bit optimistic to give this dark situation some light. 

She paid her attention closely to his words, then she looked at the ground once more. He stood up to make his way back to his chair; he was thinking that it didn't work out exactly how he hoped so it could be better to sit back and give her space.

Suddenly though, she spoke up. “Cassandra.”

“Huh?” Gabe was surprised that she had actually spoken.

“My name... is Cassandra...” she said quietly.

“That’s such a nice name. Cassandra.” he smiled brightly at her. She took a look at him again. “So, ah, I would like to ask you one more thing... Maybe, it's not okay to start with it again, but... you said that trapping our agents wasn't your intention. Could you please, you know... try to release them?” Gabe was afraid to ask, but he knew that that was necessary. 

Cassandra nodded. She looked at her left shaking hand. She slowly put her opened palm into fist then black and red rocks started to disappear.

They disappeared as quickly as they'd appeared, if not faster. The rocks seemed to sink back into the ground, leaving behind only the cracks from whence they'd left the earth's crust. It seemed impossible to all of the agents involved for such huge, jagged items to disappear so quickly, and though the gesture was benevolent it only seemed to further illustrate the immense power that Cassandra held. The agents, safe and released, tried to return to their original stations as quickly as possible, though some were still reeling from the horrors the red rocks had shown them. One agent looked on the verge of tears.

Gabe faced Cassandra and nodded, "Wow." he said softly, impressed, trying to keep his smile bright and reassuring. "Thank you, Cassandra." he said, careful to use her name, trying to look into those blue eyes. He wanted to show her he saw her as a person, with thoughts and feelings, and not some kind of experiment or monster. Just as he'd told her his intentions were good, he felt he now knew for certain the same of her. She was just scared. He supposed if he had been frozen for two centuries, he'd be scared too.

Cassandra's fear was disappearing. She was now just sad and depressed, but he was keeping her distracted from her dark thoughts about the past. She felt more relaxed now and Gabriel was helping her a lot. She didn't expect that somebody would be nice to her... She wasn't the nicest person in the past and she thought that she didn't deserve this. It would take some time for her to trust anyone, but he was so open and honest... She was the exact opposite, she was closed, she didn't want to talk about her feelings or about herself. But she saw his patience too. She wasn't talking at first, but anyways he was continuing with less stressful questions or talks. 

Gabriel was still astonished by Cassandra's powers, he saw that she can take care of those rocks anytime she wants. He wanted to know more about it, but he didn't ask, because he thought that she wouldn't be ready to talk about it yet.

"Well... we´ve been talking for a long time... also you´ve been in that amber for some time, would you like me to bring you something to eat and drink?" Gabe asked her after a while. Cass nodded, it didn't sound that bad after that long. "Okay, let me get it." He smiled and left.

Chapter Text

So... I´m here, right... but what is it here? Where am I? And what about these other people? Well, this Gabe seems actually nice and kind, but... what about the others? I can't trust them, not even this guy... he could be faking it and then use me just like Zhan Tiri did. Well... at least I´m not being attacked by those crazy people anymore.

Cass was left alone, but this time, she wasn't scared that somebody would attack her. She somehow felt safer after Gabriel's talk. He was one of them, but he wasn't acting like the others. He seemed like he wanted to help her, now he was gone, who knows for how long... She knew he'd come back. 

She was still sad, but she was thinking about Gabriel and those agents and this "future" instead of what happened back in the past. It was better for her to get to know this new environment instead of wandering through the darkest places of her memories. 

She took a look at the room, but it was just slightly distracting. Her eyes saw only a dark grey room with unnatural light and almost emptiness around her. There was just limited furniture and nothing too interesting. 

Her interest shifted once again on her thoughts. Cass didn't want to think about the past, but she couldn't make herself think about the future, she didn't even know what else to think about.

She couldn't avoid it anyways, even though she knew it would only bring her more pain. There was nothing positive in her head. Just one sudden thought about Zhan Tiri made things much worse for her. Her depressed look was more visible on her face with every new dark thought.

A few minutes passed and Cass was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Gabe, who came back to the room with some sandwiches on a plate and a glass of water for her. 

"Okay, I hope you like sandwiches, I didn't have many choices...." He wasn’t sure what kind of sandwiches they even had back then. Maybe something to research later… Gabe noticed that Cass wasn't even paying attention to him and that she was lost in her thoughts. She looked so sad and depressed.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, to no response from her. “Umm... Cassandra?” he was still unsure about using her name, after all, they weren't friends or anything yet, and he didn't know how it worked in her time with addressing.

Thankfully, the call of her name brought her back from her thoughts, and she looked up at Gabe. “Yeah?” she said. 

Gabriel knew that was a lie, but he didn't want to talk about it more deeply, he understood that it had to be hard for her to be here. He gave her sandwiches with a glass of water. She gave him her thank you and started to eat.

Gabe watched as she started to eat the sandwiches, looking clearly starved. Her first bite was hesitant but after a few less hesitant ones, she started to relax and started to enjoy it. Cass could hardly remember her last meal before now.

It wasn't often he saw someone eat like that, but it was easy to understand what she had been through. He hoped some food would make her feel better and safer. With how long she had been gone, he wondered if she'd ever had a sandwich like this before. Maybe she had a favorite food he could try to make or order for her? He wanted her to feel more comfortable here.

Gabe felt awkward after some time to just stand there and watch her eating, so he decided that he would go sit somewhere. He chose the chair not too far from Cassandra, but he didn't want to interrupt her while she was eating, so he was waiting there.

Cass didn't even realize how starved she was, she had an empty stomach for years, but now she finally had something to eat. She was enjoying the taste, she felt better. She had almost forgotten what it was like to eat something good. After finishing the sandwich, she took a glass of the water. She felt so refreshed, because she had been crying so much before. 

Gabe noticed that she was finished with eating, so he asked: "Was it good?" Cass nodded and put the glass on the floor. She didn't know what to expect from him now, but she guessed he wouldn't leave, because he took the seat.

"Maybe next time you can say what you like, so I can bring something you appreciate more."

Cass wasn't talking much, but she appreciated that Gabriel wanted to cheer her up. She was still in a sad mood, but those little things made her more comfortable.

Gabe noticed that Cass was much calmer now, he thought that it could be a good time to learn more about her. He could guess that she could be from a kingdom that was destroyed a long time ago or reformed. "So uh, where are you from?" he asked.

Cass was taken aback from the question, it wasn't like she couldn't see it coming, but she was still surprised. Even so, Cass decided to answer him. After all, Gabe was trying a lot to cheer her up and she was appreciating it. "I'm from Corona."

Gabriel was a little bit surprised that she answered, but he was glad that she was talking more after the meal. "I've never heard about that place," said Gabe, really interested. He wondered if it had been a kingdom or a village or something else entirely.

Maybe they could finally have a good conversation, where he wasn't the only person talking. She said just a few words so far and he valued those words. Gabe wanted to hear so much from her, but he knew that he couldn't push too hard or make her talk more. He wasn't sure what would make her depressed again, so he wanted to talk about lighter themes. He saw an opening there; asking about her home could be sensitive and upsetting, but maybe something more distant could help him learn without cutting too close. She did say something about her home being called Corona... but he should get to know her first. He was once again paralyzed by indecision a moment, rubbing his hands together. Maybe he should shift control back to her instead of himself. Maybe it'd be easier for them both that way.

“Maybe we should talk about something you want to talk about. Maybe I can answer a question? I'm here to listen." he offered, wanting her to feel in control.

Cassandra's eyes still darted from him to the floor, still nervous, and yet... it made her feel a little better for him to ask her that. She didn't feel completely safe exactly, but... he was willing to listen to her and so few people had been willing to do that for her before, back in the old days. She'd always had to wait her turn, always had to follow someone else. It was different for someone to seem willing to just... listen.

“You said that I was... in the amber for over two centuries, right? So... where exactly am I?”

That was the first thing she wanted to know the answer to. Well after all, she would like to know where she was trapped. At least that's how she still felt. 

“Well, this is more complicated, but we're in a S.H.I.E.L.D. basement in France, I mean, close to the border with… hm, you don’t actually know the borders, so perhaps I can just simply say, somewhere in the middle? It’s supposed to be classified either way, so... anything else I could answer to you or anything you want to tell me?“ he asked once again, he needed to make sure she would feel safe or at least not that scared anymore. He wondered if Corona was far away or if it was somewhere in France near the basement.

Cassandra looked at the ground. So this is not Corona anymore... I'm really here alone, everyone is... gone. I'm here all alone and trapped, here, perfect... She thought. She didn't give him any more response or say anything else. 

Gabe sighed; he was running out of time. The other agents were becoming impatient with how much time he was spending talking with her and wanted to begin the next steps… but it was worth it, because he wanted to keep Cassandra calm and safe before they did anything. He hoped this wouldn't scare her.

“Well, if I answered all of your questions, I would like to introduce you to some of my friends, they would like to meet you and... also show you your room, where you could rest, I know you must be exhausted so I was thinking you would like to have some room, you know with a warm bed and where to lay your head. Is that okay for you?” Gabriel asked and hoped for not freaking her more than she was.

Well, I could use some rest I guess... But what if it's some trap? I guess I don't have any other choice and in case I can always fight back. Cass looked at him and nodded a little.

Gabriel stood up from the chair and went to the door to open it. She was watching him carefully. Three figures came in. Cass stood up and took a closer look at them. They were all male agents with modern suits coming closer to her. Gabe was right behind. Cassandra had a slightly defiant look on her face, because she didn't want to look weak and she wanted to hide her sadness. She looked at Gabriel once again who was approaching them and he had a reassuring look on his face to indicate that they were ok. 

Coulson was one of the agents who had walked into the room, and he started to talk with a calm voice: "Hello, my name is agent Phil Coulson and these are my colleagues Agent Thomas and Agent Gombert. I'm working for S.H.I.E.L.D."

He held his hand in the air expecting that she would accept his offer of a handshake as a friendly gesture. Cass looked at his hand and then back on him. She didn't trust him; she didn't want a handshake. She was standing still; her hands were closed up for his greeting. Coulson noticed that his greeting wasn't accepted and took his hand down.

Gabriel noticed that she probably won't speak up and introduce herself, so he did it for her: "This is Cassandra."

"Nice to meet you Cassandra," he continued, because he had a feeling that she didn't have the mood to talk, "I'm sorry for what happened before, I guess it didn't look very friendly, my agents didn't follow my order, which was NOT to attack. We didn't want to cause you trouble and hurt you. I understand your position now. You are in a strange place with so many unknown things, everything must be confusing for you...  Agent Perez already told you where you are, but I want to add some information which you might not know. S.H.I.E.L.D. is the organization created to maintain world peace. We're fighting terrorists, dealing with bad guys and protecting the world from falling into chaos. We're securing threats and dangerous or alien items, so the world can be a safer place. You don't have to be scared of us; we will try our best to help you from your unpleasant situation. We prepared the room for you, so you can have more comfort there. Will you come with us?"

Cass still wasn't sure if this was a trap, this time everybody was suddenly nice to her, it was strange and she stayed on alert. She nodded with hesitation. Gabriel was still there with a reassuring look on his face, but it was evident now that he wasn't in charge. Anything could go wrong. This was all obscure for her.

"Okay then, this way please," Coulson indicated with his hand the direction for them to follow.

Cassandra was following the agents on their way leaving the room. Gabriel was behind them; he was near to her if she needed anything. That made her feel better. As they left the room, she saw many armed agents on their way. They had their weapons down, but it was sure that they were there because of her. Why else would they just stand there? It was clear that mutual trust still wasn't there. 

Cass was holding her nervousness back and she was focusing on everything on her way to the new place. As they left the lower corridor through a secured door, they reached the next part of the basement. Cass looked with both confusion and amazement as she saw the slightest fragment of their basement. All that modern technology was overwhelming to her, she had no idea how big this basement was. 

Coulson led them to another corridor with another secured door. They needed to wait there for confirmation. It wasn't long, they had their security equipment kitted with the newest technology. 

Other agents were silent but Coulson broke the silence as he noticed Cassandra's slight amazement: "This all must be new for you, you've never seen anything like this, right?" She just nodded, so Coulson continued: "Sorry for hold ups. We have many security protocols, so everything works perfectly afterwards. In organizations like these, security is on the top level."

Cass thought back to her past for a moment and how she had wanted Corona to be well and better secured from its enemies. Despite her father’s best efforts, the guards were not great security and she remembered that well. They needed a lot of help from the Captain, herself or even sometimes Fitzherbert… and even then, Stan and Pete would easily be distracted. This was way beyond their imagination back home, everything was so huge and elaborate, and all of this modern stuff was confusing for her.

Surprisingly nothing sudden happened on their way and everything went smoothly. Soon they reached the place they were heading. They all stopped before the room. The doors were looking normal for Cass, nothing like those in that previous part of the basement. She felt growing nervousness, if this was a trap, now it would take the action. Everything was just too good for her. It couldn't be real. Why would they attack her and then act so nicely? It wasn't making any sense, but it was reality so far.

Chapter Text

Coulson spoke up: "So here we are, this will be your room."

He opened the door and then they entered. The other two agents stayed outside and there were just Gabriel and Coulson inside with her. Best options. Gabriel turned on the lights. Cassandra still wasn't used to such strange things and she twitched a little. This wasn't an attack though, it was just light in the room, she thought as she exhaled inconspicuously. She didn't have a feeling that they would attack her now. 

"Here you have a bed, where you can rest and also Agent Perez can bring you some stuff, if you need anything," said Coulson and was ready to continue, but he let her have some time to take a look.

Cass was closely observing her new room, she saw that this room didn't have a window. Weird. There was one bed, a table with two chairs, also probably an empty closet and few other things. Before she could take a look around, Gabe took her attention to show her bathroom.

"Here you can take a hot shower, it can improve your mood and make you feel more comfortable. And yeah, we have these all around," he pointed at the light switch, after all, she didn't know anything about electricity... "It's pretty simple, when it is turned up, the light is on and when it's down, the light is off. You can try."

He made a way for her to let her try. She tried and it was the first time she used electricity. She didn't even know how it was possible. But she guessed anything could be possible these days. She watched the lights flicker as she turned the switch. She returned back to the room where Coulson was prepared to speak again and then leave. 

Now, he needed to make sure that she wouldn't leave. Somehow, he had to gently tell her that for her and their safety she needed to stay there.

"The world has changed. These changes are bigger than you can imagine. It's not the same place as you knew. It's more dangerous in some ways, it's full of new threats and we need to learn how to deal with them. Society changed too. People are different. There's so much that you don't know. The world is full of these new modern things. If you wander, you might stumble upon all these things you don't understand, or that might be dangerous, you've been out a long time. Let us handle it, you can rest and later you'll focus on adjusting. We're not yet friends but maybe you'll see that we're not enemies. That's all from me." 

Coulson made his leave. Gabriel just added: "I hope you'll feel better after some rest, Coulson is right, maybe we don't have mutual trust yet, but it can change over time. I can bring you something if you just tell me what you need... but if nothing now, we'll see each other tomorrow, I'll bring you breakfast. Now I'll leave you alone, so you can have some privacy and deserved rest. So, bye and have a nice day." 

Gabe was leaving the room, but before closing the door he heard a quiet "thank you" from Cassandra. He smiled.

Cass felt a little trapped, but at least now she understood. The way they told everything was so convincing, that she almost believed them. She was finally left alone.

Agent Coulson stood with a team of agents around him after they shut the door on Cassandra's new room, putting his hands on his hips.

"Well, I think that went about as well as it could have." He turned his attention to Gabe, "Nice work defusing the situation, Agent Perez. I couldn't have done it better myself. Sometimes a gentle touch is all you need."

Coulson looked to the other agents, reminding them subtly that they shouldn't have rushed to attack. Gabe was not used to praise from higher agents, always feeling useless for not being so good with weapons or quick to act. It was nice to see his own skills come in handy for once and not be a weakness.

"Thank you." Gabe nodded.

"We're going to give our new resident a lot of space. She has a lot to process and figure out... and if we don't help her, someone else will. So let's treat her like a guest and not as a project. You're dismissed from your usual assignments."

Coulson left them behind to speak with another senior agent, while some of the other agents stood behind a few minutes to talk once he had stepped away, including Gabe and his friend.

O'Brien, an agent with a buzzcut and blue eyes, spoke up, "Did you see what she did with those rocks? She could probably kill anyone she wanted in a second, put a sharp one right through them."

Agent Miranda, a woman with a dark ponytail, nodded in agreement, "Ouch, yeah, I wouldn't want to be on her bad side. She could certainly show the Ten Rings who's boss. I don't know if anyone could beat someone like Stark, but she could definitely be a powerful ally."

Gabe's friend, Harris, patted him on the back happily. "See, we have Gabe to thank for this, otherwise she could have defeated us all. He's a skilled negotiator."

An agent with glasses and curly hair nodded, "I wouldn't mind negotiating with her." he laughed.

Miranda looked over to Gabe, rolling her eyes and trying to tease him, "So that's what Perez has been doing instead of weapons training? Guess I had you pegged wrong after all. Maybe you're not such a shut-in."

"Hey, lay off him, he just saved our butts." Harris played along more than Gabe did.

"I just did what I thought was the right thing to do... I didn't think she wanted to hurt anybody." Gabe explained.

"She does seem dangerous, but with Perez' help, maybe in a couple years we'll be talking to her ourselves, huh?" O'Brien nodded.

"Maybe it'd be another addition to Fury's band of misfits." chuckled an agent with fiery red hair, Matthews.

"D'you think it'll take her long to adjust?" Gabe asked them, trying to speak up a little more now since everyone seemed pleased with him so far.

"Hard to say. We don't even know exactly how long Rogers was in ice yet, do we?" O'Brien pointed out.

"Well, this one's been out for over two hundred years, I think they said? That's a lot to catch up on." Miranda nodded, "Electricity, telephones, washing machines, the internet..."

"Yeah, you’re probably going to need to see her every day for a couple years, you know. That's a major assignment. You should be proud." Harris nodded, "Some people waste their whole careers here waiting for something like that to fall in their laps."

"Looks like Perez's luck finally came through, huh?" Matthews laughed.

"...all right, we should get back to the operations area before Coulson starts to think we're slacking." Miranda nodded, "O'Brien, you're with me." The other agent nodded, and they quickly returned to their posts. Matthews and the curly-haired agent returned to another direction, leaving Gabe with Harris.

Chapter Text

Cass looked around. Such a weird place... She approached the light switch once more and tried it, again, and again, watching the lights going off and on. After a few other tries she left them on; then she looked at the chair and table. The table didn't seem much different from what she knew, but the chair, it was made from iron, like it was something easy to make. After she examined the chair she looked at the bed, sat on it and tried how comfortable it was. Soft and comfortable bed was something she hadn't had for years. She laid down and looked at the ceiling. 

Dark thoughts started to appear in her mind again.

"What have I done? To them... all? And... why? It was so stupid to want my own destiny! Look what I caused! It was so stupid to take that stone, if I... if I..." a few tears fell down upon her cheeks. She took a deep breath and tried to keep it all together. She stood up, threw her bag on the bed and studied another small room which was connected with this one. Cassandra recognised it was the bathroom. She looked at white walls, shower, sink, and toilet... She was amazed how good it looked.

She looked at the shower, it looked different from what she remembered, it had two triggers, one had red colour and second one had blue colour which she took to suggest that each will be for hot and cold water. She tried to push the red one, after some moment hot water was coming down. Cass put the hot water off. Wow, if Varian could see it... That's what he tried to do back then in the old Corona. She shook her head. Well, I could use shower now.

She closed the door to have a stronger feeling of privacy. There was a mirror over the washbasin. She looked at herself. She still had those sad eyes with tears on the edges, but she didn't want to cry. She also noticed her scratch. It wasn't that bad, she had luck that the bullet didn't fully hit her. It was okay, she didn't pay attention to it for long. She looked at the shower.

Her head was still full of thoughts. How long has it been since I had my last shower? It was really a long time ago...  Since I have this armor I've never put it down. Can I even do that? Does it come off fully? I guess I can try now. I won't need a shower with armor on... 

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and concentrated on the armor. She remembered how long she hadn't seen her hand... Did she want to see it? She has been hiding it since the night at the Great tree. Not just from others, but also from herself. Now was the time to see it again. 

Her armor disappeared and only a small blue star around the Moonstone remained with it near her heart as the part of her body. It was part of her now. She opened her eyes and looked at her hand. She examined it. The hand still looked the same. Nothing healed, it was burned like the day it had happened. Just the pain disappeared, but the painful memories did not. 

She started to project memories from that day, how frustrated she was, how she just wanted to help and failed. Nobody listened to her, even her best friend didn't trust her at that important moment. Rapunzel did exactly what Cass had tried to avoid. She used that incantation even after she knew it was dangerous and unsafe. Raps couldn't control it and endangered everybody including herself. It was a really intense situation and she needed to act fast, but Cass knew it would cause only more trouble for later. She could've used that spear. She had other options. Why couldn't she just listen to her and trust her? Why didn’t she want to listen to her?

That accident made everything worse. Made the rift between them wider and made Cass hide every bad feeling she had. And it grew into something bigger. She tried so much, but those feelings went out the worst way possible. It was getting too far. Her tears fell from her cheeks.

I need to stop thinking for a moment! she thought and shunted from all her thoughts. She covered her hand with the glove once again, not being able to look at it any longer. She entered the shower and turned on the water. She let the warm water fall on her and she relaxed, not thinking about anything else, just focusing on this exact moment. She missed it and at the same time it was new to her. She's never had a warm shower in her life. It was calming. It was a precious moment for her. She stayed like that for a few minutes, took a shampoo, cleansed herself and then she took a towel and wrapped herself into it. It was soft. But she was once again in reality.

She returned to her place in the front of the mirror and looked at herself once again. The shower helped her to relax and to forget about everything for a moment, but it was just a small moment... 

How was she going to live like that? To have sad and depressing thoughts haunting her everytime she wanted to just forget? This was her life and she needed to live with the consequences of her actions. Cassandra was still trying to hold her emotions somehow. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath once again. She managed to hold her tears, but her eyes remained sad. The soft towel soaked water off her skin and after a few minutes only her teal hair remained wet. She was standing there quietly with her head bowed. Anyways, it was nice to feel something soft after those years, not just armor. She realized that she didn't have any clothes, so she knew that she needed to create her armor once again. She put off her towel and closed her eyes, concentrating on creating new armor. The black rock armor materialized on her body and as before she felt protected and safe again. The protection that the Moonstone has guaranteed was important to her. It saved her life several times. Even now in this weird future it helped her to stay alive. It wasn't soft but it wasn't uncomfortable either. It was hard to describe. She left the bathroom and was ready to get some rest.

She looked at her bag. The bag was lying there on the bed and it was somehow only a memory of her older times. But it was just that bag. She sat on the bed and took it. She looked inside. In it, there were just two things. The mind trap which was supposed to control the members of the Brotherhood and the potion that Zhan Tiri gave her. Both of them were useless now. There was no chance that any member of the Brotherhood would be still alive and also, she didn't want to be like that anymore, to control somebody. Also whatever potion Zhan Tiri gave her, she wouldn't ever use now after she saw what that demon was capable of.

It was clear that the contents of the bag were just a reminder of what person she didn't want to be anymore. It was making her sad, making her remember what she wanted to do in the past, everything was just a shameful reminder how bad she was and how far she went to achieve what she desired. Or was that desire her own? Was her destiny worth it after all? Clearly not. It made her angry. Mad at herself. Also she was so sad that she wasn't able to make things right. She almost did it and then it all went terribly wrong...

It was pointless to keep the bag, but what would she do with it? She angrily closed the bag and threw it under the bed. At least it was gone from the sight, but then only sadness followed.

Cass wasn't able to hold her tears any longer. She was keeping everything away from those agents, but she was alone now and she clearly couldn't hold it anymore... She started to cry. 

It was still her first day after all. It was all too much on her. To process everything that happened. To overcome such a massive loss. To forgive herself... yeah, she hated herself for what she did, it was all her fault. Everything was gone, because of her. Because she trusted that demon. It would take her a long time to be able to trust anyone after everything that had happened. She didn't have anybody now. No friends, no family, no home, no one. Just those weird agents who seemed untrustworthy. Well, maybe except for that Coulson guy and Gabriel, they weren't so bad to her. They offered her a room, a place to rest, some privacy. She needed it, yet she thought that she didn't deserve this. Didn't deserve to be treated like this. She did bad things. They didn't know. Yet. Still, they knew that she's dangerous.

She was hugging herself tightly as her tears were falling down from her cheeks. Her head was bowed, her eyes turned red after a few minutes. Her cry was so intense. But she couldn't stop it. Her thoughts swallowed her mind and she was thinking just about everything that she lost, everything that she screwed up. She felt so bad, her heart was aching, her body was shaking. Her only wish would be to take back time and make things right. Unluckily, that wasn't an option.

Internal anxiety was consuming her, the crying and thinking made her tired. She lay down on the side and continued with quiet sobbing. It was so hard to stop once she let it out. After an hour she was slowly falling asleep with tears in her eyes. She closed her eyes. But the pain wasn't gone.

Even with closed eyes she felt sad. Once she fell asleep she just saw a void. It was like that for a while, but then it started to form some kind of image. 

She was back in Corona. She saw everything a little blurry, but she recognized that it was the Goodwill festival. Everything seemed normal at that moment. She was still her Moonstone self, but nobody noticed that yet. She saw Rapunzel. She froze. Her breath became deeper and she was thinking what could she do to make things right. But there was something strange about it.

Was this real? she thought. I wouldn't be able to create that whole future thing in my mind... This is strange. Am I going crazy? Or is this all just a dream?

Rapunzel suddenly noticed her and called her to come to her. She wasn't calling her name, but Cass knew that Rapunzel meant her. 

I'm gonna fix this. Now I can make a difference and tell the truth… or at least stop Zhan Tiri. She wanted to reach Raps and tell her everything, but before she reached her, suddenly everybody was shocked and terrified. They were all looking at her. Raps looked terrified too. Everybody saw her, the real Cass and they were looking at her as she was some kind of monster. Cassandra was scared too, but she didn't know how to react. Everyone around her started to panic, guards went from all sides. This time they weren't going close. Cassandra thought that now she could use this moment to tell everything to Raps.

She started: "Raps? Please listen to me. I'm so sorry for what I've done. I feel terrible about it. Please forgive me." These were the words that she ought to say before, but her mind wasn't listening to her heart. The tear fell down from her cheek. She saw that smile which Rapunzel made for her, but nothing nice continued. Raps was standing there ready to comfort Cass. As she wanted to reach her closely the sudden shot could be heard. Cass was expecting it a little, so she got ready with her hand to create the rock against the shot. But something happened. She couldn't summon the rocks. Thus it turned into a dire situation. Cass was once again shot with the gun that created amber on her which was slowly wrapping her body. She was afraid, scared, and had pain in her eyes. She was just able to reach her hand on Raps, but it was too late. Everything stopped for a moment. This wasn't amber like the previous one. She could move. But there was a wall between her and the kingdom made of amber, which she couldn't pass. Then she heard the voice. She recognized it immediately. 

"Cassaaandraa." Weak calling gave her chills over her body. It was no one else that the demon herself. She didn't see her, just heard that scary little voice. Then she saw the horror outside of the amber. It was like before, being able to see everything, but with one difference. Now she could at least struggle to break free, she was pushing to the wall of amber with her fists since she still wasn't able to use the rocks. She cried, she prayed that this won't end up like before. But it was futile effort. Her struggle didn't affect anyhow the destruction she saw. She was so desperate but it was for nothing. She fell on her knees in hopelessness.

Then she heard Zhan Tiri’s voice once again: "Cassandra, I want to thank you for helping me.”

Cass was totally lost in her tears, shaking and giving a slightly depressed and angered look on Zhan Tiri, who was now visible for her in her ghostly form.

"What have you done? Why did you do this?" Cass struggled out.

 "You helped me to achieve my goal. It's not fully on my merit. Without you I wouldn't be able to achieve it." Tiri explained.

Cass felt so bad, not only because she hated what that demon did, but also, because she knew she was right. This all was also her fault. Horrible life decisions she made in the past caused this mess in the first place.

Zhan Tiri continued, grinning devilishly, "I'm so thankful Cassandra, I wanted to give you some gift because you helped me a lot. My gift will be that I let you live. Enjoy the rest of your life in the pain which you caused to yourself. You can endlessly think about your mistakes. Also enjoy your life in this amber and in the darkness. Goodbye Cassandra."

Those were her last words. As she disappeared, Cass felt as if her body was freezing in the amber, not because of the temperature, but rather by her inability to move. She feared that she'd stay like this forever. Before completely freezing she screamed from pure fear.

With that scream she woke up with shock on her face. She saw a few red rocks around her bed, but not reaching anything like before. It was her personal fear. Worst of all was that the nightmare seemed so real, because it showed her something that happened almost the same way. It was still affecting her. She cried once again. 

The only evidence that she slept at least for a while was her dry hair. When she was falling asleep in tears, she had it wet. She wasn't able to sleep again after that nightmare...

Chapter Text

In another part of the basement, Coulson entered a conference room where several high level agents sat surrounding a table to discuss the situation that happened earlier that day. They all wore their fine suits with ID badges. Each agent present sat in their seats except for the Basement Leader, an older agent with his hands behind his back.

Agent Laval was finishing what he was saying, "...this could be a big opportunity for us, having someone so powerful on our side. Someone who could help us restore order."

The Basement Leader raised an eyebrow at the phrasing of 'restoring' order, then turned and focused on Coulson instead. "Good of you to join us. What is your assessment of what has happened so far today, Agent Coulson?"

Coulson felt on the spot, but he answered quickly: "Things were hairy for a little while, there was some panic, but they're fine now. Agent Perez acted bravely in helping to calm down our new friend and she doesn't look to be a serious threat, provided we're careful."

The Leader nodded, "Hm. Do you think some of our other agents would agree that she isn't dangerous? Why did our agents have so much trouble dealing with a non-threat?"

Coulson sat up a bit as he spoke, "...she has the ability to manipulate rocks, and the red rocks have hallucinogenic properties that can confuse and disorient agents. They see their worst fears... but there's no permanent damage."

"Don't be so dismissive, Coulson. Most of our agents have recovered from being scared half to death. Yes, things have calmed down, but you don't want to know what some of them told me they saw. Some have asked to be transferred to other assignments, even those who weren't near the red rocks," the Leader shook his head a little with concern.

Coulson nodded, "If we can keep her onboard as an ally, it won't be a problem again.” He motioned to Gabe, “Agent Perez was able to talk to her and says that she seems human. We're monitoring her and our analysts are hard at work. She shouldn't be any harder to control than Stark... probably a lot, easier, actually."

The Leader still seemed questioning but firm, as if he was testing Coulson’s response, "Perhaps, but what do we tell our agents? We need to keep everything here classified and secret until we understand our new asset better, but how do we prevent our agents from being afraid or spreading rumors?" 

Coulson hesitated, but then he spoke up: "Tell them the situation is under control. It's what we do here. She is contained now and we're going to work to adjust her to the modern day, and she'll blend right in. We’ll find out how her abilities work and if we can use them to help us keep the world secure and safe. None of our agents will be in danger from her again. I have full confidence in Agent Perez and the direction we're heading in."

The Leader had been stern throughout the conversation, but had a hint of a grin now: "Good, that's what we like to hear, Agent. We can't have someone like that running around without supervision, so we'll help her channel those abilities to help us... and our causes. Good, let your analysts continue working. Director Fury has been notified of the situation but he's looking for a full report. We'd like to add her to the Index as soon as possible."

Coulson nodded. "Good. Already on it."

The Leader looked to Coulson again, turning to face him: "Do you have any recommendations for further course of action?"

Coulson looked at him: "Just make sure Agent Perez isn't assigned anywhere else. He's the only agent who's proven capable of speaking with her and she'll no doubt appreciate a familiar face. Keep him with her and when we have messages, send them through him. If we lose him, we risk losing her, too, and we can't afford to do that, sir."

The Leader grinned more, "That's correct, Coulson. We will have to keep that in mind. She is a very important asset, and it's for certain that if she were to be controlled by someone in the wrong hands, they would have an advantage..."

The agent who had spoken earlier, and a few others, nodded, though Coulson and many others were puzzled why.

The Basement Leader did not seem bothered, "Even if she turns out to be too dangerous or impossible to keep as an ally, it's best we try to control her first and see what she is capable of, so we have time to develop... contingencies, should we need to use them against her."

Coulson nodded, his resolve firm: "I can only pray it doesn't come to that sir."

Ending the meeting, the Leader: "Very well, you're dismissed, Coulson."

Some rooms over from Cassandra, a group of agents watched through a video feed as she lay in bed. They could see the room from multiple angles. One agent held a notebook and took notes, assigned specifically to analyze her behavior from a distance and be prepared to come up with contingencies if she were to strike back or escape, to assess how dangerous she was so that she could be added to the Index as quickly and smoothly as possible. A few other agents stood around.

Gabe shifted uncomfortably in the corner, crossing his arms. "I don't like this. I know these are our protocols, but it doesn't feel right. She's not some kind of animal or an alien, she's a human being like us, she should know she's being monitored."

Agent Armand specified: "Same thing we'd do with any security risk... and given what happened in the basement, she's definitely a security risk."

Gabe shook his head: "That's not the same, she was scared and confused, she didn't know what she was doing... like I said before, I know it's protocol but I don't like it."

Agent Armand shrugged off his concern: "I don't like a lot of things, but we have to follow orders here."

Gabe bit his lip. He knew it was their job to follow orders, but he felt like he could not even always do that right… he believed in SHIELD’s goal to be a peacekeeper around the globe, but he was never good at following vague directions, he did not like secrecy, he did not always agree with their methods of keeping safe and security.... and some agents unsettled him. He had once met an Agent Sitwell who did not seem trustworthy and made a shiver go down his spine. Still, he wanted to help, wanted to be a good agent, and if he asked too many questions, he worried they might take him off the assignment.

Gabe let out a deep sigh: "Maybe you're right..."

The other agents were watching Cassandra moving from the bed to see the other equipment in the room. She seemed curious, but at the same time confused. She went to the bathroom, where the agents didn't have cameras.

Gabe still felt uncomfortable about the screens, and quickly looked to Armand and the other agent present: "So, are you gonna be all here now? She'll probably go to sleep soon, so I don't see the reason for all of us to be here..."

Armand answered: "It’s twenty-four hour surveillance. Two agents need to stay here to watch her all night. Then two will come on the next shift, and the others can leave if they have no other orders.  I'll be here every day for a few days, until new orders are received."

Gabe was happy that only two agents would stay here, he knew that he'd need to leave soon too, but he wanted to check on Cassandra at least one more time to see if she was okay.

The quieter second agent asked: "Do you think that she'll want to escape?"

Gabe rubbed his wrist a little: “Well, I hope that she won't... She's been through a lot, maybe in the next few days she will just try to process things, maybe then she'll have more questions. We will need to figure out how to answer them. I'm gonna meet her tomorrow morning, so I'll bring her breakfast..."

Armand asked him: "Aren't you gonna help her with adjusting too?"

Gabe answered knowing that he needed to prepare some stuff to start with: "Yeah, I have all night on it."

Armand leaned back a little as he faced Gabe: "Do you realize that you can't go there with a laptop and internet? You'll need to find some history books."

A younger female agent with a short dark ponytail stepped forward and volunteered herself. "I'm pretty familiar with the S.H.I.E.L.D. library, so I can help you with finding books." she offered.

Gabe was pleased with the help of a younger agent, it made him feel less likely to make a mistake. "Yeah, thanks, it would be helpful. I can even start to search for some books now, to see what I can get from our library. Any ideas where to start?"

The agents were willing to start discussion about what to introduce first, anyways, so this was something like a break for them. Gabe took notes on some titles of books and also ideas of what to introduce first and so on. He was searching it in the database, but then the agent responsible for watching Cassandra, admonished them to be quiet. They saw Cass leaving the bathroom and heading to her bed, and Gabe felt satisfied she was safe for now.

Armand spoke up: "Okay, Agent Collins will stay with me here for the night, the rest of you can go. You're released from this assignment for today."

The other agents started to leave the room, but Gabe stayed behind for a moment longer. He saw Cassandra on the monitor, but she looked sadder every minute. One agent was writing down everything. Gabe watched as Cassandra was opening her bag. The agents did not have a view to see inside it though, but Cass wasn't taking anything out from there… until suddenly she angrily threw the bag under the bed and burst into tears. She did not know the agents were watching and doing their job, taking notes. Gabriel felt sad seeing her like this. He could tell how much she was keeping inside now, how much vulnerability she was trying to hide. It was heart-breaking. He already saw her lost in the thoughts when he left her for a moment in that first meeting and then brought her sandwiches, but she was clearly hiding it ever since. Now she was so broken, so lost... he wanted to comfort her somehow, but he knew that his presence could just mess things up more. With this on his mind he left the room.

The young agent who had promised to help him in the library was waiting for him. She didn't even know how long it'll take him to leave: "What took you so long? I thought that you still have work to do. "

"I'm sorry, I got distracted. She looked so lost... so broken." Gabe answered.

"You can't help her right now, but tomorrow you'll bring her those books and you can help her with adjusting afterwards. It'll just take us some time to find all of them. We need to hurry a little, because it can take a while. Shield's library is pretty big, so we'll both need to look for those books."

"Yeah, I know." Gabe noticed that he hadn't even introduced himself at first. "By the way, I'm agent Gabriel Perez."

"I'm agent Jenkins, level 2. I heard about you. You're something like today's hero." 

"Yeah, thanks, nice to meet you, too. That thing today... it was nothing, I just wanted to help, that's why I'm in Shield anyways."  Gabe did not want to sound too heroic, he wasn’t used to getting so much praise and did not know how to accept it. He didn't feel like a hero, but he was glad that he could help at least somehow, and that it helped his position change for the better. He also knew that this was just the beginning however, there was still so much work to do...

In the meantime, they reached the library.

Agent Jenkins used her verification card to unlock the library's door and they went in. Gabe was there for the first time. This wasn't a library like any other, books were there in a different order and also there were classified zones. Jenkins asked for a list they made earlier in the monitoring control room. She took it and memorized some books to look for, while Gabriel went to look for others. It took them some time to find them and after the books from the list were almost all on the table, they checked what's missing.

"So there's a book about old inventions from the 19th century, here's a whole book about electricity and steam engines, a book about old traffic stuff and a few others with old inventions... also I found this history atlas, it's a little weird that she will learn about history this way... I mean, we were taught about that from young age and she will learn it all just now, it's really something different," Gabe said lost in the thoughts of how he saw Cassandra's situation, surely these things weren't common and he knew how different this might be than tutoring some school kids.

Jenkins agreed: "Well, it's strange because this is a unique case. We've never met someone from the past, and so never thought that it may someday happen... Specifically to us. I've been in Shield just for two years now and I've never thought I would be part of something so special."

"You don't say. I'm literally a novice in this and I'm already assigned to a mission like this. It's a one in a million chance for a novice to get something interesting, even so important."

Gabe was distracted for a moment thinking about how he got to this point, but then Jenkins got him back into reality: "I think something's missing, did you find a book about first cameras? Because that one is pretty important."

Gabe answered: "Yeah, I was just gonna check that one, I know photography changed the world and all."

"I would recommend you to show the camera book first, it might be confusing for her to see all these books with pictures wondering how they got there, she's from the 18th century you said, right? She has no idea about this stuff, so she needs to know and learn about this first."

Gabe let her finish her advice and nodded before going to look for that last book… at least the last for now. He knew that he'd come back for more later, probably by himself, but she helped him a lot to orient himself in the Shield library, so the Photography/ first camera book was easier to find now. When he returned, the young agent was already prepared to leave. It was night anyways. They spent a while there and now they needed rest too. Gabe said goodbye to the agent and looked at his pile of books. So much work to do with those, but he would gladly even study them himself to remind himself of history lessons, now that he would become a private teacher.

He was looking for a bag, so he could take all of the books at once, but didn't find any, so he tried to pick them up all at once. He succeeded, but he had his hands full and the books made the pile so big that he was holding the top of the pile with his chin. Luckily agent Jenkins left the door open, so he was able to pass with all of those books without any problem. He went through the empty halls and corridors leading to his room in the residential part of the basement. Everybody with normal assignments was already asleep, it was a late night and he needed rest too after this long day. Before entering his residence, he had a problem with opening his door. He needed to put the books down first, but with his clumsiness, several books fell in different directions of the hall. He picked all the books after he opened the door and then he entered the room.

Phew, this was a day... or was it already yesterday? he thought. He checked his watch. It was 3AM. Gabe put all the books on his messy table and laid on the bed. He was tired, he was up so long, this was his longest day ever. Even after changing clothes and laying on the bed, ready to sleep, he was still thinking about the whole day. He was also thinking about next- this day which will just come after a few short hours of sleep. He was thinking about Cassandra. Wondering if she would be okay when he sees her again later, or just pretending to be okay... he couldn't even comfort her, but at least she was in a safe place with no one attacking her now. He wondered if she would ever accept their help. That was more for long term thinking, and he pushed the thought away. He closed his eyes and the exhaustion overtook him.

Chapter Text

Cassandra wasn't sleeping much that day. It was overwhelming, she couldn't turn off that never ending sadness and guilt. It wasn't a sleepless night for her, but it wasn't any good either. That nightmare caused her panic attack and also a few red rocks on the floor around the bed. When she calmed down, she made them disappear. But evidence was still there, was she gonna hide those cracks on the floor? It wasn't that important at the moment. 

She couldn't rest her mind with calm thoughts much, so she tried to think about something else. Maybe to think about this weird future, and about what agents had told her after she calmed down and went here with them. That way to this place was interesting enough. To see just a tiny part of the unknown world. She was thinking about the place, about the stuff she saw, wondering how it was possible but also how amazing progress made humans while she was gone. At least this wasn't anything worrying. No attacking thoughts, no painful thoughts, just wondering. She finally found a way to calm down and distract herself. Finally, she could rest her mind for some time.

She didn't even know if it was still night or day. The lack of windows was really uncommon for her and it reminded her more of the prison than room for guests. Time was confusing for her in general, she lost the count even before she entered the basement. She missed the outside world. Was it even the same as she knew? Did nature change? The lack of information she had was maybe also her mistake. She had several chances to ask about anything, but she didn't think of that in those moments. Cass knew that Gabriel was going to visit her "in the morning", but morning was relative for her. 

Would he come in a minute? Hour? Is it even morning yet? Better to be ready for him... she thought.

Cassandra got up from bed. Then she walked around a bit, again looking at the equipment of the room. Those cracks in the floor were still visible, but she couldn't fix it with anything for Gabe to not notice them. At least she had hope that he won't ask or just let it be. She entered the bathroom, looked at herself in the mirror and saw her tear-stained face after long hours of crying that night. She didn't want to show this side of herself to anybody, to show her weakness to complete strangers, so she just washed it off with cold water. Afterwards, nothing was visible. She was ready.

On the other side of the basement, the alarm clock rang on Gabe's night table. He was so sleepy even though he slept at least a few hours. But he was still pretty tired from the previous day. But with the importance of his assignment, there wouldn't be so much time for sleeping anymore. Still, he was willing to give it up in exchange to be able to help someone in need. Even in strict conditions with many rules to follow. He alone decided that he wanted to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, so he was willing to follow the rules and keep everything classified. He was going to have a first morning meeting with a few higher agents, probably for knowing more about rules and methods and all that official stuff. He also needed to prepare those books he brought that night. Other agents needed to check them all first, for possible risks still in the air. 

He prepared all the stuff, finally brought a bag for the books and ate some small snacks on his way to the meeting room.

"Look, it's not always easy to work with these guys, but we have to meet them halfway. You saw what happened with Stark. People don't like being told what to do." Coulson was pointing out to the Basement Leader, his arms crossed, when he heard the door open and Gabe entered. Coulson looked over at with a nod and seemed to relax, "Good to see you, Agent Perez."

The Basement Leader, sitting at his desk, nodded, "I understand that Coulson, but rules are rules and procedures need to be followed." He did not acknowledge Gabe as much, only offering a respectful nod.

"That's true, but if we keep treating these people like they can't be reasoned with, like assets, we aren't going to make progress." Coulson nodded. He felt glad Perez was assigned to the project because he knew that Perez was willing to compromise like him, not as absolutist as the leader.

"As far as SHIELD is concerned, they are assets. We don't have anyone assigned to ask Blonsky how his day is going." the Basement Leader pointed out, "If we start catering to them and bending the rules, this entire organization becomes irrelevant. Who needs us when you can dial a hero any time of day?"

"We can agree that we disagree for now," Coulson pointed out, "We can focus now on agent Perez."

Leader nodded slightly, but he saw that this discussion will probably continue again, till they won't come up with some golden means. Everybody in the room shifted their attention to Gabriel who was sitting on the other side of the table.

Leader started: "So welcome agent Perez, this meeting was supposed to be mostly for you, but we've already started discussion with Coulson. We can now fully focus on you and acknowledge you about all the rules and classification for this assignment. As you know, the situation yesterday wasn't handled that well and some mistakes were made. That won't happen again. You did a good job calming things down. We believe that you will be able to handle some harder situations, but with this in mind, we'll be trying to avoid those. That means not talking about something that can scare her or trigger her."

"Okay, I'll try my best," Gabe said, ready to make a list in his head. He was hoping that it wouldn't be too strict.

Both Coulson and Leader glanced at each other. Leader was hopeful that Gabriel would be willing to follow rules, so he started: "Good. First rule for you will be to not discuss this mission with any other agents who aren't in this assignment. It has to stay classified. We take our secrets seriously and nobody can know we have someone so powerful here."

Coulson interrupted slightly to try to help. The Leader's descriptions seemed so cold to him, he wanted Gabe to understand. "That's right, Perez. We have to make sure anyone who might be listening in doesn't try to hurt our new friend here, or make things worse for her. I've seen in other cases how easy it is for information to fall into the wrong hands, or for people to overreact." He thought of how Stark handled his meetings with Fury...

The Leader raised an eyebrow, looking for a moment as if he might chide Coulson, before catching on and nodding, going along with how he described it now. "Yes. We want to keep Cassandra safe from the outside. There are many who might want to harness her abilities without caring for her, or trying to make her comfortable like we are. We just need to keep her safe through this adjustment period."

Gabriel came back to reality and focused back on Leader's words. The 'adjustment period' sounded like it could be a long time, and he wondered if she needed to stay locked inside the room all the time: "Can I ask something?" Coulson nodded.

"During the adjustment period, will she need to stay inside of that room all the time? Since everything is classified and all that safety protocols will be there, would there be a chance for her to go out? I mean she will definitely ask this soon enough."

The Leader answered quickly, "This is no place for potential threats to just walk outside while there is still danger. She is dangerous, we don't know much about her, we can't let her just go everywhere she wants. She's not a prisoner here, but that doesn't mean we can allow her to leave until we know if it's safe for not only our agents, but for the outside world as well."

Coulson interfered a little: "It's true that we don't know her intentions and all, but she doesn't have to be the immediate danger. I know that this might be a good idea for us to let her stay locked without her knowing about it, but it might cause trouble when she starts to ask. We'll need to find some good answer to keep her in place without sounding like she needs to be there because she's a threat."

Leader reacted: "In case this question happens, you'll need to assure her that it's for her safety first and try not to sound like we want to keep her away from everyone, because that might cause trouble. Worst scenario would be that she would want to leave and fight her way out. In this case, if it ever happens and we can pray that not, you'll need to do anything to talk her out of it. If she starts to fight, we would need to use force and that wouldn't end well, for both sides. We still don't know how her powers work and how we can stop her, so it's in our best interest to avoid causing problems."

"How can we stop her, sir?" Gabe asked, a little surprised.

The leader wanted to shake his head, mistaking the agent's surprise for sheer ignorance - from his perspective, knowing how to counter threats was SHIELD's entire purpose, and this kid hadn't paid attention to the job description. "You've seen what she is capable of, agent. We need to be prepared for every possible outcome. That's what we do."

Coulson quickly stepped in, feeling the leader was being rude, "It's just like we do with Stark and Banner, we prefer to try to keep our distance and use a little control if we need it, offer assistance, but... we all know that if Banner were to lose control again, he as well as anyone would want us to take control of the situation. We have to be prepared for any contingency. I think your friend should be fine, but some people in this organization are paid to think differently."

It did feel better to have Coulson explain, Gabe appreciated how he always seemed willing to smooth over the difficult parts of the job, but it troubled him. He was trying to make everything safe and comfortable for Cassandra and it didn't feel fair for him to know they were making a weapon that could hurt her. How was he supposed to face her and help her knowing about this? Was he going to lie to her, acting like everything was okay when he knew it wasn't? He knew if he spoke up they'd tell him he was being dramatic, so he did not tell them his concern. Still, Coulson noticed the look in his eyes.

"He's right, Perez. This is how SHIELD has always handled potential threats. Look at it this way." he looked at Gabe directly like he hadn't before, eyes focused, "Your job is to make sure we don't need that information okay? The more comfortable you make her, the more of an ally she becomes, the less chance we'll ever need to know how to defeat her. If something happens, it’s up to you to calm her down and convince her that we aren't enemies. That S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t have bad intentions with her. Her life is in your hands."

"I suppose that makes sense." Gabe did not want to see her be hurt so if he could keep her safe and protected of course he would try to prevent conflict.

The Basement Leader nodded, "Well, good. What is your plan for today?" He asked simply and coolly.

"Well, I plan to start slowly, I will bring her breakfast and then I plan to start introducing her to some old stuff she doesn't know, to help her with understanding modern technology and society. I brought a bunch of books from the Shield library. Most of them are about inventions from the 19th century, since I don't want to confuse her with today's technology, or at least not yet. I was in the library with agent Jenkins and she recommended a few of those books and also helped me with the library system."

"It's good that another agent was willing to help you with this." Coulson started to say, "We should encourage that kind of a collaboration, within reason, as long as no classified information was exchanged, which I trust wasn't." Gabe nodded. "I think we should let Agent Perez use his judgement. It hasn't failed him yet."

The Basement Leader nodded, "Just make sure to review and log everything with a senior agent daily, including everything you bring to her; if anything goes wrong, we'll be able to say if you were responsible, keeping track of what she is exposed to." he explained, passing a piece of paper on the desk to Gabe, "All you need to do then is sign this, to take formal responsibility for your role in this mission. It's basically all we said here at this meeting."

Gabriel nodded, took the pen and signed the document.

In the meantime, Agent Armand and Agent Collins arrived at the meeting with the report. They put the notes on the table.

Agent Armand spoke first: "Good morning, me and Agent Collins were on the night shift and we went through all available recordings at night. As we observed earlier recordings from a room with amber, we noticed a few mistakes in agents' action when some of them started to panic. That made the woman only more scared. Watching her behaviour was interesting, but also pretty common. It's a normal human reaction to be disoriented, scared and in panic while entering a completely unfamiliar environment. Strange were her powers and also the fact that she couldn't break the amber earlier. It was unexpected from both sides that she could use them afterwards and for us that she actually has some or that she was awake during the process."

Younger agent Collins continued: "From reading her expressions she wasn't attacking in any way, she was just scared and went on retreat. Probably it was too much for her to take and she needed some space, so she created those rocks as a shield to separate herself from others. Maybe it could be better to leave her some space, so those red rocks wouldn't show. As agent Perez went to investigate the case on his own, we confirmed that those rocks are as a result of her uncontrolled fear. Although we didn't see that the first time, our monitoring revealed that during the night she had a nightmare with a really strong course with the result of those red rocks showing up again. This time it was slightly different than the first time, because those rocks didn't spread through the basement, not even away from her room, they were just near her bed. So we didn't call for an emergency alarm as it was ordered to us."

Gabe reacted: "Is she okay? Those rocks showed again? So she can't control those, right?"

"Well, it seems like a defense mechanism of her powers of some sort, which reaches the source of the fear and stops or eliminates it," agent Collins answered.

"She managed to calm herself down after some time, so she could let those rocks disappear once again. She wasn't sleeping much afterwards, but I guess she's alright now. She needs some time to process everything," Armand added.

Gabriel was feeling little better that no emergency was called and that Cassandra was able to calm herself down. He still felt like the girl was in pain after what he saw in the screening room a few hours ago.

Agents discussed a few more things and then the meeting reached its end. 

"Good luck," said agent Coulson to Gabe, dismissing him.

Afterwards, Gabe went to the screening room where breakfast was ready for him to take. Inside, another agent was waiting on him with the meal in his hands.

“Thanks,” Gabe nodded and took the breakfast, heading to her room. Everything was ready.

Chapter Text

Calm and seemingly okay, Cass walked around in her room, waiting for Gabriel to arrive. She’d been waiting for a few minutes at first, which turned into an hour. What takes him so long? When will it finally be morning? Is it still night? she was wondering. Not long afterwards she heard knocking on the door. It was him. Finally! He even asked if he may come in. Polite. Hopefully he won't ask much. He seemed fine yesterday but still, trusting someone new isn't my thing.

Gabriel entered the room with a bag on his back and a packed meal: "Hi." 

He was feeling confident enough, more than he had felt one day ago, but he was also considerate. He wasn't exactly sure how to make good conversation and get results, but he was sure that he would try his best to improve Cassandra's state. She seemed neutral, without any sign of fear or anxiety. He knew that it may be just cover, that she seemed much worse before. 

After a few seconds Cass returned the greeting with a weak: "Hi." She was standing still and static, like she didn't know what to do.

Gabe started the conversation lightly: "So I brought breakfast... as promised."

"Breakfast?" Cass was tempted to snark if people still ate breakfast in this future... but she was hungry, actually. Something to eat did sound good. She looked at him expectantly.

Gabe came closer with the platter, still focusing on Cassandra and her behavior; if she felt okay with him coming closer and he didn't see any sign of the opposite. She did not squirm or back away but seemed comfortable.

He repeated: "Yeah, breakfast," he put the platter on the table, standing on the opposite side of the table. Cass was looking carefully and curiously on what he brought her.

"I brought some typical French breakfast." 

He uncovered the meal hiding under the platter. Cassandra was surprised with the quantity of food, there were so many things and it was all for her. Rolls, croissants, eggs, coffee and a few other things. It looked more like a feast than the kind of meal she was used to.

"This is all... for me?" she asked. 

Gabe answered with a slight smile: "Yes, you seemed pretty hungry yesterday, so I guessed that one sandwich wasn't enough."

Cass came closer after Gabe moved a little backwards and she sat next to the table.

"I'll let you eat and in the meantime I will unpack books from the bag." 

Unpack books... She looked once again at Gabe, thinking about what he could bring up. But the breakfast looked so delicious. She didn't bother with him for a moment as she wanted to enjoy her food. He was quiet, he didn't mean to disturb her.

Gabe tried to be as conscious and considerate as possible of Cassandra, careful to make sure not to act too suddenly or move the books too loudly, so she could eat and hopefully relax like he wasn't even there. He felt like she should feel in control of the situation if he wanted her to go along with him, like she was in charge, or she would feel threatened again, until he could win her trust. He still wasn't sure how to do that for sure, but he knew he had to try.

Vigilant as ever, Cassandra kept one eye on him as she otherwise focused on her food, taking a fork toward the eggs to eat. It was delicious, in fact, more than she expected. It helped that she hadn't eaten a good breakfast in hundreds of years, but still, whoever did the cooking here knew their way around the kitchen. That, she at least, had going for her. If this place was some kind of hotel or prison, they probably served better food than she'd have found outside Corona before.

She wondered if she should say something to him, but she hated making small talk with people about pointless things, and she wasn't going to tell this stranger all her secrets.

After breakfast, Cass noticed a growing pile of books which Gabe was putting outside of the bag. She remembered the word "adjusting" from the previous day, so she assumed that Gabe was preparing stuff for whatever that meant. Adjusting. That's what she needed to be able to understand this world, right? Because what she already knew wasn't enough now. Maybe it was too early to even be able to process all this future thing.  She needed to know: "Those books... Are those all important for me to get to know this world?"

Gabriel turned his attention from books back to Cass: "Yeah, I brought them here so you can get new information about this world, they'll help you adjust. I’m going to help you with them.”

"So, you're gonna explain to me all of... that?" Cass asked, pretty sure that he'd stay here for a much longer time than she anticipated.

Gabe answered: "Yes, we can even start now, well if you feel ready... We have as much time as you need."

Gabe saw Cassandra's unsure face, it was clearly overwhelming for her to see so many books, but also that wasn't even a full fragment, it was just a start. Still, he knew that if he starts well, it'll be easier to continue with more complicated things and easier with getting to modern technology. Some base was needed first, but he wasn't completely sure what she already knew.

"I can start with something simple, so you would understand some principles from your time. But I don't know exactly how progressive was your kingdom..." he waited for some reaction for a moment, but he saw still only confusion on her face, so he shifted his start a little, "...or I could explain to you basic things you will find in every book, so you won't be so confused afterwards."

This wasn't like tutoring his classmates and other students from the academy, this was a whole new level. Students already knew what they needed to learn, what progress they needed to reach and what results they wanted to accomplish. On the other hand, this time he didn't know anything about knowledge of his new "student". Even if she was willing to learn something new and to listen to him. He didn't know anything about her knowledge, about her life, she hasn't told much yet, so it was pretty limitating.

"Or maybe we could just talk for the beginning," he suggested gently, when she wasn’t opening up.

"Talk about what?" she asked reluctantly.

Gabe noticed the resistance, but he didn't want to give up so easily: "Literally anything, just choose the topic..."

"Fine," she finally decided that some talking won't kill her, although the thought made her feel uncomfortable for a moment. But she knew that he wouldn't stop trying to make her talk if she didn’t stop with her resistance. 

Gabe moved closer to her, indicating that he's ready to listen. He left his books and turned all his attention on Cass.

"So, you wanted to know something about the progress we had, some technological things, right?” she asked. “Well, we had one scientist in the kingdom... he was pretty resourceful, just a kid... and he had the idea to invent some device which was supposed to heat water..."

Gabe didn't want to interrupt her, even though it took her some time. He was happy that she finally decided to say something, so he just listened.

"...well, he was close, but it blew up, like many of his inventions. A couple of them were successful. Not many."

"So you had just one scientist in the entire kingdom?" Gabe asked.

Cass thought for a second. Varian was the only scientist of the kingdom, but he wasn't the only one creating things. Corona also had some engineers and guards which were resourceful, but nobody was interesting or innovative enough to mention here.

"There were people who tried to invent things, but he was the only one who was very focused on it." Cassandra answered, "We had a science expo and pretty much everything else there was dangerous or useless. Not as interesting as you'd probably be hoping for." They probably wanted to hear something dramatic and powerful... she wondered if he thought they were primitive and stupid compared to this age, wherever she was. The thought made her angry.

"If the kingdom was learning how to heat water, that could be very advanced for its time, actually." Gabe pointed out with a nod, "I mean, hey, everybody advances at their own pace. That's what my dad used to say." he explained, thinking back to how anxious he was about applying to work for SHIELD, and how behind he'd felt for a long time before that...

"...I suppose that's true." Cassandra admitted, still trying to keep her guard up, "Well, that kid was the only real scientist in the kingdom. We weren't very concerned with technology at the time. The King cared about diplomacy and security and that was about it." she explained.

Gabe nodded. SHIELD did not seem so different - everything there was really about security more than anything else. Keeping people safe is what made him want the job, even if there were aspects of the organization he wasn't fully comfortable with.

"This world is full of technology, but S.H.I.E.L.D.'s main purpose is to protect. It's about security, it's about protecting people, that's why I took this job. I wanted to protect people, to help them with what they can't handle. With new technology it's easier, but the principle stays the same. We have many scientists over here, so they can help us, make our job easier. Probably in your time it was a lot harder from a technological point of view if you didn't have many scientists there. But also, I suppose, that you didn't have at least as many advanced possible threats as we have here." Gabriel wanted to connect his passion more with Shield, so he could inconspicuously acknowledge Shield's main goal with also a small comparison. He was also interested if his guess was correct.

Cass thought for a moment as Gabe mentioned possible threats, because she knew that nobody in her time was advanced enough to become a threat with technological things, but rather with knowledge over magical stuff and many different forms of power. She herself was one of those possible threats. But he didn't know, and he didn't need to know it. She skipped the thought but it wasn't so easy to get it out of her mind. 

"Yeah, you're right, we didn't have any advanced kingdoms which were a threat to us. But we had other problems, mostly with security, even though we had many guards."

"Were those problems difficult to fix? I mean security should have been pretty important even those days," asked Gabe.

"The security was important, but it had many things to fix, from guards that were barely qualified to places where anybody could sneak into the castle, it had so many bugs... and fixing those issues, I think nobody cared enough to actually correct it," said Cass, but she noticed that maybe she started to talk too much.

"But if you knew that the safety of the kingdom could be ruined and somebody could use those bugs, didn't you try to warn them-" Suddenly Gabe noticed Cassandra's face and he knew the answer.

He saw as Cass was once again closing up with her body movement, small, but noticeable. Crossing her arms wasn't a good sign and he knew that he might have touched something he didn't want from her past.

Cassandra was angry, squeezing her fists as she crossed her arms and ready to taunt him, to demand he take it back. What kind of idiot would recognize such simple, basic mistakes in Corona's defenses and not say anything? How stupid did he think she was? Of course she'd tried to tell them, repeatedly, to tell the Captain of the Guards and the King, but nothing came of it, never, nobody listened to her, and for just a second she'd wondered if Gabe was different and here he-

"Unless you did. Sorry, I didn't want to..." He softened as he changed his answer and apologized to her.

She breathed in and tried to let it go. She'd done this before with Rapunzel too, when she would say something ignorant or annoying. It was hard for her to let all that anger go, but after Zhan Tiri, she knew where that led. She didn't want to go that way again. She chose to accept his apology.

She breathed in a little again and spoke: "It's okay, you didn't say anything wrong... I mean a lot of things happened and I just don't want to- could we just change the subject?"

Gabe nodded at her request to change the subject, "Right, so I don't know if you read a lot back in your kingdom..." Were they even literate back then? he wondered. He knew not everyone could read and write at that time.  "I brought you some books to start with today, to help you see what has changed over the years."

It wasn’t a short stack - a book full of photographs from throughout the nineteenth century, a book describing various inventions including electricity and photography, and more. He thought the pictures would help them get started. "Which book do you want to start with?"

"...I don't know, what do you think I should know?" Cass asked, a hint of sharpness to her voice, before she softened, feeling a little bad and knowing he was trying to help. "Where would you start?"

He wondered for a moment, then decided to focus on the book of photographs, "Have you ever seen something like this before?" The first page was a photograph of a small family on a farm in France from a short time after photography was first invented and first available there. It was an old photograph but, clearly enough to Cassandra, not a painting.

She was thinking about how different this was, not just that picture, but all the books with old stuff which was pretty new to her and how it's possible. She answered: "No, I haven't."

Gabe was ready to start the "lesson" or whatever this was, because lessons usually start with supplementation of already known stuff with normal stuff like this, but this time he needed to start from scratch.

"So this is one of the first photographs ever taken in this area. Even in the 18th century, there were inventors and scientists, who tried to capture a picture of anything and fixate it, so others would be able to see it also afterwards. But many failed with the first prototypes of cameras," he turned to the next page, “The earliest cameras here were called camera obscura..." He pointed to the big darkened box with a small hole and started with explaining stuff. 

He needed to refresh some knowledge too, so the text inside was helping him. Cassandra was amazed with how it was even possible and her attention was fully taken with the pictures in the book. She saw those first photographs, but those which actually were showing those cameras were in much better quality. She was listening to Gabe closely. He also sometimes checked with some questions if Cass wasn't lost in it, but everything was fine from both sides. Gabriel's explanations weren't that long and specialistic, because he tried to tell it the easiest way to understand. Whole book had around two hundred pages and many pictures in it, so it took the whole morning.

Gabe hadn't been sure what to expect, but it proved to be the best kind of busy morning as he tried to walk Cassandra through all of the subject material. Everything went very well. Cassandra was a quick learner, but she still asked questions here and there he was happy to answer, and she was definitely interested in modern technology and understanding how it all worked. Every photograph he showed her seemed to capture her imagination - a snapshot to another world or time she'd never been able to see. Her obvious interest helped him relax as he explained things to her, which in turn made the whole process easier for both of them.

He wondered if SHIELD would allow him to bring in items as props, like a small camera, for the lessons he was teaching, or if they would view it as a risk or a luxury. They seemed to be trusting him so far but he wasn't sure they fully did; he could just imagine them interrupting him and saying he was getting too high risk or breaking security protocol. He wanted to make the adjustment as easy as possible for Cassandra though, and he knew it'd be easier if he could show her what she missed as much as say.

She was fascinated with how much the world had changed. Every photograph seemed to tell a story, like the shards she had seen of Mother Gothel back at the tower ruins, and Rapunzel's paintings. She loved the natural landscapes, which seemed so calming, thinking about how wild it was to see different parts of the world without traveling. Some of the photographs showed things she couldn't begin to identify, but she knew this was only step one on a long journey to seeing how the world had changed.

Although the lesson seemed productive, like all students also Cass needed some pause, to be able to process everything and have some break. The book wasn't that long, because most of it was photographs, but there were so many more things to explain about the topic. After reading the whole book, Gabe decided that it was a good time to have lunch break. He stood up, took the platter with eaten food from the table and went to the door.

“I’ll be back with lunch soon.” he promised, before shutting it behind him.

For a moment, Cassandra was alone again, but this time alone with a bunch of books with new information. Still, the book of Photography seemed pretty interesting even after they went through it together. It was all a good distraction. Not even a few minutes passed and Gabe was back with her second meal of the day. It was strange to her to eat once again normally, but the taste of the breakfast was good enough to also try lunch. 

"I'll go eat lunch too," Gabe said when he put the platter with fresh warm food on the table, "at least I won't distract you while eating this time, see you later. Bon appétit!" 

"Thank you," said Cass to Gabriel. She appreciated that he understood her in a way she never thought somebody would do. Giving someone privacy when needed, some distraction from the thoughts and the past. She never knew that she would need something like that and it would actually help. She didn't want to admit it, but she somehow felt that all Gabe said was true, even though she would never believe strangers.

The next part of the day went smoothly too, with lesson about history from late 18th and early 19th century, where Gabe mentioned most important events and outlines some important inventions invented during that time, but without many details, because he had as much time as he needed and saw that it's not best to talk about too many things right in the second day. At the end of his meeting, he offered Cass dinner, but before he left, he turned back to her one more time.

“Before I go, is there anything else you might want to have or need? I could see if I could bring it for you.” Gabe offered.

“Well… I could use a clock. Just to know what time of day it is.” Cassandra explained softly, “Hard to say how time passes just in this room.”

“That makes sense.” Gabe nodded, realizing she had no way of knowing the time, which seemed like an oversight. “I’ll try to bring you one as soon as possible.” he promised, “Good night.”

After he left and she had some privacy, she felt the growing sadness again. She was standing there, in the empty room, a room which was still foreign to her. Like she didn't even belong there. But after everything she went through there was still someone who could distract her thoughts for several hours. At least with strangers she forced herself to act like she's not completely broken, but now she was alone, so she could throw her mask away and let the feelings, deeply repressed, get out. The distraction was only temporary, it didn’t last. At least she had something left inside the room - the books. Not like yesterday. Maybe she could read them again without Gabe. She wanted to avoid the same scenario of crying all night, so she read the first book, and then the second one. Words still sounded somehow distant, like it wasn't even history at all, but she was focused, and it was good.

She didn't need to sleep, but as she thought, it still was something that made people people. Or was she still a normal person? She made an internal dialogue with herself: Well, I didn't need sleep while back, I don't need it now too. But maybe it'd be better to rest the mind and not just receive and process new information. Even though I didn't feel hunger, the food was still delicious. Maybe it'll be the same with sleep. But I need to stay focused on the present and avoid any kind of thinking about the past. I can give it a shot. If it won't work then I just won't sleep.

She stood up and went to bed. This time she also tried to see if complete darkness would be a problem, because with the light on it was harder to fall asleep. She turned off the light switch and saw that there wasn’t complete darkness. Even in a room with no window there was some small backlight weakly glowing in the bend between wall and ceiling, and there were also small red light dots in the corners of the room. 

She didn't know there were cameras watching her every step, and even with the lights off they could see her with night vision thanks to that backlight. 

She saw it as an advantage to not be in complete darkness and she could find her way back to the bed. She was thinking if the darkness would make her remember her blackout back in her years in the amber. But it was nothing too bad. She lied down and closed her eyes. That was the time when she found out that she can't stay focused on the present. It all went slowly back. The pain, the guilt, all horrible memories...

Just don't think about it. Think about lessons, think about this future, but not about the past. It was useless. Every attempt ended right there, so she accepted it.

Her hard time falling asleep didn't avoid tears. More memories made her shake. It was like fear, guilt and sadness mixed together which made her unable to fall asleep at all. She suffered and she didn't like it.

Perhaps this was a bad idea. Perhaps I won't be able to sleep anymore. It's useless. Only after hours of crying I could fall asleep last night and it just ended with a nightmare. I'm out.

She gave up trying and turned on the lights again. She wiped her tears and took a book. And started to read.

Chapter Text

That night went as there wasn't any sleep at all, and when Gabe entered the room the next morning with breakfast and a clock, Cass still didn't feel tired. Gabe noticed the books on the shelf were out of order, as if she was looking inside. That was a good sign, he thought, that her curiosity would help them go through stuff much quicker. He didn't know that she was up all night reading the books.

"So what were you reading today?" Gabe asked interested what new information she read.

Cass, still holding one book, answered: "Well this one and a couple of others. I still don't get some things, even when they're pretty well explained."

"That's why I'm here to explain it to you. Which ones for example?" he asked.

Cass grabbed the book with old inventions and started to leaf through the book. She found pages with more complex inventions, difficult to understand and showed it to Gabe. "These are pretty complicated."

There were the first steam engines used in various things, for example in locomotives. On the other page there were electromagnets and detailed explanations. He could see why she was having trouble with such new things, far removed from inventions of her own time he assumed.

"Wow, you went through this entire book.... I planned to got through it after those other two books which-"

"You mean these?" Cass interrupted and showed exactly those which Gabe had in mind. "I kinda figured out your order, you put them so organised on the shelf."

"You actually read all of those? You're fast. But we can still go through them together, so I'll explain stuff you didn't understand from the book." Gabe was surprised. Maybe he'll even need to bring more books.

Was she really that fast? Or was she even sleeping? Good questions went through his mind but was unsure if he should ask.

"Yeah, of course." she agreed. She saw curiosity in his eyes, she could almost say that she heard him asking with his look, but she didn't answer as long as he didn't ask. 

He didn't say anything about that topic and instead he put the breakfast on the table. "I can wait until you finish eating..."

"It's okay, I can eat quietly and listen." she said, surprised that it actually interested her that much. So far, the only calming stuff was distraction... and books and new knowledge did quite a good job of distraction. Though maybe it wouldn’t be so interesting in the long term for her... 

"Alright, so I was gonna start today with some late 18th and early 19th century inventions together with the historical situation in the world..."

Gabe felt better to see that Cass wanted to listen, that she wasn't craving the chance for him to stop the lesson. It made him feel like he was doing a good job at least. He opened the book and reviewed the notes.

"Which part of the lesson or book did you take the most interest in?" he asked. It seemed like an innocent, neutral enough question. "Maybe I can focus a little on the point you cared most about?" He hoped it'd make this more fun for her.

Cass hesitated a moment: "Well, back in my day, there were... a lot of inventors trying to make things easier for people. I didn't pay attention to those outside of the kingdom, but I knew there were ideas about using steam to power things. Someone I knew used to talk about steam engines, but I didn't follow all of it. I cared more about maintaining my weapons and keeping the kingdom safe." she explained, "There's some kind of link between that, according to this book?" she raised an eyebrow, holding up one of the books.

"Oh, I don't remember details but I know the gist of that. If you broke one of your weapons, a new one had to be crafted, right? There were artisans and gunsmiths, but they were all unique?"

"Pretty much," Cass nodded, "my collection included a lot of unique pieces. We were lucky to have... a lot of people who were good at those things." She was hesitant to discuss those who provided the kingdom with weapons, or anyone she remembered really.

"So, there was this idea that instead of things being broken and needing to be replaced every time, what if we broke them down into parts that could be repaired or replaced, without having to lose the whole thing?" Gabe suggested. "We call those interchangeable parts, that way even if something is broken it can always be fixed. It can still have a purpose."

That concept was a little unfamiliar to her. Things had often been useful or useless, broken was broken. If her sword shattered in Rapunzel's hair, it was useless, it couldn't be kept or fixed. If something was useless, it was to be tossed aside and forgotten... like how useless Rapunzel had made her feel with Adira, like she was going to be tossed aside... back to the point, the idea of repairing such a weapon seemed novel. "That's interesting."

"Yeah, so in order to fix weapons and muskets, we found ways to make the parts identical so they could be repaired more easily. It started for weapons and war, because that was where the money and interest was first, but then they found they could use it for steam engines, and for trains, and... all sorts of other things they developed. Now my phone and tablet might use the same cable for example."

"...your what and who?" Cass tilted her head, a little sarcasm in her voice. She did not understand and she wanted him to notice his mistake.

Gabe rubbed his neck: "S-sorry, I got a little excited... but you're on the right track, you really are." he nodded, "People develop technology a lot with safety first, or helping people, and then they find more and more uses for it." he nodded, "Here, let me show you more examples in the book..."

Cass laughed just a little tiny bit at how his words got ahead of him, even if she didn't understand it, it was funny to see his passion there. "Be my guest." She handed him the book back. Well, at least he was finding ways to make it interesting so far.

The whole day was interesting for both Gabe and Cass, they had not just an interesting lesson, but also more conversation about differences of their time. Cass was absorbed into reading about weapons the most and Gabe noticed it. He finally could see some of her passion, even without knowing much about her.  He also heeded attention to all the details she said about herself. She wasn't talking much before, but he saw a glimpse of her opening up. It wasn't like when he saw her last on camera, broken and crying. She was strong and had the will to overcome it, so he wanted to help the best way possible. He knew he couldn't do more, or at least these few first days. First was gaining trust, then talking a little deeper and asking questions she may not be comfortable with now. 

At the end of their day together and their lessons, he setted up the clock and time so Cass could know when to expect him. He explained that some days may be shorter because he had other duties to attend to and work as well as rest. Not that he felt very tired, but he needed to stay careful about what he said or mentioned. This mission was top priority for him, because for the first time he saw that he was there for a reason. He was finally feeling useful and like he could use his talents for good to help somebody. Even though it wasn't hacking or anything related, he enjoyed it and he even saw it not as a mission, but as help for a friend. He knew that it'd take a while for her to trust him, but he knew he was on the right track.

They both said goodbye to each other and then Gabe left the room, shutting the door behind him. Passing through the halls on his way to his room, he realized something. Cass didn’t have any clothes! Everything was so rushed that this detail was forgotten till now. She had so far only her trademark black armor.

This thought just couldn’t be cast aside, even though it was late, he didn't want to come empty handed. There was still the whole evening left. He managed to find Agent Jenkins again to ask for a favor. 

"Hi, thanks for coming here so fast," Gabriel said to the young agent.

Jenkins replied: "No problem at all, I was just released from a meeting, so I have some free time now. What do you need? More library help?"

Gabe answered with slight embarrassment: "No, no, it's something else, it's about clothes and I'm pretty bad at that. I mean I can't choose the right size and style, could you help me?"

The younger agent giggled: "Of course I can, just say what you need."

"It's about Cassandra... I just realized she doesn't have anything to wear except for the armor she wears right now. I know it would be good to buy some clothes for her, so she can feel more comfortable here. I could use some advice in the shop," he said while looking at the phone and searching for open shops nearby.

"Yeah, I guess I can use some time outside of the basement, but will any shops be open at this hour?" Jenkins asked.

"I know one shop which is open pretty late, I just checked and they’re open, so we can go there. It'll take just a fifteen minute ride."

She nodded: "Alright, I'm gonna take my bag and we can go."

After a few minutes they took a car and with permission they left the basement. During the ride, Jenkins asked something: "Do you at least know anything about what she may like, some style? I can probably estimate size, but some more information could help me to choose something that suits her."

Gabe thought for a moment: "Well, she's never mentioned anything about clothing, so I'm not sure."

"So we can go with something neutral then, we’ll figure out her style later." she suggested casually, "By the way, how much did she already tell you? I'm not trying to be nosy, but I am curious. What is she like?"

"She's reserved and pretty closed off, but the more time I spend with her, the more glimpses I see of the real her. It's like she wants to hide everything and shut herself up, but when she's distracted from that, she can be so curious and interested and passionate about our world and also sometimes let slip things about herself without being too concrete." Gabe explained for the first time to someone else, hoping that other agents could see that the woman who was a threat three days ago was actually a good person in need of help. He didn't want to cheat much like the others by watching her through cameras, he wanted to get to know her fairly from his own perspective.

"She also mentioned something about protecting her kingdom, so my theory is that she was a warrior of some kind. She looks like one, but then I also remember her saying that nobody cared about her protection, or maybe she just mentioned that before I asked and she seemed angry, like I accidentally touched something, so maybe she had trouble with that..." 

"Wow, this is a pretty good job to find out all of this in just three days," Jenkins was excited, "I mean imagine how much we still don't know and how many awesome stories about the past she holds inside. Nobody in here even had a chance to hear it first-hand, you're really lucky Perez."

Pleased, he continued: "Yeah, it's great but it'll take quite some time, I mean I could mess it up anytime if I ask too much or go too deep, so I need to be careful. I know it's a hard time for her and she may not be ready to share..."

"I understand," she said and the conversation silenced for a moment.

They pulled up in front of the shop they’d been looking for, still lit up in the night, so Gabriel parked the car and they went in.

"So, where to start?" Gabe asked, looking to her for direction.

Jenkins led the way confidently: "We can start with basic T-shirts and some trousers."

They went looking for some neutral colors and Jenkins managed to locate some useful items quickly - a few basic t-shirts in black and white and pairs of dark trousers. Jenkins tried to ask for ideas about her to find items more fitting her style as well, and Gabe looked for anything that might remind him of her, but he knew there was so much more to learn. She really intrigued him, but he was worried about making assumptions too quickly. Gabe had to admit, he was a little embarrassed in the women's department. It all seemed so unfamiliar and he’d never been in the shop to buy clothing for someone else like this before.

Jenkins was not so nervous, she took many different things; from socks to pajamas, everything that could be needed. She was able to estimate Cass’ measurements pretty well from the reports that had been done, and stuck to dark colors, which seemed neutral but fitting, given Cass’ dark armor. The majority of clothes they picked were black and white since they couldn’t guess at her color preferences. It was not as fun to shop without being able to be creative but Jenkins seemed to enjoy the challenge in this.

It was still dark outside by the time they finished shopping together, and they soon returned to the basement with multiple bags full of new clothes for Cass.

“Thank you for your help with this, Agent Jenkins.” Gabe nodded as they parted ways for the night.

“It’s no problem, Perez, it’s all part of the mission, right?” she gave him a thumbs up and a grin, and then went off towards one of her other duties.

Gabe returned to his room, tired as he put the bags down on the table, waiting to be shown the next day to their bearer. He couldn’t wait to see if Cass liked the gifts, hopefully she would find them cozy and comforting. With a sigh, he collapsed on his bed and went to sleep.

Chapter Text

In the morning, Gabe went to the control room to show the new purchases and have them approved.

"Good morning,” he greeted, “Yesterday me and Agent Jenkins went to find some clothes for Cassandra. I realized that she doesn't have any. You can check them," he said.

Agent Collins took a note: "You're right, good idea Perez. We haven't thought about it, so it’s great that you noticed it. Everything seemed so rushed and we overlooked some details."

His older colleague nodded: "Yeah, most of the preparations on the initial mission was just to have some place to store some kind of dangerous power source, not a living being, so everything afterwards wasn't well prepared..."

"Yeah, thanks for reporting the deficiency. We'll check it and Shield will pay back the price to you," added Collins.

"Thank you, gentlemen." Gabe handed the bags to them. They took off the price tags and folded clothes into the bag.

"You're free to go," the older agent verified the bags and handed them back to agent Perez.

"Goodbye." 

Before entering the room, Gabe checked cameras to see if Cass was ready, even though he didn't like this spy situation, he wanted to be sure she was ready. He noticed that she was alert and that she checked her new clock. 9AM was in two minutes.

9AM exactly. Cass heard knocking on the door. I can get used to this. No more time insecurity and long hours waiting. 

She heard Gabriel speaking: "May I enter?"

She answered: "Yes." She was ready. Everything was okay, she was calm. Nothing to be afraid of.

She noticed him holding some bags: "What's this?" 

"These are your new clothes. I- we realized that you have nothing to wear here except for what you're wearing right now, so I bought you some basic clothes and everything needed..."

"Can I see?" she asked curiously even though she realized that she probably won't take off her armor that early. She still couldn’t be sure if there wasn’t any danger or not. She didn't trust these people yet, and even though they may seem nice now, it could be all just a trap or something hostile... She didn't want to believe anybody. So her little excited face faded, only curiosity stayed.

"Yes, it's all yours now," he answered, putting those bags to her hands. 

She put it right on the table and started to go through it. She saw a t-shirt, not exactly typical for her, but the fabric seemed different from what she had been used to in Corona. The size seemed alright; some pieces were a little bigger which made no difference at all to her. Maybe they would be comfortable that way at least. She pulled out another, this time an unknown piece. Question in her eyes indicated Gabe’s expected answer.

"Yeah, that one is probably new to you. Those are trousers, we usually wear them out or when we're gonna meet people, it can be worn practically everywhere. It's modern and basic for a couple of years."

"Alright, interesting." She put them on the table. At least nobody was insisting she wear a dress or skirt instead, she used to hate that, sometimes it was appropriate she supposed to, but she always preferred to wear things more functional.

Gabe added: "I forgot to say that women also wear those normally in society.”

“It’s good to know time has changed in some good ways.” she quipped with a little smirk, but then wondered if it made her seem too comfortable, or maybe too hostile. She wasn’t sure, but she wanted to stay neutral.

She in the meantime took out a new piece. She recognized it, but it looked little different from leggings from her time.

"Those are tracksuits usually worn at home or when you're doing something, while doing sports or training... It's more casual," he explained.

Then she opened another bag in which was a piece with weirdly sprigged patterns. It had two parts, she guessed it could be some night clothes to bed.

"Pyjamas, right? I think it looks like a modern version of it." she guessed aloud. She appreciated how neutral they seemed again, nothing overly feminine.

Gabe nodded. There were many other pieces, such as socks, blouses or jackets, but one clothing piece interested her more among other stuff. It was a hoodie, almost black one, but she didn't know the name or anything about it. 

"Yeah, sorry, I couldn't find your size in black, so I went to the men's division, so I don't know..."

She interrupted him: "It's okay, it looks interesting, what's it? What is it called?"

"It's called a hoodie and it actually has a hood too... You can put it on any clothes, it's oversized, so it'll cover any clothes and bonus, it's warm." He smiled. It seemed that these new additions made her interested in new ways. She could try and put it on. But instead, she folded clothes and started to put them in the closet.

"Wait, you don't wanna try it on?" he asked, tilting his head a little, hoping he hadn’t made a bad choice. He frowned a little, and she noticed but tried to ignore it.

"Maybe later, but thanks." she told him softly.

"Alright." He thought right afterwards: It's okay, maybe she doesn't have a mood now or I'm here so it'll be better for her to have privacy to try anything she wants. It's hers, she'll try it, it won't run away. I did a good job. Maybe. Didn't I disappoint her, right? 

Cass already managed to put it all into the wardrobe, he paid attention to her expressions, but she seemed neutral, as always. That spark faded again. 

But anyways it may interest her later again...

Her back was to Gabe as she put everything away to the closet; it had been a sweet gesture, she thought, to try to offer her the new clothing as gifts, but she still didn't trust them. Even if Gabe thought he was telling the truth, what said he couldn't be manipulated like her? How could she trust anyone after that? She realized he hadn't brought any breakfast in yet, and wasn't sure she wanted to ask where it was.

"As long as you're done with that, I can go get you breakfast and then we'll talk about today's lessons?" Gabe offered, as if reading her mind. He wasn’t completely sure about the clothes but now felt like he should change the subject to keep it from getting uncomfortable.

"Alright," she said, closing her closet behind her.

It was hers, but it still didn't feel like that. Everything seemed alright, but even though they said it's her room, it still felt like a prison in a way. Not an uncomfortable one, but no window, no way out except from the likely guarded door and everything beyond it... security, all those agents with weapons and the complicated labyrinth of corridors of the basement. Even though there wasn't any "rule" of banning her to leave, the unspoken understanding was there from the beginning. Coulson said about staying here until she adjusts, but what afterwards? What will happen to her? What kind of life awaited her? 

Gabe in the meantime left to bring breakfast. 

She felt lost again. She hated those thoughts, either about the past or the future. She was struggling hard to even stay in the moment of present, to stay calm and fine, or just to hold it up. But was this even a life? Or just surviving? Still better than the amber time. That thought. It shook her. Not this, not now; she thought as she started to shake. She sat on her bed. Just calm down, he'll be right back. He can't see me like this. Conceal. Just stay calm. She started to breathe more deeply to calm herself down. It somehow worked, luckily. But this shouldn't happen. She was supposed to stay focused on the present, and still it couldn't be controlled anyways.

Knock, knock; she heard. 

"I'm back, sorry for the delay today, but anyways here's your breakfast."

Just in time. This was close. Her mind could exhale from the possible stress situation that was successfully avoided. Seemingly okay again, she went to take breakfast from Gabe: "Thanks, never-mind that delay, it's fine."

Gabe wanted to somehow start a new conversation and as she went closer, he noticed a scratch on her face. He remembered how bad it looked the first day but he didn't want to mention it then. Maybe now when it's better could be a better time. Gabe handed her a tray with her breakfast and slowly started the conversation: "By the way, I noticed your scratch is almost healed."

Cass reacted: "Yeah, it's better." Her voice sounded sad and like it was not a big deal. It wasn't a big deal for her, she had many bruises on her way in the past and the scratch wasn't any different, but then she remembered how she got that scratch. The memory was still pretty fresh, when those agents started to shoot at her and how scared she was. If she didn't have that unbreakable armor or if they aimed better, she would probably be dead. They weren't friends. She couldn't trust them. Trust anybody. She frowned a little but tried to hide it. He was with them.

She sat down and started her breakfast, but ate like she had no taste at all. She was back in her quiet mood even afterwards. Gabe noticed it and was wondering if maybe he should not have mentioned the scratch at all.

"So for today I prepared more stuff about electricity in this book... if you haven't read it already," said Gabe, struggling to know if she hadn't read the next prepared books again during the night.

Cass indicated with her head that she hadn't. 

"Alright, that's okay. This book is a little complicated with technical things, so I'm gonna explain everything you need to understand it. Also I'll probably bring more books here, because the pile is getting lower and we're moving pretty quick. Maybe we'll go through some of them quicker, because some things can be boring and over-complicated in them."

They went over the lessons in the book for a while. Gabe tried to be patient going through it with her, to help her understand why it was all still important without overwhelming her.

In the afternoon, Gabe grinned at her, "Do you want to see how electricity works?" he asked her, trying to hide the excitement in his voice. 

Cass tilted her head a little: "How?"

"When they taught us about electricity as a kid, we would do an experiment." he opened the pack he had brought in with him, pulling out a potato, and some small pieces of metal, putting them down and sliding them over to Cassandra, "We called this a potato battery." he explains, holding up each of the two pieces of metal, "This one is zinc, and this one is copper. They're different elements."

"...I think I follow some." Hadn't Var- that alchemist kid talked about elements a few times? She remembered bits and pieces of that.

"There's acid in the potato.... n-not harmful acid, but a weak acid." he tried to explain. Cass tilted her head a little. It was a little hard to explain science to her, everything related to something else she didn't know. "There's these things called electrons too small for us to see, and if something has a lot of electrons, it can create a lot of electricity called a current."

"Okay, so anything that runs on electricity is running on a current from a lot of electrons?"

"Exactly. So the two metal things, the electrodes, have electrons but the zinc electrode repels them from the one side, and then the copper electrode on the other side attracts the electrons, which creates a current of electricity. When you use metal to cause that and connect them by a wire, we call it a battery, and the current can power something small, like this." He connected a lightbulb to the potato using a wire, and it began to light up.

She rubbed her chin. "So all the lights in this room are connected to... this potato?" she motioned to the potato in disbelief.

"No no, it's just an example. Those use more modern batteries without potatoes."

"Right." she nodded, “Maybe you should’ve mentioned that sooner.”

He rubbed his chin. It felt a little good to get a barb in again, but she felt bad that he didn't say anything back. "Hey, it's a better explanation than I'm sure most people could give. So all the lights are powered by things that create currents."

It was more fun to tease people like Fitzherbert who could argue back, or someone who had authority like stuffy Nigel, but teasing Gabe didn't feel right, he wasn't trying to control her like others.

"So... are you understanding better now?"

Cass shrugged, "It all makes sense, yeah." she nodded, "As long as I have that down pat, why don't we move on to the next lesson?" she proposed with a little nod.

Gabe smiled, "Of course."

Chapter Text

Some lessons were interesting, some less than others, but Gabriel tried to make them at least instructive for Cass somehow. Sometimes he brought some tools for making the lessons more memorable.

On one occasion, he stood with photographs of different vehicles, placed in chronological order as he explained their evolution, "...so even though we had steam engines, many people still used horses for transport by this point, and they only used trains to travel very long distances."

Cassandra thought back to Maximus and her loyal Fidella... it was hard to imagine riding anything that didn't have a horse involved. She wasn't trusting of people, but she could trust a horse, she knew. They didn't have agendas or attitudes. Animals made good friends. "So, did people stop using horses eventually?"

"Not exactly." Gabe nodded, "Many people still use horse-drawn carriages in small towns or parks, and lots of people like to ride horses for sport or on farms and ranches, so horses are still around a lot."

"Good to know some people still have taste." she smirked.

On another day, Gabe held open a book on weapons and pointed to diagrams showing the constructions of modern weapons, with a page opened to a picture of a large tank, "...and then in warfare, some people started using vehicles with armor and cannons, so the people inside would be protected but they could take out very big targets."

Cass opened her mouth to joke she wanted a tank herself, but didn't want to seem threatening to him, so she shrugged, "Looks cool. I've seen seaships with cannonballs before, guess they found out how to do something like that on land, huh?" she laughed, "I suppose next they'll figure out how to lift it in the air, huh?"

Gabe held back the urge to let her know they'd get there eventually, "You never know!" he laughed a little, "So let me tell you more about tanks..."

Lessons made Cassandra busy and interested, it was a good way to consume her free time, so she wasn’t just locked up there alone and empty. Books were interesting, this whole new world was so different to her. She liked some changes, but with others she was confused and often wondered if humankind overstepped some boundaries. She was thinking about the world now at least. That was good for her. Trying to forget about everything that had happened while filling it with something else. No time to think about it, she wanted to completely let it disappear. 

On the other hand, the nights weren’t easy. What she did repress during the day came back at night, either in nightmare form or invading her mind on her sleepless nights.  Her sleep quality was still bad, but she didn’t want to care about it. She would like to just screw this whole sleeping stuff sometimes, but something in her told her that she needed to rest, to process new information. But she was holding her last straw after the last nightmare she had.

Gabriel on the other side felt really positive about her situation. It seemed good, she didn’t have trouble with her lessons and she seemed fully focused on adjusting, maybe even too much. He thought that he was lucky to find this attentive student, and the bonus was that she seemed fascinated with such basic things. He knew that it was normal from her side, because she’s never been in touch with those things before, and thankfully explaining them wasn’t that hard as it seemed. Maybe expect a few, which were probably better to be shown at first, not just studied from books. 

Even that first lesson had really great practical potential, but the only things shown there could be just photographs, in books. He was sure that he’d return back to photography in the future. A camera wasn’t expensive these days, they were actually pretty accessible. He got an idea. After his work was done for the day, he went to the town to check it out.

"Okay, so I had an idea about bringing something that could help Cassandra better understand our recent lessons and books with some practical application. I bought this small camera and thought it would be useful as a tool for explanation, she could discover the functions herself and maybe have some fun." Gabe finally introduced his idea to other agents in the control room. All he waited for was just permission.

"Well, I see why you want to bring this up, to improve her understanding of modern technology, so I guess it won't be a problem. Is it clean? No photos inside?" Collins asked.

Gabe responded: "No, it's completely clean, I bought it yesterday, it’s still brand new and unused." Gabe let them check it.

"It is okay," one agent returned it to Gabriel and they allowed him to take the item. "But remember the rule about security cameras. She can't know that we're watching her, we don't know how she would react, so if she ever asks about those things in the edges, say something that will distract her or make her uninterested. It can be serious problem if she's-"

"I understand. Even with these strict rules I understand why I shouldn't mention it, she could take it badly and then it'll be a problem to keep her there. Even though I may not like it, it could be the best decision, or at least now when she doesn't understand everything yet," said Gabe with understanding. He didn't like to follow every rule, but he accepted it as long as it could actually help somehow. As long as he could be there to help by accepting the rules.

Collins at the end of the discussion added: "Good luck Perez."

"Thanks, hopefully it'll be better."

Cassandra was waiting for Gabe in the room as usual now, every morning at 9 AM on the clock, and he was always there on time. So far. It was better to know when to prepare for visits and lessons, at least she could cover up her mood and be in normal condition, ready to face him without any difficulty.

Nine o'clock, exactly on time there was knocking on the door. Gabe's consideration was appreciated by Cass, he always asked if he may come in first. She never needed to say no. She was just getting used to being with someone for a longer time a day, but with Gabe it wasn't a big problem. Only problematic parts of the day were when he tried to do small talk and find out more about her, or when he mentioned something that reminded her of the past. It was easier for her to not think about those things. The lessons, though, were just helping. She needed distractions.

"Hello, good morning," said Gabe with a slightly excited face.

Cass tried to stay neutral, she didn't share his excitement or will to be happy, but still she managed to sound normal as if nothing happened: "Hi."

"So today I have something special as a practical sample of our first lesson."

"You mean the photography lesson?" Cass asked, still, it was just a week ago, so it wasn't something hard to remember.

"Yeah, you remember well. I brought this camera as an example of how to take photos and how it's all working... you'll finally see how we make those photos which are in the books. It's pretty available for almost anyone these days, so it's great. I could even manage to buy you one," said Gabe with excitement. He hoped that they both would have some fun with Cass discovering new things. She seemed like someone who needed a touch of fun.

She asked: "You bought this for me?"

"Yes, it's not expensive, so it's nothing compared to older cameras which were so expensive that only the richest people could actually manage to own them." He handed the camera to her.

"It's so small," Cass examined the item in her hands.

"This model is called compact, it is cheap, it has average quality and is widely available. It can zoom photos and it also has flash. I can show you how to use it," Gabriel explained.

"Alright," she let him do his explanation thing.

"So first thing, this is a switch to turn it on and off," he pointed at the small button on the top. "Then you'll wait until the lens is extended." He pressed the button.

Cass was surprised: "Whoa. So this is normal?"

"Yes," Gabe smirked. “Some people go all around the world with a camera and take photographs, just for fun.” It was funny to see someone so fascinated over the most basic thing for him. But it was also satisfying to see her so interested, so he didn't laugh. He continued: "Alright, now it's turned on and you can look on display." 

He realized that this might be her first display which she's ever seen from up close, but he didn't want to start with "how displays work" now. He wanted to have fun with her.

Cass was looking confused with that thing. Display. It didn't make sense. How could it work? How can I see the reality there on that small thing? It's so confusing and it doesn't make sense. But she rather didn't ask, because she wouldn't even have an opportunity to try and test this thing.

"So, display," she pointed out on screen. "I rather won't ask, what next?" She saw a few buttons and a bigger one on the top and assumed that it was something important. She put the finger on it, but didn't press down, she hesitated.

"You'll just aim on something and press that button."

That's easy. It couldn't be that easy. She tried. And it did something. She was processing what just happened. She was just holding that camera thing and pressed the button when she saw her legs on the screen and it made a click and then everything was looking the same as before.

"You just took your first photograph!" he excitedly exclaimed. "You can find it in the gallery. To get to the gallery you need to press this button."

"Another button, right, so it's all just about buttons?" she asked.

Gabe answered: "Yup, it is that easy."

She pressed that button and what could she see? It was there. Her legs and floor, like in time she pressed the button and it made a click. It was so strange, shot from the past still visible, she knew the theory, but in real life in her hands it was different. She moved her legs a little and looked at the picture to see they were still how they were when she took it.

"Can I now borrow it for a minute?" Gabe asked.

She didn't know his intention, perhaps another explanation, so she nodded.

He took it and aimed the camera at her. She looked confused and couldn't even react much until Gabe pressed the button. That was quick.

"And there, the first photo of you," he showed the photo to her. He wasn't sure if she wouldn't feel offended, but he hid the feeling.

"It's... me." She took the camera back to her hands and inspected the photograph. It was really her and she looked so confused and surprised there - like now, but she could look at that image even later, after her face and mood would change. She usually tried to look stoic or fierce, this wasn’t her usual expression - eyes wide with surprise like that. What if this was the only image of her anyone would see? Would they think she was always confused? It was so weird. 

Gabe really took the first picture of her with that face. She wanted to return the favor. Impulsively turning the camera back around on him, she pressed the button again, but he expected it. Damn! He even smiled in that short time. She needed to try it later when he wouldn’t be expecting it.

This lesson was fun actually, for both of them. Gabe’s idea turned out well. They even returned to the photography lesson and Gabe explained everything interesting about this kind of camera, showing functions and possibilities. He even took photos in the darkness, showing Cass the flash on the camera in the dark.

Their lesson was really pleasant and for a moment everything seemed perfect. It was like an ideal day for Cass, and an ideal day for others to see her improvement, but it was all just temporary. Good moods were rare for Cass, but it was starting to look like everything would be fine. Her subconsciousness would return the favor during lonely times later.

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Chapter Text

There was another nightmare that night. This time it seemed more real than the last one. This time Cass felt like the situation was completely hopeless, watching as the demon showed up in her dream again, still talking to her about everything she had messed up. She hated it, this was already well-known to her how badly she had messed up, but this time she was in her room, in the basement, just like in reality.

Cass woke up, still in her bed when she heard a weak spooky voice. “Cassaaaaandraaa.”

She recognized it immediately. She went straight up to protection mode, standing up and looked around. Nobody was there. She went to switch the lights on, but it wasn’t working. Nothing was. Something felt really bad about this, so she prepared for an attack. Cass created sharp rocks on her hands to be able to protect herself from any possible danger and also to have some light source. Then before her, the ghost appeared - Zhan Tiri, glowing blue once more.

“Hi Cassandra, what a sweet welcoming gesture from you,” the ghost said, a smirk across her face.

Cass immediately tried to attack her, but without success. The rocks just went right through her, like she wasn’t even there. Even with her powers she wasn’t able to attack the demon.  The threat was completely unreachable.

“What a ridiculous effort, I thought you’d know better than this. You can’t touch me when I’m in this form, but yet you’re still trying, very cute,” Tiri smiled insidiously.

“What are you doing here? What do you want from me?” asked Cass angrily, but there was distress seen on her face. 

“Why so offended? I just came to talk.” Tiri tried to play cute and innocent, voice high.

“Talk?” she raised her voice, feeling exasperated. “You’ve been in my dreams, shifting them to nightmares! I can’t sleep because of you! You’re still trying to sound innocent even though you’re a monster, I don’t know why you’re still coming back. Are you here just to bother me and make me feel horrible again?!”

“Well if you say so, I can, but you’re doing it well by yourself. Remember Cassandra, I’m still in your head, you can’t get rid of me that easily. You keep saying I’m the villain here, but I still feel your guilt, you’ve done terrible things yourself. Do you think that they won’t figure out what kind of person you are? That your destructive power brings doom wherever you are?”

Cass was scared, she's never thought before that Zhan Tiri could also see the present and everything here in this future. Mentioning them was really alarming for Cass.  Is Zhan Tiri still connected to me? Even now after so many years? She was in my head for so long, could she hide here somewhere to destroy me or my mind?

“YOU'RE NOT HERE!” Cass screamed in vain to get rid of Tiri.

The demon came even closer, as a provocation: “You’re keeping your aggression from them for now, but they’ll find out the truth. Nobody will ever love you, nobody will trust you, you’re no one. Just an emotional wreck who can’t be fixed and the sooner they know, the sooner they’ll destroy you. You’re weak and you always will be.”

Cass couldn’t do anything but listen. In a way, she still couldn’t believe that there was someone who wanted to help her in the most honest way, not even Gabe. That she didn’t deserve any help. She couldn’t help herself, tears started to form in her eyes, the words whispered to her ear were really hurting her. Because deep down, she believed them. She always had.

“Pl-please s-stop.” She couldn’t help herself. There was no way of getting rid of that demon, the physical attack wasn’t successful, trying to get rid of her by screaming was a waste of time. 

Zhan Tiri saw her desperate look. Cassandra was broken, but the demon still wanted to play. Disappearing and then showing from behind, she surprised Cassandra by going right through her. Cass froze in fear, it was that worst feeling, like if death passed just through her. She was shaking and was so desperate, she held her head and tried again to scream, but nobody could hear her, just the demon. And the demon was enjoying her plight. 

Her powers were useless, her mental strength was useless, everything was useless. She wanted it to end, somehow to disconnect herself from the devil inside her, but she couldn’t. So she cried, screamed and then desperately fell on her knees with the loudest scream of all, rocks showing from every side and her room being torn apart while Tiri was still watching. That was her breaking moment. Cass couldn’t exist anymore there. Then she abruptly woke up with a scream.

As soon as she was awake, she sat up and looked around. There was nobody in her room, not even a spooky ghost. Just her and a few red rocks. She was still in shock, tried to breathe through it, and somehow calmed herself down. This was that last straw for her, the last boundary to be crossed. No more sleeping. But still after this nightmare she felt alarmed even in reality. First of all, how could she know if this wasn’t another dream? Being on alert, she stood up and went to the light switch. It was working. Good. She looked around again and saw nobody. If somebody saw her now, they’d say she looks paranoid. Standing in a ready-to-fight pose didn’t help the fact that she was awaiting something bad to happen. But nothing. No danger. She was calmer afterwards, this was reality, no sign of any ghosts. 

Now to solve another problem she made: red rocks. She had this problem before and it went unnoticed by others, luckily the cracks in the floor were small back then. Now as she let the newer red rocks disappear, the cracks were more obvious and eye-catching, impossible to ignore. Gabe would definitely notice this. She tried to find some cover. She opened the closet and went through possible stuff to cover them, but there were so few items in it. There were just the clothes Gabe brought her the other day and a few blankets. 

What am I thinking? This is ridiculous, even if I cover it, he’d still have many questions. I really hate to admit this, but I won’t be able to get out of this without talking. Now to think what I’m gonna say without talking about the nightmares, or fear. I hate this! Maybe the best thing would be to learn how to control these red rocks, so they wouldn’t show up... but I don’t even know how to control them while sleeping. Perhaps it won’t be a problem without sleep. She inhaled. Alright, I have the whole night to figure out what to say.

In the morning, Gabe was about to bring new books to Cassandra. He had visited the library yesterday evening after a great lesson with Cass he had enjoyed. He hoped she would still be in a good mood too, with that and new books it could make for an exciting day. When he entered the screening room though, the other agents did not look happy.

“Is everything alright?” he asked, a little concerned. He checked the screens for the cameras. Cass was still there, luckily, without any sign of anything different.

“Should we tell you or you’d rather hear it from her?” Collins asked as he tossed a pensive look to fellow agent Armand.

“Well, I have no idea, you guys are making me nervous. Would she tell me what?” Gabe asked, still confused.

“She probably won’t tell you anything anyways, so we’ll keep it brief. Remember last time when the red rocks showed up?” Armand started.

“Yeah, I guess I know where you’re leading. So another nightmare?” Gabe guessed with a sad look on his face. 

No matter how hard he tried to make Cass feel more comfortable in there or make some interesting and fun activities, she wouldn’t be okay anyway. He knew that anything could happen or float to the surface any time, even unexpectedly. So far no significant signs of her having a bad time there with him, but it all could be just cover. He believed that she’s been hiding her feelings ever since she entered that room, but he thought that she would at least let him know, make some hints, or tell him directly what bothered her. It could be anything: him trying to get closer, him trying to make her feel better with her pretending that it helps, he didn’t know for sure. Or it could be something she wasn’t ready to share.

“Yes, sadly she’s having a hard time with those, she’ll probably need some professional help with that, because it’s getting worse. We’ll see if she tells you anything, but she tried to find a way to cover it up, so probably not. Interesting is that she left the cracks like that, so you can ask her. We’ll see what she tells you about it.” Collins informed Perez.

“Okay, thanks for informing me,” said Gabe. 

After the agents from the control room checked over Gabe’s books and gave him breakfast to bring her, Gabe was ready to face the new challenge. He knocked on the door and asked: “May I come in?” 

“Yeah,” she replied weakly, so he entered.

His first thoughts were that those cracks were much bigger than the ones from the last time. It wasn’t that visible on the camera, but this was something else. He didn’t want to take all the attention on the cracks, but he wanted to ask to see if she was ready to talk honestly at last, or if she’d make something up.

“Hi, I brought breakfast as usual and also have a bag full of new books,” he said excitedly as usual when he brought something extra.

Cass answered: “That’s great.” She seemed a bit nervous, but still neutral, probably trying to look as if nothing happened. She hid her feelings well, but he could see past it.

Gabe started to feel a little nervous too as he wanted to point out the obvious change in the room: “Well, I couldn’t unsee the cracks on the floor, are you okay?” 

Cass inhaled as she started to grow nervous too: “Yeah, it’s nothing,” she said it dejectedly. She saw Gabe’s worrying look, she knew that she wouldn't convince him that everything’s alright. It wasn’t. She had prepared in her mind what to tell him, but as the time came, she just couldn’t make herself tell the truth. She stayed quiet, deflecting her gaze from Gabe.

“Are you sure? You know that you can tell me anything if you’re ready. Maybe I’d be able to help.” 

“I doubt you would be… able to help.” She saw his curious but sad face, like he could read what was going on. Maybe he already guessed right, she couldn’t tell. 

He was waiting quietly to let her decide if she starts to talk or not. She felt almost bad for wanting to lie to him. Her nervousness was seen as she was about to start talking, then she hesitated. Gabe still didn’t want to rush her. He was waiting patiently, and that brought him the partial answer.

Cass inhaled again, feeling ready, but still unsure: “It’s just… sometimes… I just can’t control it…” Then she felt like she didn't have the courage anymore. Like she couldn’t talk about it without some emotional affection. She didn’t wanna show him her weakness, so she closed up again: “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

It was really not much from her, but Gabe appreciated even the effort she put into it. It was clearly something that touched her very deeply. So he shifted the discussion: “Alright, when you feel ready, then we can discuss it. You have as much time as you need.” He smiled at her with a gentle look. “Now we can figure out how to fix that floor, right?”

“Yeah,” she smiled slightly as a stone fell from her heart. He didn’t want to force her to talk, he was patient, he even shifted the talk as she started to feel more uncomfortable. 

“I can call a colleague here to fix it later, he’ll have supplies for that. You can have your breakfast in peace, I’ll go inform him in the meantime. Don’t worry, he’ll come by later, and also... thanks for sharing.” He put the breakfast on the table and a bag on the floor next to the door. Then he left the room.

Whoa, this was a really tense morning. I thought I’d be able to tell him the truth, but I just couldn’t… I’m lucky he wasn’t so pushy to know the truth and he understood that I need some space, that’s nice. Maybe he just went to give the report about the situation, who knows if he’s required to tell everything to others. I can’t really confide in him if I don’t know how far the information would go, I don’t know if I can rely on him and trust him.

She could at least exhale from the previous conversation. Then she looked at the breakfast, but she didn’t really have the taste to eat something right now. She didn’t like this day. She just wanted to go away for some time, to breathe some fresh air, to be away from this room and stress and have some time alone. She knew this was pretty unlikely to happen though. However, she got an idea. To balance one uncomfortable question with another from her side. Gabriel told that she could ask anything, and to this point she avoided this topic, but she wanted to go out, so she wanted to hear what he was going to answer.

Gabe just returned and grabbed his bag with books: “I’m back, as long as you-” Then he noticed her untouched food. This was the first time she hadn’t eaten right away. That wasn’t some big problem, he told himself, she’d probably eat later. “Well, we can start another lesson if you’re ready.”

“Before we start I’d like to ask you something,” said Cass, ready to finally know the truth. Could she leave? Was she gonna stay there forever? Did the agents want to keep her locked there and if yes then how long?

“Go ahead, I’m all ears.”

“Since you’ve never mentioned this specifically, can I leave this room? I mean would it be possible for me to go out and go to the fresh air? Or do they wanna keep me locked here?”

This was it. This was that dreaded question. Gabe was a little taken aback with it now. But he had to react, he had to answer and it wasn’t easy to come up with a good answer.

“Well, this is a little complicated… I mean you will be able to go out in the future, but for now it’s better to keep you safe… I mean nobody said you’re locked here,” Gabe was struggling with the answer.

“But I can’t leave, right? That’s what locked means.”

Ouch. She is gonna roast me with it now. Great. Gabe thought. Although he tried to be nice and considerate, she didn’t seem to share his attitude. She was clearly frustrated, he could see and understand. He just couldn’t say that she could go out though. Not right now. It’d take agents ages to do the paperwork and all security stuff, plus the bonus was that they wouldn’t even allow it at the end of the process. Even Gabe didn’t think it was a good idea now. She would probably try something, they didn’t seem to share any trust yet. She probably wanted freedom, but in this world it could easily change into chaos. He needed to explain it.

“The truth is, that from your perspective it might seem like you’re locked up, but Shield is just trying to protect you.” He saw her exasperated face. She didn’t believe it. “As Coulson said the other day, there are really dangerous people out there, with modern weapons and stuff who could hurt you.”

“I can protect myself,” said Cass, crossing her arms, irritated by Gabe’s words.

“It’s not like you couldn’t, it’s just we’re trying to avoid these problems in the near future, so you’d be able to peacefully adjust and learn more about the world first. Nothing against you, but I know there could be people interested in powerful beings like you, they wouldn’t hold back to obtain what they want, it’s better that they don’t know about you. It happened before, Shield needed to deal with it, because as long as there is someone stronger, bad people usually want that power for themselves. As long as you’re ready to face the world, we’ll help you with anything you’d need. But for now, it’s better to endure this difficult period here, in safety.” He thought he said it at least a little understandable, so Cass wouldn’t be pissed with the answer.

“Alright,” she said with a heavy heart, she was expecting some lies, some sidings, but he explained it in his way. And it made some sense, she had to admit. She didn’t wanna cause some trouble with being pushy with it, she knew it would make agents more nervous. She passively accepted it, at least for now…. maybe she’d change her mind if it was too much for her. 

"But as you mentioned the fresh air…" Gabe got an idea about how this could change at least a small part of Cassandra's wish, "there is one option about it, I'd need to explain it a bit, but I can show you too."

Cass raised an eyebrow. What does he mean? If I can't go out, I can't have fresh air, or can I? she was thinking… But perhaps it would be just some modern stuff again. She was right.

"Well, we have this device called ventilation, which is connected to each room to circulate the air, so it means that there is still new air and there is a breathable environment inside all rooms, even those without windows." 

"Clever, so how does it work?" Cass asked.

"You see that grid on the ceiling?" he pointed to the ceiling vent, "that's the place which connects the complicated system of ventilation and conduits and on the top of the basement, it sucks in the fresh air. So fresh air is blown into even the most remote rooms far away from that point," Gabe explained.

"And you can control it?"

"Well, not me specifically, but there is a device which can control it, I can go and ask later about it. Or now, so you would have an example."

“You can go,” Cass answered, interested if the effect of that device would be palpable.

“Alright,” he noted and went. 

As soon as he left, Cass thought she’d have time to process things about that other question. She was stuck there, like before, nothing had changed and probably won’t be changed in the near future. How was she going to survive all this hard time while being locked inside this small room? Well, it wasn’t completely small, but not enough space to do anything worth of time except reading books and…

Gabe just returned, quicker than before, with something in his hands: “I’m back and I brought this remote control for ventilation to this room. Agents allowed me to show you how it works.” He went closer to Cass. He explained buttons, like he always does, blah blah blah by pressing this blah… it does something … She didn’t even pay attention to his long explanation, she just wanted to see the effect, or to feel it. 

Then he pressed something which made the ventilation a little louder and then it came in. The fresh air. She could feel the fresh air! Not like other days, just normal boring air, but completely new and even a bit chilly. It was probably winter outside. But she didn’t mind, it wasn’t completely it, but still even effort was appreciated.

“Is it better now?” Gabe asked, seeing Cass enjoying fresh air. 

She answered: “Yeah, it’s really fresh, I still find it impressive, this modern technology. It’s so complicated but it works anyways.”

“Yeah,” he smiled. But he knew he couldn’t let the ventilation be on like that for too long, even the cold from the outside wasn’t healthy for a badly clothed person. He had a jacket, but Cassandra wore just her armor which he couldn’t tell if it was warm enough. But he guessed not, since it was really tight; bulletproof maybe, but not warm enough. 

It was freezing outside, so he turned the ventilation on low level once again after a few minutes. “Maybe I can attenuate the ventilation, so it’ll be weaker but still notable, without too much cold air. We can even move on to start today’s lesson.”

“Okay, I don’t see a problem with that.” she answered.

Chapter Text

Gabe had talked about electricity and picked up that Cassandra had an interest in weaponry and protection, and tried to find a way to help work that into a lesson, so today he decided to talk about some warfare from closer to her time to work towards the present. He brought a little map with him so he could show her the tactics they used, sitting across the table with her as he explained,

"During your time, kingdoms did not go to war much, right? You had guards, but no army." Gabe pointed out. She had never said such things directly but he gathered the clues from her descriptions of where she came from.

Cassandra hesitated to answer, then nodded, "Close enough, yeah." She still did not want to think or talk too much about Corona. It was still a tough subject, still a lot of difficult memories.

"Well in later times, we have armies to protect kingdoms and nations." he pointed along the map, "This area is called France." He did not say that they were in France right now, but it did influence his thinking to bring it up. He pointed to the area on the map, "After they went through a revolution, they had a leader named Napoleon who took over. They conscripted everyone in France into the army and attacked Great Britain, here," he circled it on the map, "They hated each other."

"Not clear who I should be rooting for here." Cass pointed out with some sarcasm and a smirk on her face. He smiled, taking it as a sign she was feeling comfortable.

"Making people conscript meant the armies were bigger and caused more damage, but they also had better supplies and food, too, to keep them going longer. Napoleon made the French very good at this, getting them to move fast and learn to forage or supply food from close by. He was able to speed through a lot of countries this way, and be very destructive. They made bigger cannons, too, and used new kinds of firearms."

"So, the guy was pretty invincible, huh?" Cassandra nodded, "Something tells me this doesn't end well, does it?" She had always been the underdog in the fight, as she saw it, usually against someone who thought they were bigger and stronger than her, and didn't know how strong she was. So she rooted for the underdogs, too.

"Well, you see this very big country here?" he pointed to Russia, "You send your troops further and further away with less supplies, and a big winter comes with blizzards, and they starve, and you lose men for nothing, just to weather."

"That seems like a pretty dumb mistake. Seems like bad things happen a lot during blizzards," Cass remembered how the blizzard affected Corona, caused the first cracks in the foundation there, led Varian to evil and threatened Rapunzel's family... She doesn't like snow so much now. “A good captain should plan ahead.”

Gabe smiled, she was good at this. "Napoleon seemed to be defeated, but he came from exile with more men and made a second attempt to take over, and by now, a lot of Europe was ready to fight him back." he pointed to several countries as he named them - Britain, Prussia, Austria, Russia, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Sicily... he knew many of the names were unfamiliar but wanted her to see how many peoples there were. "He lost at the Battle of Waterloo and the king was restored and Europe was at peace for a little while."

"Well, I'm sure things got better after that, right?" she rolled her eyes, "So is history going to be you walking me through every war and telling me how much cooler the weapons got? ...because that doesn't sound like the worst thing, actually."

"Yup, that's the idea." Gabe nodded, "Maybe we fill in the blanks after that."

"Maybe. If I'm feeling up for it." she said with more of a mischievous grin, the sign she was feeling a little more relaxed and pleased. He noticed that she liked to tease when she was in a good mood.

The day after the first war lesson went much better than the previous one. Cass was fascinated over the many cool new weapons from the war period. He offered her a book all about what was used so she could read about all of them. Gabe was glad that at least something held her interest better than scientific stuff from last week. Modern technology was distant to her, but she was absorbed in trying new things, mostly when Gabe brought some experiments or some practical tools for learning. Everything seemed to be going quite well for this week.

Following those first warfare and conflict lessons, he built up enough interest in the next big war topic of the century.

A few days later, Gabe sat down with a bigger stack of books than usual set next to Cassandra as he looked over at her, “So today we’re doing the Great War, or later we called it World War I,” he started to explain.

“That bodes well for the future, doesn’t it?” Cass asked.

“...yes, that’s why the name was changed.” Gabe admitted, feeling as if caught in a mistake, knowing he had clued her there, “At the beginning of the Twentieth Century, people thought we had entered an era of peace without war, that we were too good to do that again, and different countries and kingdoms made alliances to keep war from happening, because even if you weren’t afraid of one country, you might not want to mess with all of their friends...” he explained.

“Sure...” Cass nodded, “So if say, Corona was friends with Ingvarr, and someone thought they could defeat us, but they were afraid of Ingvarr, they might leave us alone out of fear of Ingvarr, right?” Cass suggested, remembering the kingdom of tough warrior women she had once so desperately hoped to join.

“That’s the idea.” Gabe nodded. So there was somewhere called Ingvarr back then. “So then what happened is there was a conflict between some small countries, where the son of an emperor was killed, and because of all the alliances, even though it didn’t affect most countries, they were all brought into war at once. Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey, Serbia...” he listed off the names, knowing she might recognize some from previous lessons, “There was fighting everywhere, all around the world.”

“All right. I hope nobody tried to send their troops into the blizzard again, did they?”

Gabe laughed, “Well, that did happen… but there were too many battles to cover, but it wasn’t so interesting as others, a lot of fighting was in trenches, so they would hold trenches and shoot at each other across the way, and die if they left trench… but ground wasn’t much lost or gained or anything by either side.” he explained, “New weapons and vehicles were more submarines, which destroyed a lot of boats including innocent people from other countries, and first tanks, which weren’t ready for as much use yet, and lots of planes. Most famous was the Red Baron, a German pilot who won almost one hundred fights in the air.”

“That’s a good track record.” Cass nodded, “As much as I’d rather hear about the technology and weapons, how’d this end?”

“Russia had to leave the war because the country’s leadership was changing, and Germany’s leaders were losing but kept telling their people they were winning, so when they finally gave up, there was a lot of anger and their people felt betrayed and did not understand.” Gabe explained, “But what matters a lot is people had thought war was easy and classy and they saw how horrible it was, how many people died or were hurt over what they thought it wasn’t so much, and they saw how many people came back different. They used to call it shell shock, now they call it post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s like you close your eyes and feel like you’re still there, sometimes your emotions seem inconsistent or impulsive, not logical... but back then we did not know how complex it is. It takes a lot to heal the brain from those things, from trauma.”

This. She somehow felt it. Cass blinked for a moment. This sounded a little too similar to her own experience. Feeling like you're still there? Can’t hold your emotions, not acting logically? Shock. Being still there… Can’t run away from it. Being impulsive. Hide it! Suddenly, the world around her disappeared for a moment, like she remembered something she shouldn’t. But she was still here. Gabe is still here, don’t panic. Her thoughts sounded like whispers of her subconsciousness, shifting slowly to the voice she recognized. Voice she feared. Cassaaandra. But then…

“Cassandra? Hey, are you okay?” Gabe asked, seeing Cass being completely out of the picture, distracted and lost.

She was back. Try to sound normal. “Yea, I’m okay, why wouldn’t I be?” she answered, pretending to know nothing about what could be abnormal.

“I called you twice and firstly you didn’t react…” Gabe was concerned a bit, he wasn’t reassured by her answer. Cass seemed to be afraid for a second. But then she somehow hid it.

“That? It was… nothing, I just didn’t pay attention for a second,” she tried to get out of it.

“You sure?” Gabe wanted to give her one more chance to talk about it. He did not want to press but he hated to let it go. What if he could help?

“Yeah.” Cass wasn’t ready to discuss it and that was that.

“So, can I continue?” he asked, still knowing that something just happened and she just hid it and acted like nothing happened. He couldn’t force it. She nodded. “Okay, after that war, which many countries honor every year, they also put more effort into stopping another war from taking place for the next twenty years. Nations tried to start an organization for countries to talk out problems, but many felt like the last war went incorrectly, and there was a lot of resentment… but we will talk about what happened next time.”

“Can we talk about the submarines more then?” Cass asked, “The idea of a big armored boat underwater seems pretty cool to me.”

“Sure. They really played an important role, especially with the United States and the RMS Lusitania.”

The rest of the lesson seemed good, Cass was back in her mood, interested in weapons as always, but Gabe noticed a few times like Cass wasn’t paying as much attention as before. He knew that she was curious, so he tried to bring up some interesting stuff that might catch her attention more, or things he felt sure she would like... However it didn’t help much, something was odd. He asked, but she didn’t react at first. Maybe she was distracted, maybe lost in her thoughts. He didn’t know. He felt certain that it might be something personal, and it might not be a good idea to pry again.

The other lessons weren’t any different. Cool weapons, new ways of making attacks… everything that he had seen before was most interesting to Cass, but she wasn’t invested like before. It was as if he had stumbled into some unknown obstacle, an invisible wall, and couldn’t help her get through it. Cassandra was ating much less than before, reacting more slowly if at all to his efforts to cheer her up, not making her little remarks. The conversations were becoming one-sided again.

Gabe worked through theories in his head. It could be depression, it could be some more complex mental problem he didn’t understand yet. How could he help? She wasn’t a sharer and he knew forcing wouldn’t help, he couldn’t keep asking her if she was okay. That would make things worse. He stuck to his theories and ideas. He decided not to look into the control room too much, he didn’t want to learn something important from spying because he felt like she would know. He wasn’t a good actor. He could keep a few secrets, but not something concrete that would bug him.

On the other hand, Cass tried to act like before, but it was more difficult. Three days without sleep seemed just fine, but then she couldn’t focus as much, it was easy to be distracted. Lessons could be interesting in many ways, but it seemed impossible to fixate her attention.

After more days without sleep, she was really thinking about what to do at nights. Reading books, entertaining herself to do at least something. Avoiding sleep and depressive thoughts. Running from her problems, trying to ignore them. Her body was okay with her lack of sleep, the Moonstone did its thing. Keeping her awake as she wanted. She had done this before, she was never sleeping so much after taking that stone anyways. Used to be up more. Back then though, she had goals, she had space, now she was stuck inside with an uncertain future.

This whole pretending thing took her more energy than she ever expected. Maybe it was time for her to change something. Even something small. To stretch her body a little, all she was doing was just sitting and laying. That wasn’t something she was proud of. So her stretching exercises became a new morning custom for now. Before Gabe’s lessons of course. She wanted to keep in shape and stay strong in case she needed to protect herself again. She wouldn’t rely only on the Moonstone.

What she didn’t like was that he was asking too much. “Are you okay? Is there something wrong?” How would he know? Why would he care? She wouldn’t share anyways. She was tired of his questions, it should be obvious that she didn’t want to talk about it. She even reacted to some of them more angrily than she meant. He noticed some hints that she didn’t like it, but he wasn’t some kind of quitter when he was worried about someone, he wanted to be patient and try to solve it the other day. Cass however, still wasn’t ready to confront those issues with him. Maybe the time would come, but not yet.

Chapter Text

It felt like a normal day, no happiness, nothing interesting to come, just another lesson. It ended like an hour ago, but then just emptiness followed.  She was going through the book they read together today. Sitting on her bed, she was thinking about what else to do. Thinking about books and reading them over and over again seemed endless, mostly after sleepless nights and then another lesson to come and talking about books again. Was her life just about books now? It was clearly just escaping from reality, at least that's how she felt. Would she really need this knowledge? Would her life have a meaning when she learns everything about the modern world? Or would she still have that hole inside her heart, trying to cover it with other perhaps even more meaningless things? Why does this have meaning after all?

She fell into a depressive state. Why search for meaning if her life doesn't have any. Who am I now? What's gonna happen when I finish these lessons? Why am I learning all of this again? To know the world I won't be part of, probably locked here forever. Is Gabe really teaching me, helping me to understand this world, or just distracting me well enough so I won't have a need to escape? I thought about this a few other times too, but why am I here? Probably because I'm dangerous, I am a threat, I could hurt someone... many things came to her mind, but that word hurt stayed there longer. 

I could hurt someone here, but they secured me. Maybe that's better. I did hurt people around me. I am dangerous. I need to be controlled. Maybe by someone else, to keep others safe from me, maybe by myself, to not lose control over- over my thoughts and m- mind...

She started to shake. The last time she lost control it wasn't a good sign. Perhaps she still didn't have full control. 

It's happening again. Stop thinking about that. It hurts. Just snap out of it. 

She held her head and tried to focus, but it wasn't easy, her thoughts couldn't be controlled. The more she tried to stop thinking about it, the more she felt like she didn't have any control. She was losing it again. Her breaths went heavier every minute. She couldn't sense anything but her thoughts. Haunting thoughts. Fear. Her fear. She was afraid that this would happen. 

Her heartbeat was quicker, she was sweating and shaking, her breathing became too quick, almost like she was catching her breath, unable to control or stop anything. She curled up, feeling like she could faint anytime. She felt the Moonstone. It ought to react, to help her out, but she knew that red rocks would cause just worse things. She didn't want to let it out, but she didn't feel like she had a choice.

"Stop. Please. " she breathed almost inaudibly, but she was out of control. "They can't know." 

Only thing she was able to do to not leave any proof that this happened was that she directed the rocks to herself. But holding them wasn't possible. The red rocks protruded from her armor from her back and arms. She didn't even react to that, because she was panicking about the whole situation. It was almost the same reaction as on that sound from the first day. Feeling helpless, scared and nothing was under control. This was a panic attack, and she couldn't stop.

On the other side of the thick wall, the agents in the control room were alarmed. The escalating situation was so far only observed, but as soon as the red rocks appeared, they realized they needed to act. They called their superiors and requested backup immediately. Agent Collins had the foresight to also call in Gabe, who had already been released from the mission for the day. He was the only one they knew who could counsel her. Gabe hurriedly arrived with a scared expression.

"What is happening?" he asked urgently.

Collins answered: "It's Cassandra, she’s having a panic attack. She's completely out of control."

"Is she..?" He feared that she was completely lost and that she was attacking everybody from fear, but then he entered the control room and saw the screen.

Oh, she's not completely a lost case, but it really looks bad. What should I do? 

He heard other agents discussing whether to interfere or not, whether to consider weapons, or whether the room was secure as it was.

"It may be dangerous. If she's in that state, she could easily attack us from fear."

"But if we don't do something-"

"What can happen to her? A panic attack is one thing, but those rocks..."

Agent Armand silenced chaotic talking of others and ordered: "Agents from the backup team, go on your position. Do not interfere until the order is verified. Nobody enters that room until I command it. Agent Collins, please tell us what you know about her behavior that might help us in this situation. We need some suggestions of how to proceed, in this case the best way with least damage. "

"Well she's experiencing a panic attack with some connection of her powers. Red rocks can be dangerous for us, but we don't know what may happen to her. She's in a critical stage, she may not even be able to perceive the surroundings, so we can't go and help her, because she could see it as a form of attack in that state." Collins explained.

Gabe still felt like there was a way to help her somehow, but he wasn't sure: "But what can we do now?"

"Just wait either if the symptoms will disappear or be ready for anything else that may happen with her." he informed Gabriel.

"Can I just go there and try to snap her out of it? She needs help, we can't just wait, she may be in danger," he urged, he was so scared for her.

"You cannot go in there Perez, didn't you hear?" Armand emphasized.

Gabe bowed his head. That couldn't be the end, there had to be some other way to help. Then, he got an idea: "What about helping her from the corridor? I mean I can stand behind the door and talk to her, so she would go back to reality… if that’s alright with you, sir."

Agent Collins turned toward Armand and they glanced at each other: "This might not be the worst idea Perez," the older one said.

"If you're really sure you can somehow help her this way, then I see no problem, but be sure that if something bad happens, it's not your call to make," Collins added.

"Coulson was called to the case but until he arrives I'm in charge and nothing is going to be rushed or exaggerated. Until then, Collins will go with you to check the response from the tablet," older agent Armand ordered. Gabe nodded.

"Come, Perez," Collins, holding a tablet with a camera image in real time, indicated for them to hurry.

"Yes sir," he obeyed and followed Collins. "Also thank you for allowing me this."

"Don't than k me in advance, we still don't even know if it'll work. She's still in a really bad state." Collins informed.

They both arrived at the position and saw the other team ready on new orders. Tension was in the air as Gabe reached the door. The other agents seemed unsure whether to clear room for the lower-level agent at first.

"It's okay, Perez is here to try some distance calming," he said to the others and then said to Gabe "You can start."

He knocked:  "Hey, Cassandra?" Then he looked back on Collins and his screen. 

"No response," Collins said, "try louder."

KNOCK KNOCK "Cassandra? Are you okay?" he asked, knowing the answer, but he needed to say something.

On the other side of the door, Cass was still in a complete panic state, not noticing anything around. Then she heard weakly knocking.  

Is that knocking on my door? What's happening?  

She tried to focus more on reality and then she heard him . 

She heard a muffled voice calling her name. "Cassandra?" She looked at the door, still not completely in reality, still curled and shaking. Then she said really weakly: "Gabe?"

Wha- what he's doing here? Now? Did I scream unknowingly? He- he can't see me like this. But I can't stop it.

"She responded, she knows it is you!" Collins informed Gabriel.

"Cassandra? Are you okay?" Gabe tried again, to see if she'll allow him to help, but those were just his hopes. 

Collins said: "She's not responding anymore."

"Cass? Can I help you?" He longed to hear a positive answer, but he didn't want to have false hope.

Did he just say Cass? Doesn't matter. I need to tell him something or else he'll come here. But not like this. 

She muttered inaudibly to herself: "I just need t- to calm d- down. He can't s- see me like this. Just calm down." 

With all the strength she had left inside, she forced herself to say in the most normal way she could in the moment a complete lie to make him leave, or at least to stop him from entering: "I'm okay. Just don't come in."

He heard her behind the door finally without needing to ask Collins what she said. He even heard shakiness in her voice. He was worried. She tried so hard to hide it, maybe it was luck that she didn't know about them seeing her. It would only cause more trouble, he knew… but Gabe needed to act like he didn't know what was happening.

Collins informed Gabe that she was saying something to herself before responding. Gabriel asked Collins quietly if he could identify it. "Negative," he said.

"What now?" Gabe asked again.

"Just talk to her. Or wait, something is happening" he indicated and showed him a tablet with an image of Cassandra and her struggling to hold everything inside. "Maybe it's not helping, the rocks slowly grow, she would need to release everything to maybe make it better, but with her powers we have no idea what it can cause. Maybe we should-."

"No, just let me one more time," Gabe whispered. Then he redirected his focus back on Cass: "I won't, I promise, I can stay outside. But remember, when you need me I'm always here, you don't have to worry, it'll be okay."

She heard those words but still didn't believe them. Everything's gonna be "okay" . Nothing was okay. She breathed heavily. At least I can believe that he won't come in. But now, why would he say that anyways? I know he's supportive but he doesn't know what's going on, or does he?

She wanted to believe that this would end soon, she was on the edge of tears, weakly moaning and sobbing. Maybe she should let him help her, but she didn't trust him. Not yet. Then she heard him again.

"Hey, I just wanted to tell you, that however you might feel, however you might be, closed and distant, I won't give up trying to help you. I know it might take a time and some trust, but I believe that you can be okay and also happy, and even if you feel down and... at the bottom of my heart, I believe that you still can fight with it and just, step by step, to improve. Small steps, slow deep breaths and you can go through anything. You can do this. And you don't have to be alone for it. That's all I wanted to say."

She didn't want to admit it, but this actually helped her. Small steps. To improve. Start breathing slowly; she tried it. Just focus on breathing. Slow deep breaths. You can do this . 

She really managed her breaths and slowly it was improving. The sense of panic was weaker every minute. She was able to even focus on the environment she was in. She looked on her arms and back to see red rocks still attached to her armor. She's never done this before, focusing power on herself, but now she saw it was possible. Who knows if maybe even dangerous, but she was the source, it shouldn't affect her. Even though red rocks are reaching the source of the fear, she couldn't just destroy herself. Or could she?

After a couple of minutes she wasn't shaking anymore. She was back to reality. She focused on the red rocks on herself and let them slowly disappear. She was more careful than with the rocks on the ground. It was her body after all. She successfully got rid of them, and then she could finally exhale. It was over. She started to think again about what Gabe told her before. 

Did he know what was going on? Did I somehow manage to reveal that panic attack when I wasn't in control? Didn't I say something I don't even remember? 

She leaned against the wall on her bed and held her head, still thinking what actually happened. Maybe her secrecy and hiding party would be over soon... Maybe Gabe would want to talk about it. She feared it. But he helped, he didn't mean anything wrong, so she shouldn't be so hard on him in the future.

On the other side of the door, Gabe could exhale as well. She was safe. It was over. And he helped a bit. The reinforcements around were ordered to leave the mission. Everything was normal again.  Gabriel was still gathering his thoughts when he was called to the Control room by agent Armand. 

Inside, Coulson was already waiting: “Well, look at you. Again saving the situation. It was a really good decision to keep you around.” He looked at Gabe proudly.

Gabe still felt shaken fro m what could have happened i f he wasn’t here, the thought of how close they came to violence that would not have ended well for anyone. He felt like he couldn’t even accept the compliment completely: “Yeah, thanks, but I was also nervous this time. It was so unexpected. She had acted so normally before. I didn’t think...” 

Arman interrupted: “ You’re right, she had acted. You’ve avoided this place for your reasons, but we have to settle this down: she’s not alright. Around you she’s trying to cover everything up. She may seem like she’s having a good time in the lessons, but remember she also has serious trauma issues and it’s getting out of control. She’s not dealing with it properly.”

Collins corroborated: “Yeah, we don’t know if you could notice everything, but this is just another sign that she needs professional help, she can’t stay like this, or her symptoms would get just worse. What’s your point of view? You know her best, how do you see this situation Perez?”

Gabriel, still not completely settled with the whole situation, was taken aback. He hesitated before forming his opinion and point of view as an answer: “Well,” he nervously started as the whole room with all important agents paid attention to him, “Since last week I noticed something odd was going on with her, but didn’t exactly know what. Those lessons seemed fine as the week started, she was interested and all, but throughout the week it somehow faded, like she didn’t want to pay much attention to the later lessons. I also noticed a few signs that I might have touched a nerve or something, I didn’t even know what, these were just normal lessons, but her behaviour had changed. She seemed more easily irritated with even relatively routine things, like when I tried to do small talk, her eating was somehow interrupted too few times… Oh and also I think out of the corner of my eye I caught the glimpse of her being really sad when I turned to take another book… but then I returned and she was “fine”, so I’m really thinking something is going on for a long time. The problem is that she doesn’t want to share.”

Coulson was listening closely to his words and he reacted: “Good catches Perez, but you don’t have the whole picture. I know you asked to be informed from this room only in emergencies so that it didn’t interfere with gaining her trust. I know you want to rely on honesty and not have to deal with all this additional information making that more difficult, but now the situation has become more serious. You’ve seen first hand what could happen if we don’t do something soon.”

Agent Collins joined Coulson: “Yeah, we have to inform you that Cassandra has a serious problem with her sleep.”

Gabe thought that this wasn’t anything new: “Yeah, I know, she keeps having nightmares…”

Armand interrupted him: “She hasn't slept in a week.”

“What?” Gabriel was surprised. This was something new. 

So that’s why she is so unfocused and her interest is fading. But it doesn’t make sense.  

“Wait, so she wasn’t sleeping for a whole week?”

“Yes, unfortunately,” Collins verified the information.

“How is that even possible? I mean she doesn’t look sleepy at all. Only thing I noticed on my own was her lack of interest at the end of the week and her focus wasn’t good either. But I wouldn’t guess this.”  

“It’s possible that her powers have something to do with it. We know a normal human being wouldn’t be able to stay awake for so long without visible symptoms, or going into microsleep.” Collins explained.

“The important thing is that she needs help. She’s not coping with the situation well anymore, it’s clear something is eating at her that she wants to hide. You need to talk to her more, be inconspicuous but indicate to her that it would be better for her to accept some help. Perhaps medications at least for the start since she doesn’t seem to trust people,” Arman added.

“Careful with offering help, Perez. It’s most likely that if you offer it directly, she would reject it.”

Gabe inhaled: “Alright, thanks gentlemen. Is there anything else I need to know before I go there tomorrow?” 

“Maybe bring her some new activity. Books seem to be less effective lately,” Collins suggested, “Something that requires some use of her mind, it’ll be harder for her to nod off.”

“Okay.”

The emergency meeting had come to an end. Gabe returned to his room, still shaken from what just happened one hour ago.

Alright, so let me just recap this day. Today’s lesson wasn’t interesting for her and probably even boring. Then everything messed up in the evening, I was called and somehow solved the situation, but there is still so much work to do.. The agents have told me that Cass wasn’t sleeping the whole week, which is really worrisome. I have to inconspicuously indicate that she totally needs therapy and meds but also to not reveal to her that I know about her problems. Great. How can I do this? 

He was growing nervous about tomorrow's meeting. I am not good at this, how can I indicate something to her when I “don’t know about it” in the first place? 

Maybe firstly smaller fish. New activity. What does she like? Hmm. Weapons, but that is probably not a great idea at the moment. Well, I still know almost nothing about her, she’s never told me about her interests, she keeps everything inside, so I don’t even know what she likes. Also it has to be an indoor activity, because she has to stay in her room.

He was struggling to think about some answer, so he found a list of activities on the internet and went through it, thinking what may interest her or what could she enjoy. 

Okay, so card games, hmm, I don’t know if she’s the type for this kind of thing…. What else? Board games? Almost the same. Puzzles? Gosh, there aren’t many activities, even google says “kid’s activities”, help. Okay, some puzzles I can take, or some books about hobbies, or I could just ask… I don’t know if she would answer me even on this question. It would be so much easier if she already knew about modern technology, I would bring her TV, stuff to play like games, I don’t know but it would be easier.

Then after some time he decided that he’ll wake up earlier to figure it out, and to get the items for activities afterwards. He was too tired after this situation. He couldn’t imagine this night without some sleep, but Cass on the other hand was up probably even now. It was so weird to him. 

Chapter Text

Early in the morning, Cass took her morning stretches, hoping to demolish thoughts of the stressful situation that happened just a few hours ago. Probably another uncomfortable morning talk with Gabe was to come. He would want to talk about it for sure. She didn’t even know what he knew. 

Why was he there at that time? 

Her stretching changed into morning warm up, like she wanted to fight with her thoughts with force soon. She really did. Probably wanted to punch something really hard. To beat it up as it was something she could beat up with force and her training. She hated her helplessness. 

It was easy when she could fight against her problems back in her normal days. Most of the problems were caused by other people, so she could solve them with force. That wasn’t so easy anymore. Even with her newfound power she felt like all she could do at that time was to run away, because the problem wasn’t outside, but inside. She’s never been good at solving these kinds of issues. She never thought they could have such a big impact. She was probably taking it lightly when she was in the castle, but now it seemed like something unreachable. There was no way back.

She became so angry that she punched the wall. It did hurt, really. Self harm, great. 

It was a sign to stop. Luckily the wall didn’t have any visible harm. Cass went to the bathroom to see her left hand after that punch. After her glove disappeared she saw the damage. 

Ouch. There will be nice bruises soon. 

She washed it under cold water to have at least some small cooling effect. But that anger and frustration didn’t go anywhere after that punch. It was worthless.

Only good thing that was helping her through this difficult time was her will to avoid sleep, which she thought was advantageous. No nightmares, no visible traces of her real emotions outside of her personal bubble. Gabriel was too curious, so she had to be careful. Luckily her struggle was successful this time, the red rocks didn’t leave any cracks. So she didn’t have to worry about it, but she was worried about that conversation they had. She couldn’t remember everything from that evening, after she lost the sense of reality for a moment during that panic attack. Afraid of what Gabe could know, maybe she really did reveal herself. The time of confrontation was coming closer.

Right at the time of the planned visit, Gabe knocked on the door. She tried to keep cool. Avoiding him wouldn’t help anyhow. So she let him in. “You can come in!”

Gabe entered: “Hi Cassandra, good morning!” 

He brought a new bag full of some things, so she asked: “Are those new books?”

Gabe carried the bag closer to Cass to show its content: “Not just books. You can take a look.”

She went closer, thinking that he would skip a new uncomfortable conversation and shift it on other stuff. Looking into the bag, she saw a few books and a few new things, some she knew, some not that much. “Is that a puzzle?” she asked, taking the box to her hand.

Gabe was a bit nervous from her reaction, after all he had no idea about Cass’ interests, so he shot blindly with those things. “Yeah, I thought I could bring some other fun, so we won’t focus just on books the whole time. Although I don’t know what you enjoy, I picked up a few things I found.” Then he stayed quiet.

“Well, you were probably trying, so I can attribute the points for the effort. Hmm.. what do we have here?” She was going through stuff in the bag, putting it on the table. The history map puzzle went out first, but then she found other ones. “Two boxes of puzzles? Who would waste their time for 1000s?”

“Yeah, I didn't really know if that’s your thing, so I brought smaller ones and big ones. And I think you have enough time to build both if you want,” he pointed out with uncertainty.

“You’re probably right, so landscape and map puzzles, what’s next?” She put the puzzles on the table, but she had to admit that this landscape puzzle seemed really nice. Green country and the hills in the sunset acted relaxing for her. She missed the outside. Then she returned back with her sight, digging in the bag. She found a small version of chess, some cards, probably games of the future. So some entertainment. She guessed he brought it on purpose, so she asked: “Why are you bringing me this now?”

“As I said, for fun and to divert from book lessons and reading, it can be tiring for too long. And now, because I just got an idea yesterday.”

Tiring. Everything was tiring lately for her, books certainly weren't the greatest distraction, because she felt distracted even while reading them. 

Probably some small games wouldn’t hurt, but why was that idea yesterday? Is it anyhow connected? These clues don’t make sense. He probably doesn't even know about… or does he? I won’t ask him first. I can’t think clearly.

“By the way…” he started and yawned, “I feel much more tired than before lately. Maybe it’s because I’m sometimes preparing the books and the lessons for another day until late at night, then I have a bad sleep. Yesterday I was doing this entertainment research and I couldn’t even fall asleep for a long time.” He said partially the truth, but in reality he fell asleep pretty quickly. He tried to pretend that he has her sleeping problem to see if she reacts to it, and he really wanted to know more about her hobbies. 

Cass thought for a moment, thinking what advice would she give: “Maybe you don’t have to be up for so long only because you’re looking for stuff for me. It doesn’t matter that much, then you can go to sleep sooner when you’re tired.” she offered.

Contradicting herself, and saying that things I’m bringing for her don’t matter much. Great. Gabe was thinking what to say next. “I think that these things can be pretty useful to you and the knowledge from those books I’m preparing is pretty important for your adjustment. But maybe I should take care of it sooner instead of in the middle of the night.”

“Yeah, right.” Those things may be useful, but that knowledge can be useless for me. “Adjusting.” That word again, who knows if I’ll live to see the end of that… No. Not thinking about this. He’s here. Talk about something else… maybe those activities, or sleep. What sleep? I don’t even sleep to give advice about it.

“And what about you? How are you doing?” Gabe asked.

Oh no. He brought it up. “I’m okay, nothing interesting.”

He noticed her dodge. She’s lying again. I’m probably gonna need to try harder or she’ll blast me off with her short answers without meaning, just avoiding. “You sure? About yesterday...”

“What about yesterday?” she asked quickly, clearly being strained by that. Nervousness grew inside her, he was bringing it up. She knew he would do it sooner or later.

“I mean, I went around and just checked… and you seemed… um, how to say it… pretty distant. I think something was off. Don’t you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

Cass didn’t like the direction of this talk, so she deflected: “Maybe you suddenly walking around at the same time when you’re supposed to be away. What were you doing here anyways?”

The conversation seemed tense from both sides. Gabe wanted to hear the truth he already knew and see if she could be honest at least once about something like this. Cassandra wanted to detect Gabe’s intentions from that yesterday’s unexpected stop right next to her door. Neither of them wanted to tell the truth. It was a dead end. Who would start to talk first?

Then Gabe got an idea of what to reply: “Doing that hobby research, I wanted to ask you what do you like, but didn’t know if you’d tell me anything anyways, so I was hesitating with this late visit. Then it sounded like you were having trouble, so I didn’t want to bother you. I just said some encouraging words and then left.”

That made some sense. Cassandra softened her voice, “Oh, sorry for sounding like I was suspicious… Well yeah, that time… wasn’t best. I mean… I’m okay now, so that’s important. And about those hobbies, I really don’t know it myself. If it has to be indoors, I just don’t do many things for fun inside. You brought up some interesting stuff, so I can try it I guess…”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better. And if you feel the need of help, you can always count on me.” He smiled, he was glad that he played it well. 

“Yeah, I know,” she said, appreciating the gesture but unconvinced he could help her with the problems that concerned her most.

Still, he wanted to hear more from her side, because he wanted to talk to her about getting help. He was asked to tell her inconspicuously about getting more professional help, but he couldn’t talk about it directly or discourage her from talking at all. But she confessed that something was off at least.  “Maybe… I don’t know…” he nervously touched the back of his neck, “I could someday… show you how we deal today with… various kinds of problems that everyone experiences… helping them overcome it.”

His voice almost went so low that Cass could barely hear him at the end. He seemed to be unsure about what he said, but she heard it whole. “What do you mean by it?”

“I mean…” he was so nervous, almost sweating by attempting to not make Cass angry with the whole getting help thing, “it’s not like all the problems within Shield are caused by outside force and sometimes agents have to deal… um, also with the internal part of the problem.” Now he really got entangled in it. Trying to not mention anything concrete was more confusing and it seemed more like walking around the hot porridge, but he didn’t want to fall in.

Cass was so confused with this. “What?!” she asked abruptly, not wanting to hear any more of Gabe's explanations which sounded more confusing than helpful this time. She didn’t get it.

“Hmmm, how to say it in a more meaningful way…” he was thinking aloud but then was interrupted by Cass.

“The point?” She raised an eyebrow. Somehow she felt like he was addressing in an oblique way to point out her problem, but then it didn’t make sense anymore.

“The point is, that there may be some things that you’re probably not familiar with yet, but can be pretty helpful. Maybe in your time people weren’t solving these sorts of special problems at all or thought that there was no way to help… but now we have more resources and knowledge.”

It was personal, now she knew. He knew something was off, she didn’t want to admit it to Gabe that there was something really bad going on with her. But now he was talking about help and some stuff inconspicuously aimed on her. “Special problems? Do you think I have some special kind of problems?”

“I didn’t say specifically you-” then he was interrupted again.

“You made a clear hint. This is about me, right?” she said, offended. If Gabe was about to start some deep debate about anything he wanted to suggest to her, she would probably start raging. She hated talking about feelings like this and the thought of him, a person who she knew for two weeks, would make assumptions and dare to ask about anything so personal like this really pissed her off.

Gabe felt like all his efforts to not make it personal were just destroyed: “I admit that I wanted to indirectly address your problem and the possible solution, which was really hard, because I supposed you wouldn’t react to it the good way if I just said it like this. I mean, you seem to keep avoiding this topic, so I wanted to start with something lighter to smooth the conversation. I see that trauma can be a pretty sensitive topic, but…”

He was bringing it up all. Everything she’s been trying to avoid, he laid the cards on the table. She thought he wouldn’t have the guts to say this directly to her, but he did and it made her even more nervous and angry. The best tactic for her from these uncomfortable conversations was to fight it off with her anger. She wanted to deny it all, so she stared, not focusing on his talk further: “Just stop.” 

Best thing for her would be to run away, but it wasn’t the option. She was hurt, not because what he said was true, but because he acknowledged it like this. She tried to hide it, no matter how hard she fought with intrusive thoughts or sudden waves of fear when he was around, he somehow noticed it. Probably she revealed herself during that panic attack too. She was panicking even now, but covering it with anger: “I don’t need any help! Not from you nor from anyone else. I’m okay and I can deal with it alone.”

He saw her distress, she was angry that he mentioned it, but still she wanted to control herself and did not want to explode. So he tried to apologize rather than go further: “Cass, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“But you did. And don’t call me Cass, we’re not close.” Even the apology wasn’t enough for her. All that pain was back and she barely could manage to keep it inside. Containing her anger, so she wouldn't ruin everything again. 

‘You’re keeping your aggression from them for now, but they’ll find out the truth.’ She felt the flashback from her nightmare. The worst timing possible. She was on the edge, trying to hide her shakingness. 

I have to get him out. I can’t do this. “Leave.”

Gabe was distressed, he thought he could make things better but so far it was just worse. He could feel her closing off from him again, he could feel the walls going back up inside he had been so carefully trying to dismantle. The way she said they weren’t close hurt more than he thought it could. He wanted to fix this so badly: “Sorry Cassandra, maybe I can…”

She didn’t want to hear anything from him at the moment: “Just leave me alone!”

He felt like this was the end of their conversation, she wanted him to leave. He was hesitating. His “help” was hurting her, but he didn’t want to leave her alone in this state. Maybe she’ll have another breakdown, what if she hurts herself? But my support could not be effective, I don’t know what to do.

Cass noticed that he got stuck in the place, so she yelled at him to make it clear: “Go AWAY!” She felt that the Moonstone wanted to help her out with this, it took on a glow for a second, but she held her powers away from this. When he saw that Gabe realised that she meant it.

“Alright. I’m going,” he said sadly as he walked to the door. He saw her take deep breaths, managing to stay together until he left. He understood that his presence was no longer welcomed. Then the door closed behind him.

He felt like a failure. Heading right to the control room, disappointed in himself, he apologized to the other agents: “I’m sorry, I messed it up.”

The agents weren’t completely angry at him, they could see it coming. Her unstable behaviour was the main reason for the problem, not Gabe’s efforts. Her denial of the whole idea of getting help made agents more cautious. If she was so aggressive even with the tiniest hint and acknowledgment that her trauma and mental issues were getting out of control, then they were doubtful if there was any way to help.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself Perez, you did what you could,” Collins let him know, putting a hand on his shoulder, “We couldn’t know that she would take it so badly.”

Armand joined: “Yeah, we would probably advise you not to go there again today. Someone can take her lunch if she’d look better.”

“She’s crying now,” Gabe sadly acknowledged, glancing at the camera to watch her covering her face as she cried, “She really wanted me to leave… I don’t know what to expect now… I mean, would she even accept my presence after this?”

“We’ll see, we will discuss what to do next with Coulson. You can go now, you’re released from your assignment for today, we'll let you know tomorrow how things are.” Collins explained.

“Okay, then just tell me what to do. Goodbye.” Gabe replied, feeling not wanted even there.

Chapter Text

These situations were making their mission harder. If they were going to find more about the woman’s origin and to help her, they had to build some trust first… or, at least, not make her even less convinced their help may actually be good. Seeing that all the small talk made her so uncomfortable and angry just showed to them how big her problem was. Denial was a normal thing for someone affected by loss, but lack of sleep for so long was abnormal. 

Coulson joined the agents from the Control room who were trying to come up with some solution. He was already informed about what happened. “Greetings, gentlemen.”

Their discussion stopped and shifted to Coulson. “What now?” one of the agents asked.

“This really wasn’t Perez’ fault this time,” Agent Collins confirmed, “We assigned him a task and he was doing great till she was able to figure out his intentions. She’s really dodgy and aggressive about mental health topics, so we have no idea how to help her without making the same mistake.”

“Leave this to me, when she calms down, I’ll go talk to her,” Coulson informed.

Armand was stunned: “You still want to go there and talk to her?”

“I don’t see us making progress without some confrontation… so yes, I’ll go and try to resolve this,” Coulson explained, ready to face the challenge. This was his job anyways, to come up with solutions for hard missions, he dealt with worse. This wasn’t any life-threatening threat as he saw it. This woman could be dangerous and powerful, but so far she didn’t show any signs of hostility. He worked with individuals who showed both hostile intentions and life-threatening behaviour. This one seemed okay.

“Okay, sir,” Collins nodded.

Coulson asked: “How long has it been since agent Perez left the room?”

Collins answered: “About an hour. I would leave her more time though. She’s still upset about it.” 

“Alright,” he agreed, “we’ll wait and see how her mood shifts. After she’s looking better, I’ll go.”

After a few hours of observation, it finally seemed like a good time to go there. Coulson thought about what to say and then he headed to the room. Last time he checked the monitor he saw Cassandra finally calmed down, ready to face the world again. She was going through stuff on the table that Gabe brought her in the morning, and seemed curious and less tense.

Knocking on the door made her alarmed, she didn’t expect Gabe to return so soon…. but then she didn’t hear his voice. Instead, someone else had spoken. “Good afternoon Cassandra, this is agent Phil Coulson. May I come in?”

Cass was taken aback. What is Coulson doing here? Now? I remember him from the first day, but he’s not been over here since. What does he want? She was thinking, but decided to let him in to find out his intentions. She felt confident she could defeat him if he turned out to be dangerous.

He opened the door. Cass immediately stood up and checked to make sure he wasn’t with somebody else. He was alone, but he seemed to be a boss back there. The one who was commanding orders and the one with whom she came right into this room. He always had some guys around, but not now. This probably didn't mean anything. He was still an authority. Not like Gabe. So why this unexpected visit?

“Hello,” he said politely as he walked in, still keeping some distance.

Cass didn’t even know how to speak to someone with this kind of authority anymore. She just asked: “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to discuss and hopefully resolve the conflict you and agent Perez had today. I was told about what happened and I apologize for bringing it up again.” Coulson explained. 

This wasn’t something she was used to. If it was Gabe, she would know what to do and how to shift the conversation or make Gabe nervous to change the topic, but this wasn't him. She didn’t say anything at all, trying to process how to deal with different people that she was not used to meeting often. This one for example didn’t seem to be scared of her and also didn’t seem so willing to retreat from the conversation. 

He continued, seeing her hesitation: “To make it clear, Gabriel had orders and he did only what others asked him to do this time. He told us to wait a little longer, because he was unsure you would be comfortable with it. Our agents decided that it’s already been a long time and you might be prepared to try to face it. We wanted you to know we could offer assistance in this area, through him. We didn’t expect you to be so resistant to the idea. I know it’s probably hard to accept help from strangers and that it could seem risky, but I want to assure you that our intentions are pure. I can guess that me saying that won’t change your opinion,” he saw the look on her face, how she avoided looking at him, frowning, knowing she wanted to say she doesn’t need help, yet she didn’t interrupt him,” ...but at least, trust me on this. Gabe is a good guy. One of the best this organisation has, especially when it comes to empathy and understanding others, so please don’t give up on him. He’s trying his best.” 

Another wholesome speech from this guy. He spoke very honestly, at least that’s how she felt it. It was possible he could be lying, but like the last time, something inside her trusted this Coulson guy and his words. Maybe it was the fact that he seemed so sympathetic, his actions didn’t seem to contradict his words. He didn’t seem to expect her to do what he might want, he was calm and waited for her reaction.

She still didn’t know what to say, but she didn’t want to stay silent anymore. “I suppose that’s true,” she hesitated to form her reaction, “I mean that about Gabe. I… just got angry and… couldn’t stop it, so I pushed him away and cast him aside.” 

“Do you feel that you’ll be able to spend time with him again after this? I mean, he’s the only one who’s come to visit you and give you the lessons.” he explained, “We can find someone else if you need to have a break from him.” he suggested.

There was the possibility Cass could see someone new, someone who wasn’t like Gabe, who had pried into her personal life… but she thought, too, that Gabe was respectful when she put her guard up, he backed down, and someone new might not be like that, they might be pushier like Rapunzel or even Eugene and not want to back away… or they might not listen so well, like Lance, who would nod and say ‘yes’ if he wasn’t paying any attention… it hurt to think of them each again, but it also reminded her that there was a reason she and Gabe had been able to build trust, he was gentle with her and willing to listen. There was no guarantee she would find someone else like that so soon. Although the thought of seeing him again soon would still be upsetting for her, mostly if he wanted to discuss getting help with her again, Cass didn’t want to think about having lessons with somebody completely unknown. All that process of observation and finding out about reactions and everything she’s done with Gabe so far was demanding, so she didn’t want to do it again.

“No, it’s okay... I think I'll be okay with him, but he has to know the boundaries about those… things,” she explained. 

“If I can add, he thought that those ‘things’ were really important to discuss and was asked to bring them up to you. If you’re not ready to talk about that, we can leave you more space, until you alone figure out whether you really need it or not. It’s up to you. I’ll tell Gabriel to not push too hard with it, as you wish.” He knew he would have to advise others not to remind Gabe of it, too.

Cassandra was not used to this kind of behaviour. Back in the old days, Rapunzel always tried to solve problems head-on, even when Cass wasn’t ready for it. She would be so forceful and push so hard to try to make everything right, and it would be so annoying, the first solutions wouldn’t be effective anyway. Rapunzel wouldn’t care if Cass wanted some time or space first, she would just want to move past it immediately, and then at the end Rapunzel would be satisfied at the expense of anything that Cass thought or felt. At least she didn’t have to listen to Rapunzel talking about it again afterwards… admittedly sometimes now she missed that determination, and of course, she missed… well, anyway, rather than dwell on that, she wasn’t used to people being so patient like this.

They’re leaving me more space? I thought Coulson would start with it again, try to talk to me to accept their help and stuff like that, but he understands my position. It’s weird. But it makes me more comfortable knowing this. Maybe they really don’t want to do something bad. 

“Thank you,” she said gratefully, looking at him with a nod.

Coulson was pleased that they could settle this so smoothly, in fact he had practice with this type of talk. Then he noticed things on the table that Gabe left behind. “Is that a puzzle?”

Cass turned around to see her table and the puzzle she left on the top of the mess she made after putting everything from the bag. “Yea, Gabe thought it would be a good idea.”

“And was it a good idea? I mean…” he went closer to the table to make himself sure, “...I have exactly the same puzzle at home.”

“Really?” she smiled embarrassedly. Same puzzle, who knew? 

Coulson noticed that his method of relieving stress was working. His friendly talks usually made people more comfortable with him. “Yeah, this one with that map is pretty common and also old. It’s nice that Gabriel found them.” He grabbed the box to see the back of it. “Yea, exactly this version, I would even think that he took mine, because the box looks pretty new.” 

“You like to collect puzzles and stuff?” Cass asked.

Coulson replied: “Yeah, I’m a big collector of old and vintage items, for example watches; my card collection, pretty rare; and many other things,” he smiled. “My biggest gem is my corvette Lola, she means a lot to me… I know you’re probably unfamiliar with names of cars… or cars at all.”

“Yeah, Gabe mentioned something, but I actually have no idea,” she confessed, “We haven’t finished history classes yet.”

“Sorry…. so, what about you? Have you had any collections?”

As much as she hated to talk about herself, she loved to talk about weapons and her stuff. And the atmosphere was relaxed, so there wasn’t anything that would stop her. “I had a weapon collection.” She remembered those old days, when she worked long hours to be able to afford some brand new weapon or sword and to take care of it. “It was pretty big, I had many swords, halberds, axes, maces, knives and daggers, I also found a few rare things and many more…”

“Did you take good care of that collection?” Coulson asked. He saw that she was open to talk, so he made a way to find out more. It was even fascinating that she opened up today.

“Of course!” she confirmed. “I polished each of them frequently, trained with many things, it was in good hands… When you have the passion, you just want to make the most of it, right?” she said matter-of-factly, “What use is a bunch of old stuff if you’re not enjoying or making use of it?”

Coulson smiled, “Yeah, I can definitely confirm that. Which one was your favourite piece?”

Cass realised that people who knew her wouldn’t ask this question as it was something so banal, but this one didn’t know anything about her, nor saw her holding a weapon. “My sword. Probably my most favorite weapon in the world. I had many of them, but only one I carried far away with me.” She had other swords, but she wasn’t sure how to identify the one she took with her. She’d never thought to name it. It was only her sword.

Coulson understood that she was probably a skilled fighter when she had weapon collection. It would be probably even cool to see her fight, but he knew he needed to be patient with this. He didn’t know what happened and what could be the stumbling block in the conversation. “I know that swords can be old-fashioned these days, but there are still many collectors who gather them. Even some cultures still use special swords to fight, but their occurrence is rarer here. Maybe in the future, I’d be able to give you some contact with collectors who specialize in weapons and swords…” The implication was clear - they could help her build a new collection, and they weren’t afraid of her one day having free access to weapons again.

Cass was quite pleased. There are still people who use swords? Or at least collect them? That’s good, at least some people still have a taste. Anyways, this conversation is still better. 

“That would be great… in the future.” But she was still unsure about that ‘future’ word. “Do you all use those loud weapons now? Instead of swords and bows?”

“It’s more effective this way now. I mean, I can imagine swords being cool, but it would be useless against fully armed enemies. Everything changed, including weapons.” Coulson explained. He knew that saying this would probably end their collections talk, but the conversation moved naturally and she didn’t seem to show signs of inconvenience. “Every group always wants better weapons, because they think it will make it easier to hold control, but then you just have an arms race.” There was already a lot of that. It was hard not to think of the race for the atom bomb.

She confessed: “I can imagine, I’ve had lessons with Gabe about wars and how weapons evolved, but I guess I’m still somewhere in the beginning.” she admitted. She remembered when he told her about how tanks and places became part of early warfare. Who knows what has come since then?

“Don’t worry, you’ll have as much time as you need, you’ll learn many things even afterwards, life will always teach you something new.”

“I guess.” She remembered what life taught her so far - to not trust anyone, to not get closer to somebody and many other life lessons experienced through pain and suffering. Suddenly her mood changed. She noticed she was talking maybe too much, even though she thought she liked it to this point. She regretted opening up and felt distant again.

Coulson immediately noticed the shift, but he supposed that it might not be his mistake, because changes of moods were for her usual. Gabe already told him that they both seemed to be enjoying their talk before and when he turned away for a moment, he noticed her sadness again. It probably wasn’t affectable from their side that much as from hers. 

“Maybe I should go now,” he said politely, “We were talking for a long time…” It hadn’t felt so long to him but he said it for her benefit.

“Yeah,” she nodded.

Coulson moved to the door, but turned around as he remembered that she didn’t have lunch: “I realised that you didn’t have lunch, I can send an agent to bring you some meal.” He looked at the clocks on the wall: “Maybe an early dinner.”

“That would be good,” she confirmed.

He opened the door: “Good luck and hold on. Things will be better.” he offered her one more warm smile before shutting the door behind him.

Cassandra didn’t know if she believed that. But something was interesting about this guy. Even after he closed the door, Cass felt that mutual understanding as if he knew all the problems and their solutions. As if he was so wise to know what the future holds. Maybe it was his self-confidence, maybe his honest eyes, but it was different than with Gabe. Everything at the beginning he said plainly, without doubts or obstacles. His friendly talk was something so genuine and pure, because he was talking with her as with a normal person. Like as if her unusual behaviour or past disappeared or didn’t matter, as if her inner struggles or insecurities faded away, because he made her feel normal again. 

It wasn’t like with Gabe, she noticed that Gabe was intentionally avoiding many topics and was nervous and unsure when they talked about deeper subjects. So she was glad that someone could talk to her differently. Of course she wouldn’t want anybody else to accompany her everyday, so she decided to give Gabe another chance. It was probably still a better choice. 

Soon after Coulson left, Cass heard knocking on the door again and supposed that it’d be that promised lunch. She was right. She opened and saw a new face with a meal in his hands. They had many agents, so it was probable that she would see many new faces in the future. 

When she was taking her lunch, she looked out to see the corridor. She’s never done it before, but there wasn’t anything interesting, just a long empty hallway. Two agents near her door, but not too close and those agents who were standing there the day she arrived weren’t there anymore. Interesting. So, they were there because of me. 

“Thanks,” she said to the new agent and closed the door. She had to admit she felt better now at the very least.

Chapter Text

Later that day, there was a normal night shift for Agent Armand and his colleague Agent Collins. Collins already had a notebook full of information from observation over the first two weeks. He was commissioned to write down everything needed about the woman's behaviour, to verify Coulson’s and Gabe’s theory about her intentions and to do some evaluation. He studied psychology, but he wasn’t some kind of professional in the area of therapy. His work consisted of writing down other agents’ behaviours if they seemed untrustworthy or to assist with some psychological evaluation. But not to directly help someone with their mental problems. 

It seemed that the woman would need some therapy really soon. Agent Perez didn’t seem to be handling her situation well anymore. As far as the lessons went, there wasn’t any issue, but that sleeping problem seemed a little out of control. It didn’t help that she also had dangerous powers, which could aggravate the situation really quickly. The example was those red rocks, which caused fear even before he was assigned to the mission. It affected everybody in the basement and it happened just because of some panic. Panic and fear, those were the most dangerous emotions from the woman so far. As long as they saw what a small panic attack can cause, there was no doubt that she wasn’t able to control it in that state. And it was dangerous.

The situation just got worse since then. Her sleeping deprivation started to show even during the day. She wasn’t paying attention to Gabe's lessons anymore. If the lessons were about to fail, so would the whole system that kept her out of the dark thoughts. Also, she seemed to be more and more bored after the whole week of being up. 

“How does she even manage to stay up for so long?” agent Armand asked again, still fascinated.

Collins answered with a theory: “Maybe because she has those powers, they can probably manage to give her enough energy so she doesn't have to sleep at all.”

“Even if that theory was true, it doesn’t seem like it’s a good option for her. Just look how she bears it. It seems to do more bad than good,” Armand pointed out.

“Yeah, we need to resolve this before it gets too serious. Luckily Coulson solved at least that problem she had with Gabe. He also informed me that we will receive professional assistance soon. He is in contact with an agent who has the right training and has also worked with Index individuals before. He will arrive in a few days,” Collins informed.

That was a good message, they needed some help. The advice they gave to Perez didn’t seem to take over well. She didn’t pay attention to his advice, his warnings and suggestions of accepting some help. All she did was just to get angry. Coulson himself went there and talked to her, but it didn’t bring anything big. They knew that they couldn’t force her if she didn’t want any help.

The next day Gabe was called to the Control room. As usual, Collins and Armand were there to inform him what happened and how Coulson solved the situation.

“So he just went there alone and talked to her and everything is okay now?” Gabe asked, having trouble believing it was so easy.

Collins answered: “Well actually, it wasn’t that easy… she still doesn’t want any help, so Coulson complied with her request, but it didn’t solve the problem.”

“At least she’s not mad at you anymore,” Armand joined the conversation, “She’s just stubborn with that helping thing, so you probably shouldn’t mention it to avoid more problems.”

“O-kay,” Gabe hesitated, “So what should I talk about? Won’t she want to discuss it with me?”

“Perez, we don’t know how she’ll be dealing with you coming back today, but I suppose she’ll be avoiding the topic, so just don’t bring it up unless she starts with it.” Collins explained.

“Just as nothing happened, got it. Sad, but I can understand. She’s not ready. How is she now?” he asked.

Armand reacted: “Calm. I think she’ll be alright today, but we can never know, right?”

“Yeah.” both Gabe and Collins nodded.

“Okay, I’ll go.” Gabe left the Control room.

Collins and Armand took the seat to watch how the situation would develop. They saw Gabriel arriving in the room and Cassandra wasn’t nervous or uncomfortable with his presence.

Gabe immediately spotted a new addition in the room, right on the floor he noticed a big puzzle, finished. They were talking about it for a moment and Gabriel also handed breakfast to Cassandra. The start of the day went smoothly, he was avoiding the topic and conversation seemed natural, but then she said something unexpected in the middle of their conversation. 

“Listen, I know you want to help, but I can take care of myself. Your friend Coulson was here, he probably told you this too. We don’t talk about help here and until I ask for it, you won’t be mentioning it, or you can just leave. Is that clear?” she said, voice firmer than he’d ever heard it yet. It was a command, not a request. She was setting a boundary. He respected it a lot, he wasn’t always so good at doing that himself.

Gabe felt nervous again, but then he nodded, even though he wanted to say something else. He’d rather comply with her request than do things worse again. 

Collins wasn’t that shocked, he didn’t see that one coming, but he guessed that she would deny it or avoid it as much as she could. There was nothing agents could do now to improve her situation with their help or with her sleeping. It was a dead end, at least for now.

Days passed and more agents were discussing what to do next. Agent Dawson had some shifts instead of the two main agents of the Control room during the night, but the situation still seemed more and more serious. As they were observing the woman's behaviour, they couldn’t overlook her state while Gabriel was out of the room. From depressive to crying nights, she clearly didn’t know what to do with her life. She seemed like on the edge of some abyss, almost falling into darkness from which Gabe took her away every day by checking on her. But their lessons were less effective as long as Cass couldn’t even focus on what Gabriel said. 

Even some small activities were useful just for a few hours a day, she wasn’t taking it too seriously. She couldn’t read the books anymore. It was like staring at the book, inside it, but the words in it were distant to her. 

She was so bored that she even took the clothes from her closet. Looking at them, trying them on, of course with armor still on. She didn’t have spikes on it though. It was unnecessary so far, so she wore just plain armor with the only purpose to protect her. 

Only boots were a problem. She made the armor disappear from her feet. And then she tried boots on. Gabriel brought several different pairs, so she tried firstly boots closest to her time - black ones. They seemed okay, quite comfortable. Then she took the blue ones. Sneakers with similar color like her hair. Really original, Gabe. They seemed a little strange to her, she’s never worn anything like this before. Comfy and good. But as she tried the third ones, there was a catch - too small. She put them near the door, so she would let Gabe know about the bug. 

She also found her favourite piece of clothing among the others - that hoodie that made her interested the other day was perfect to cover her up. She could just put it on anything, get lost in it and leave the hood on, disappearing from the world as she felt with that shape-shifting cloak. She knew this wasn’t any magical item, but at least it reminded her of those times when she could just hide under something. It would be stupid to try to hide from the agents now, in the guarded room, but it was a nice feeling.

At least this clothing activity seemed to entertain her better than previous ones. Playing chess wasn’t clever when her mind was so tired of thinking, games Gabe brought were a waste of time. Even information received from the lessons went away as long as she stopped to focus. It was so hard to focus on anything anyways. She couldn’t even tell how long she’s been up anyways. Even the hours began to flow completely. Was it 8AM or PM? Day or night? Did it even matter?

When she spent her sleepless nights back in the open world after she took the stone, she didn’t seem to have those kinds of troubles. Day was day, night was night, she was walking a lot and the demon kept her distracted from realizing that she messed up. But she was doing something. Thinking about her destiny, about her future. Figuring out what to do with life, with power she obtained. But at least she had options back then. 

Now she was locked up, without meaning, without a future. Without will to do something, to either fight with it or fight against them. She wasn’t sure what was the good choice. She was trying to figure it out, but without success. 

Gabe tried to inconspicuously recommend her some help before, but she noticed it. She didn’t want any help. No trust, no help. She didn’t need any, she wanted to overcome it on her own. But it didn’t have any end. It was too long, sometimes she felt so desperate that she was just sitting, leaning against the corner of the wall. Not even the bed was comfortable enough for her. 

There was a night when she was lying on the floor, just like that, without the will to live anymore for several hours. It seemed like she was giving up. Emptiness in her eyes. Monitoring agents thought that she might have some suicidal thoughts within that state. They had to act somehow, but didn’t know what to do.

Finally, in the Control room, agents Collins, Armand and Dawson could welcome the new support. Coulson came in to introduce a new professional agent to the team: “Good morning gentlemen, I’m pleased to introduce you to Dr. Garner, he is a neurologist and forensic psychologist. He will help us with the case.”

“Thank you, Coulson. Greetings agents,” Dr. Garner said politely, turning to the other agents as he greeted them.

Coulson introduced others to him: “This is Agent Armand, this is Agent Dawson and here is the main agent who keeps updating the file of our patient, Agent Collins.”

They shook their hands each for formal greeting and then Coulson continued: “Agent Collins will give you a full report and also the file from the Index.”

Agent Collins gave him the Index report he had ready on the table as well as his notes. He noticed that the doctor was looking at the displays with the view on the room.

“So, this is our patient,” Dr. Garner noted, looking at the woman on the display.

“Yes, this is Cassandra,” Collins informed, then he asked: “How much do you already know about this case?”

“Well, SHIELD informed me that you need me to conduct a psychological evaluation and examination over a gifted individual with dangerous powers... I’ve already done this with a few individuals from the Index, but Coulson also told me that there’s more to the mental health of the patient than coping with her powers. He also informed me about the specialty of this case. It’s really a one-of-the-kind case, two-hundred and thirty years is really something else.” Dr. Garner answered, showcasing his knowledge of information for this mission. “How is she doing by the way? It must’ve been horrible for her.”

“Well, she’s not getting much better.” Collins explained, “She still has many problems that are going to get out of control if we don’t do something soon, from sleep deprivation to total mistrust in our organization. It’s been really hard to convince her to do anything that might help her,” Collins explained.

“What have you already tried?” Garner asked, still looking at the monitor.

“We have an agent who is actively in contact with her, so we tried to offer some advice through him about getting help, but she angrily declined and we had to deal with resolving that once her anger began to ease. She didn’t take it well at all, so we haven’t tried anything else. It’s even harder now after ten days without sleep,” Armand informed.

“Whoa, ten days? Isn’t it too much for a human?” Garner was shocked, this was something really special that he’s never seen before.

Collins answered: “Agent Perez and Coulson are convinced that she’s a human, but there are still some agents who have doubts, more so nowadays. My opinion is that she acts rather human, so I lean towards the theory that her powers are changing or making up for her human needs. She doesn’t seem to need as much sleep, or anything else we need desperately to survive. Even researching the amber she was in, it’s confirmed there’s no way for humans to survive for as long as she has.”

Garner was quiet for a moment. This was probably the biggest challenge he’s ever faced with a gifted individual. “You say that the power she wields changed her so much from the basis that she doesn’t need to attend to basic human needs. So does it make her still human?”

“We think that she has those needs to a much more limited degree. She’s still human, technically, but has something more inside her. She still has the symptoms of sleeplessness, she can force herself to stay awake, but it drains her nonetheless. The problem is we don’t know what to do about it.”

The doctor was thinking aloud: “If she doesn’t want to accept help, but she’s willing to stay in the place, I don’t see the problem for now. This situation will probably end up with her either finally getting some sleep willingly or passing out from exhaustion. The human brain has ways to make us sleep when we truly need it. If I may ask, why does she want to stay up for so long anyways?”

Collins knew exactly the reason, informing Dr. Garner about the root of the problem: “She wants to avoid sleeping simply because she wants to avoid having more nightmares. She’s realised that it’s easier for her to stay up than to face her fears, because she can’t control it when she’s asleep.”

“Oh, I see. So, suppressed emotions and trauma are getting on the surface while she’s sleeping, that’s why she doesn’t want to do that... I guess she hasn’t been talking about herself or her past yet, right?” Garner figured things out as he spoke aloud, started to dive deeper into the case with other agents.

“Right, she seems to be stubborn. Even if something happens for real, she would rather avoid talking about anything she may find uncomfortable.” Collins read from her actions.

“This mission will take a while.” Garner replied, “Therapy would be a big step forwards with her, but until then, I see it’ll take some time. All advice I can give right now for the agent of yours who keeps visiting her is - tell him to act as he always does. Pushing too hard with offering help can be less effective now that she’s established she doesn’t want it. As you said with that sleeping problem - probably best not try to solve it with medications as for now, we don’t know how it may affect her later. Let the natural way to resolve the situation. Maybe later, approach her with suggestions about getting help, when she has progressed, but right now she wouldn't listen anyways.” 

“Understood, sir.” Collins nodded.

“I think my place here is to offer my professional opinion to you, but only through observation.” Garner explained, “If she’s declined help, she may feel threatened by me, and she’s built a rapport with one of your agents already, so let’s focus on that. We can’t ask her to trust everyone if she seems afraid to trust herself,” he pointed out, shifting his attention away from Collins now.

“Of course.” Coulson was a little disappointed to realize it would be a while before Garner could meet Cassandra directly, but he trusted his expertise, much of which was aligning with Coulson’s own suspicions on what was best. “We’ll wait.”

Chapter Text

What is going to keep me awake? Cass asked herself. She was out of ideas. 

Last night she was so bored that she was even playing along with her powers, building weird things from rocks, then destroying them and rebuilding them as something else. Like a small child with a toy. It was pathetic even for her, she thought. She kept one sculpture though. It captured her frustration and almost got the shape of some huddled figure. She was no artist, but this one seemed nice. Making something nice seemed almost impossible with her powers, but after many failed attempts she had developed the skill of making small rocks from her hands, shaping them into some bigger shape. It was still sharp, but that didn’t matter. 

She wondered if some weapons she could create would bother the agents.

If they wouldn't see them… I have the whole night, they won’t suspect a thing. I miss wielding weapons, some swords or at least a small dagger. Sharp and handy. 

She focused on her powers and created a sharp rock shaped as a dagger. She added a handle and then she got excited. Excited from merely a small dagger, that’s how low she had sunk, pathetic. It was so light, shaped well for throwing it somewhere. It would cut everywhere, the ultimate weapon for a fallen warrior. 

But I can’t throw it, I would make a mark on the wall. Gosh I hate this place, it’s so limited! Why am I still here in the first place? There’s nothing to do, I’m just wasting my time here. But what would I do outside anyways? This is not my world, I don’t belong here, maybe I shouldn’t be here. 

She looked at the dagger and had an unpleasant thought, a thought about what she could do with that dagger. That kind of thought she never wanted to have. 

“No!” Not this, I’m not-, I don’t want to do this. I can’t trust my thoughts now, I shouldn’t even hold this.

She twitched. Quickly standing up, she put the dagger deep into the wardrobe. Deep breaths continued. It was too intense. 

Okay, no weapons for me.

Another long night to come. There was nothing to do. She felt the growing sleepiness near, she couldn’t even lay down, because she would probably pass out immediately. 

I have to do something that will keep me up, this is too much lately. How long has it already been? But I can't sleep, sleep is bad. Those nightmares, red rocks, can’t go through it anymore.

Then she had an idea. She stood up and went to the bathroom. Cold water can wake me up. Turning on the water, she walked directly under the stream of cold water. 

Whoa, so cold. 

Suddenly she felt more awake than in the previous few days. She stayed like that for a minute, until it was too much to bear. She didn’t want to become ill just to be awake, that way it would have just the opposite effect. Now she felt cold.

What was I thinking? It helped, but it’s not a win, I’m shaking and I’m all wet, great. This isn’t the way, at least not the good one. Gotta need to get warm again, I’m freezing. This was probably a bad idea. 

Looking through the cabinet, she picked a big towel, wrapping herself into it. That didn’t help much, she was still cold. Even after she was eventually dry, she felt her tremors. Her armor didn’t provide enough heat, so she decided to take on those clothes she tried the other day. Finding a long warm t-shirt and even putting on that hoodie. She also found thick socks, a tracksuit and took a blanket. 

She sat curled up in the blanket on the chair in the middle of the room, feeling like an idiot. Maybe she was going crazy, how could she even know? A normal person probably wouldn’t do all of this. She started to question her decision of denying herself sleep, but was too stubborn to actually go to that damn bed. 

After some time doing nothing at all she heard Gabe knocking on the door. Was it the morning already? She checked the clock and realised that another night had already passed. Her hair was dry, but she definitely looked bad, at least that’s how she felt. Messy hair which she hadn’t taken care of for several days was probably the least of her problems right now. But somehow she just let go and didn’t care about her look, letting Gabe in. She was too tired to think about how he might take it.

“Good morning Cassandra,” Gabe arrived in the room.

Gabe was used to this kind of behavior from her, he knew she was stubbornly keeping herself awake till she was able to hold herself, but he supposed it was already long enough. He wasn’t making any progress with his lessons, he could even have the same lesson the second day and she wouldn’t notice. Wasting time was the right word with those lessons. After day 9 everything was useless, after that day she lost her energy to focus on what he said. But day 14 was a little extreme. 

For a normal person, micro naps probably would have kicked in long ago, the body doing what it needed to do to help her sleep, closing her eyes for her… but somehow her powers cancelled that natural response out.

If she doesn’t pass out today, I don’t know… He saw her barely conscious, circles under eyes so striking that even from that one look at her he could feel tired for her sake. At least she is wearing the hoodie, and socks, maybe she got tired of her armor finally. Or she just forgot she has new clothes on.

“Hey, Gabe.” she said with barely opened eyes as she registered him inside the room.

The last few days weren’t good either, but today she was on the edge… so he tried to think of an idea how to help her. She wouldn’t notice anything within this state. He looked on the shelf where he was keeping older books and was looking for something boring. Something even he would find boring. 

“So how was your night? Still sleepy?” he dared to ask, but knew she probably wouldn’t even react to that aggressively now.

“Really?” she sighted. “Why do you care? Oh, I know, you always care.” she said without thinking.

“Yeah, I care. You seem barely awake,” he pointed out.

“I’m feeling great,” she stood up from her chair, her legs barely keeping her steady.

“I see, the circles under your eyes are so eye-catching.” Gabe just made a pun, he didn’t even mean to do it, but it worked.

“Thanks.” Wait, was that a compliment or…? Oh, I get it now! “Ha, funny. But... Can we change the topic now?” She felt a little dumb, usually she’d catch someone else’s sarcasm immediately…

“What? You want another lesson?” he asked, doubtfully. “What was the last one about?”

Cass thought for a moment. Then she answered: “About the war?”

“We finished war lessons 3 days ago.” he replied, a little surprised she was still thinking of that.

“Okayy, just let me think…” She was thinking hard about what happened in the last few lessons, but she just couldn’t bring her memory back. She wasn’t paying much attention. 

Gabe saw her struggling, so he rather stopped her: “Hey, it doesn’t matter. We can repeat the lesson again later.” 

“Yeah, thanks.” Cass returned to her seat. She felt how exhausted her body was and knew that she couldn’t waste her energy much. But then she realised. If he’s about to start a new lesson, it won’t keep me awake, I barely could get through the last one. Maybe I should keep the conversation, whatever it will be about to just do something and to not fall asleep.

“Maybe we don’t have to start another lesson so early,” she said.

Gabe was surprised: “You wanna talk?” 

“Yeah, why not?”

This was an opportunity for Gabe, an opportunity too good to not take. Who knows what she may say within that state? It was worth the try. “So start. Talk about whatever you want.” He was hoping she might talk about why she was sleepy, maybe spill, but he did not want to push too hard and feel like he had forced it out of her…

“Hmm, what should I talk about…?” she thought aloud.

“What about sleep?” Gabe teased.

“No!” she raised her voice and pointed at Gabe with a finger gesture. 

It was almost funny to see her acting like this for Gabe. “Whoa, you’re really stubborn.”

“Yes I am. So what?” she sighed. “Not many people told me this directly to the face, even though Owl loved to throw judgy looks on me. Probably many kept it to themselves back then, because they were scared of me, but Owl knew me well. He always wanted me to do the right thing but I was too stubborn to listen to him…”

Gabe was confused: “You listened to an owl?” Wait, she’s maybe too tired, so she’s talking completely out of the picture.

“If you paid attention, no, I didn’t listen to him. That’s why I’m in this mess now. If I had just listened to him, everything could have been fine. But no, I had to do things my way and screw everything up.” 

Cass didn’t even notice how much she started talking. Gabe on the other hand grew interested, even if only a small percent of it was true. Sure, she was too tired to make sense now, but finally she was opening up, even just a little. 

Maybe that Owl was someone’s name, maybe a friend of hers with just a weird name. Who knows what kind of names they had in the past. Probably they didn’t even have surnames, so only first names were common.

“So your friend wanted to help you?”

Cass answered: “Yes, probably not only him. But I didn’t trust anyone, so I ignored them and then realised that they didn’t want to do anything bad only after it was too late. I’m usually like this. I’m just hurting others.”

“That’s not true,” Gabe wanted to protest, because he noticed the shift in her voice, how it broke a little as she started to talk depressively.

“You don’t know me! You have no idea what I’ve done.” She turned around, almost tears in her eyes. She didn’t want him to see her like that. But she held it together. Realising that she started to open up to him, she was confused by herself: “Why am I even telling you this?”

“You wanted to talk, so I’m listening.” Gabe answered calmly. He supposed she needed some support now, but wasn’t sure what to say.

“Maybe that was a bad idea.”

Gabe didn’t want her to stop in the middle, so he wanted to continue with this conversation: “No, it’s actually interesting. This is the first time you’ve actually told me something about yourself and your past.”

“Yeah, definitely a bad idea,” she was sure.

“Why?” he asked.

“If you noticed, I hate to talk about myself.”

“But you like to talk about weapons,” Gabe pointed out.

“That’s true, but you don’t understand. I mean I probably started this, so this time it’s my fault, but… don’t talk about me,” she wanted to control this discussion, but didn’t notice that she was talking out of line again.

“I’m… not talking about you, you’re doing it yourself,” Gabe pointed out, laughing a little.

“Hey, that’s not- That’s not what I meant, you know what I wanted to say! I’m too tired for this.” Cass grew frustrated, crossing her arms around. She couldn’t even argue with someone with this tiredness, couldn’t keep her argument consistent.

“Then go sleep-” Gabe dared again but got interrupted.

“Stop!” she shut him up. “You know what? Maybe talking wasn’t a good idea.”

“Well then. Do you want some breakfast? I have soup prepared for you.” Gabe knew soup for breakfast was a weird idea, but he was informed about what happened at night, so he didn’t want her to get sick and soup would definitely help her.

“Soup for breakfast? You know what? Whatever, if you want, bring it up. At least we won’t be talking about me and my problems.”

“I wasn’t-” he knew arguing with her would be worthless now. “Okay, I’m just gonna take it.”

He went just for a moment away and took the soup ready in the Control room, agents gave him thumps up as a cheering gesture. Then he slowly returned with hot soup in his hands, guarding agents helped him open the door.

“I’m back,” he said as he returned, but saw Cass lying on the table with her head.

“I’m not sleeping, right? I’m totally awake.” Cass raised her head, eyes almost closed.

“Here you go,” Gabe put the bowl on the table, “In case you’ll fall into it, I’m here to help you get your head up.”

Cass sighed: “That’s not gonna happen, I’m completely fine. Just give me some space.”

“Okay.” He waited not too far from the table on some splash sound, but nothing. He stayed in the room in case anything would go wrong, but once she pulled her head up, she managed to eat properly without making a mess.

“That soup was good, surprised that nothing happened, huh?” Cass teased Gabe with her small victory, soup really improved her mood and warmed her heart. Now only a short nap- NO! No sleeping, or maybe should I? ... 

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t fall asleep while eating,” he giggled. Then he asked: “Now feeling better? Wanna talk again or have a lesson?”

Cass didn’t know what question she should answer first: “We could skip talking for now, feeling better.”

Gabe got an excited look on his face while taking the book from the shelf. The most boring one he found. He remembered what stuff Cass found boring, so he found a science book that was riddled with deep, complicated terminology that would be hard to remember even with a sharp mind, with long boring explanations. That would definitely make her fall asleep. “Okay, so this one will be about science and we’ll be seeing these experiments detailed in the book…”

She focused just for a moment, then all she heard from Gabe was “...blah blah blah…” She was just nodding like she understood what he was talking about. Mitochondria was… something? She couldn’t follow, couldn’t retain. It went for several minutes. She checked sometimes if he was still so excited and if he was still talking, but then he stopped and asked her something. 

Just in time, I noticed he’s asking something, she thought.

“Can you repeat that question please?”

“You mean the thing I’m asking you for the third time?” he smiled inconspicuously, he was glad his plan was slowly in motion, she wasn’t paying attention.

“Yeah, exactly that one. Okay! Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention, can you just repeat the thing you just said?” 

“Okay, I’m just going to start over the whole lesson.” 

She sighed: “Whatever.” She was holding her head up with her hand, elbow supported on the table. With her remaining strength she fought every minute to not fall asleep. 

The lesson was so boring to her, slowly her whole head went on the level of the table, but she was still listening. It was like the most boring lullaby about electrons or what he was talking about. Sometimes she registered Gabe telling her name, probably asking her something, so she just reacted “still awake.” The lesson didn’t even bother her anymore. Now it was an internal fight and she was losing it. Slowly closing her eyes. Feeling Gabe’s words more distant. Slowly drifting off. Was it even a good thing that she had her stubborn behaviour? Her body finally went against her will and she completely turned off.

Gabe stopped with his lesson as he noticed Cass not responding. He assumed that he reached his goal by making her fall asleep. He needed to make sure to be clear though, he did not want her to be waiting for him to leave or think he was abandoning her.

“Cass?” he asked. He repeated more loudly: “Cassandra?” 

Nothing. 

That was a good sign. He didn’t see her face though, she was sprawled all over the table. He went closer to nudge her to see if she wouldn't wake up immediately. 

Still no response. 

It seemed like she passed out completely, so exhausted that even if she wanted to wake up, her body wouldn’t let her. Last thing he did to check was to lift up her free hand a little above the table and then drop it. 

Still sleeping. Okay, I’m sure she won’t wake up.

His job was almost done. His goal was reached, but there was something he wasn’t completely satisfied with. 

I can’t just leave her sleep on the table the whole day. It would be so uncomfortable, especially when she wakes up. I’ll take her to the bed, she will have more comfort there. 

He first prepared the bed, moved the quilt to the side, shook the pillow and straightened the sheet. He then approached the sleeping Cass and was ready to move her there. He lifted her head from the table first, gently, and carefully leaned her back on the chair, then he gently lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. 

She is not heavy at all. She probably wouldn’t be happy about this, but I’m doing this for her. She’s so calm and peaceful now. I'm so happy to finally see her sleeping after two weeks, I was scared it would end up badly. She was completely out of reality these last few days, she could just hurt herself within that state. 

He slowly put her into bed. 

Now I’m thinking if she won’t feel too warm with that hoodie on, I’m probably going to just half-cover her with a quilt... at least she’ll be in a soft bed with soft clothes finally.   

Gabe was done, satisfied with how he dealt with the situation. Then he cleaned the books from the lesson, returning them where he had found them since it hadn’t been a real complete lesson. He knew some agents would feel like they should look around more and check out her stuff, they were trained to scope places out, but he didn’t feel right with that, so he just turned off the light. He knew what word privacy meant and it wouldn’t be fair if he stayed there and checked everything, it wasn’t his business. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t like the principle of privacy while they had monitoring protocol on, Gabe didn’t like their protocol and rather stayed out of it. He didn’t want to know more than he was supposed to, because he was not a good liar.

On his way to the Control room, he waved to the camera with a smile, knowing that agents Armand and Collins were watching him. When he arrived in the room, they were all happy with him. 

“Good job Perez.”

Gabe smiled again: “When I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. I wouldn’t even think that my main mission would be to make someone fall asleep, but here we are.” He laughed. “So far this is maybe the biggest success, which is funny, but also I’m glad that she won’t be suffering from sleep deprivation.”

“Yeah,” Armand nodded, “You also found out something new about her when she opened up a bit, so it’s a win win. Hopefully she’ll be back to her common sense and realise that sleep is needed.”

Collins added: “Yes, I’d expect her to learn a lesson after this experience. She probably wouldn’t want to go through this again. I think you have a free day today Gabriel.”

“Thanks gentlemen, call me when she’s awake.” Gabe said with a smile, a little proud of himself for once.

Chapter Text

Feeling great. Finally. So comfortable and nice feeling. What actually happened? Did I just fall asleep? 

Cass slowly opened her eyes, energy finally restored.

I’m in bed? What the-? She looked around, seeing just darkness and dim light from the room. A window would definitely help with identifying if it’s day or night. When did I pass out?

She sat up and went to the light switch. Nothing seemed different. What is the last thing I can remember? 

Returning to the bed, trying to dive into her blurred memory. I remember being tired, I didn’t want to admit it to Gabe… Gabe. She remembered. 

He was here. Oh, did I fall asleep when he was here? No, no way- But I don’t remember him leaving. Damn, he was here. We had a lesson… probably, I don’t even know what we were talking about and it was just boring. That was probably the reason I passed out. But I wasn’t in bed then. Okay, this is weird.

She felt uneasy about knowing that someone not too close to her was around when she was sleeping, probably even carried her... she supposed It was her fault anyways, she let this happen. She let that sleep problem go so far and so long that she passed out as a result, in the bad time. Knowing she could barely keep herself awake, listening to something boring. Gabe was just doing his job, he was there to have lessons which she wasn’t even listening to lately.

But that sleep... that sleep felt so good. Why did she restrict her sleep for so long? It wasn’t even some fearful thing she thought it would be. No nightmares, or at least none which she remembered. Just rest she needed. She was too stubborn to admit it before, but now she knew she did bullshit. It wasn’t worth it at all. All that struggle she was going through just because of some stupid fear.

I should know better. The Moonstone can’t just make me invincible, I’m still human and I need sleep, no matter what. I guess I just learned a lesson from my mistake. I wanted to be right and I went so far with it…  Gabe was right. 

Damn, I hate when he’s right. 

Also another mistake she’s made… she noticed that she wasn’t wearing her armor. When she wasn’t fully aware of what was happening! Anybody could have hurt her in that state, she was even more vulnerable than before. Lucky that Gabe didn’t try anything to hurt her or take her somewhere worse, at least she didn’t notice anything strange. Her things seemed all in its place, well except for books which he probably cleaned in its place.

She checked all the stuff which she remembered was hers. There weren’t too many things, just her bag under the bed, which was still there and few things in the closet. That satchel was the only thing that she had left from the past, and its content was not even worth checking. She hated that bag. So she moved to see the closet, there were just things that Gabe gave her… and a dagger. 

Oh, I made this. Now I’m starting to remember. I was too bored. What’s this? 

She took small weirdly shaped black rocks sculptures. Am I even an artist when I’m too bored? What the hell was I doing all those nights? Hopefully I won’t find anything else. Weird, even for me.

She took a look around once again, checking her room. She didn’t even know why she cared so much, nothing here felt like it was fully hers… maybe it was a habit from how she’d been raised, to always watch for enemies and exits… but there was nothing unusual here, nothing out of place. She returned to her bed and sat down, trying to remember details. She didn’t even know if it was a day or night or when Gabe would come back.

Gabe was called the next morning to the Control room, where agents informed him that Cass was now awake. 

“She was sleeping the whole day,” Agent Dawson informed him.

“That’s probably good I suppose,” Gabe guessed, before raising an eyebrow, “Also I think I’m seeing you here for the first time,” he pointed out.

“Actually, I saw you twice, but wasn’t speaking much. I’m usually there in the corner, sitting next to the computer, so... yeah, I’m just quietly watching. You seemed busy, so I let others do their work and I did mine.” he explained.

“So, you’re the quiet one, nice to finally meet you-” Gabriel realised he didn’t know his name.

“Dawson. Agent Dawson,” he said, not saying more.

Gabe knew that few agents could feel uncomfortable sharing their names, this one seemed pretty closed, so he rather decided to not stress him more: “Nice to meet you Agent Dawson. Okay, so I’m gonna go, maybe I’ll start some new lessons today… I mean you’ll probably see anyways.”  he rubbed his neck, making himself nervous.

Okay, this is unnecessary and long, it’s awkward. I should probably stop and just leave, or he’ll think I'm weird. “Bye,” he said and left.

As he was heading to the room, he was thinking about lessons for Cass. He didn’t even know what she remembered for sure. If she was paying attention at least one week ago, if not this one. Beyond that, he didn’t know what mood she could have at the moment. 

She could be really upset; she’d obviously been trying to avoid sleeping… She could be frustrated, or even angry at him for some reason, she could be calm, maybe she would even deny everything, he didn’t know. Hopefully she might feel refreshed, he hoped. He didn’t check the camera's displays, so he let her surprise him. 

He knocked on the door. “Come in,” he heard from the other side.

“Hi Cassandra, good morning!” He entered and greeted her. “Did you have a good sleep?” He thought this answer would be important for finding her mood and her willingness to discuss things. 

“Actually yes. It was good,” she admitted. Her voice sounded softer, a little calmer.

“That’s great.” Cool, her mood is good, maybe she will talk about what happened, he thought.

“Listen,” Cass started, “I... I’m sorry, I probably overdid it, that whole sleep mess. I wasn’t paying attention to your lessons and I made your work useless.” She felt bad about it, so she apologised. He was putting in the time to try to help and she had basically ignored it. She’d thought she was listening at the time but she looked back and realized how little she’d been able to retain in that state.

Gabe was surprised that she started talking about it right at the beginning. It usually took more time to talk about some problem, but this time, it was straightforward. It felt effortless this time, like talking to a friend and not an… asset, or whatever word someone at SHIELD might use.

“Hey, it’s okay. We can repeat some lessons that you don’t remember.” Gabe used a gentle but encouraging voice. He wanted her to see that he wasn’t mad and that he still was happy to work together or go over the material again. He didn't want her to feel embarrassed or threatened to ask for help. Not like he sometimes did with weapons or other tricky assignments.

“I probably don’t remember much…” she admitted, embarrassed nonetheless.

Gabe tilted his head as he asked: “Do you remember our conversation we had yesterday?” 

Cass tried to remember. It was so hard to remember things, that lack of sleep really didn’t make anything better, everything was in a haze. “Maybe a bit, but I have it blurred out. Did I say something weird, or…?”

“No, no… or I don’t know.” Gabe hesitated, “I mean you started to open up a little, but you were talking about your friend Owl. I wasn't sure if it’s just a weird name for a person or if you said it wrong…” Gabe wanted to clarify this.

“Oh”, she remembered something now, “I was talking about Owl?” That wasn’t something she would admit at her full sense and control, she knew right away. She didn’t like to talk about him now, but… it was out there, so she had to find out how much she had told. “What did I say?”

“You said that Owl was your friend who tried to help you, but you didn’t listen to him. Also something about him giving you judgy looks.” Gabe explained.

Okay, to be fair, that sounded like something Cass would say, it was her feelings and it… didn’t seem as incriminating as she’d feared. “Mhm, yea, he usually did those judgy looks when I was about to mess something up,” she admitted, arms crossed, looking stubborn for a moment before she softened again. Good memories of her friend came to mind. “Always looking down from above the tree, but… he was there for me. Why did I start to talk about him?”

“I said you were stubborn and you just started-” Gabe stopped himself, realizing she’d said he was above her. “Wait, he was above a tree? Did I miss something?” He was confused.

“Owls can fly, genius,” Cass rolled her eyes. “You seem confused, I’m starting to think you haven’t seen any owl in your life…” she said with a confused look. Maybe owls weren’t common birds around here anymore, or… She certainly hoped they were still around!

“Uhh, you mean that your friend was an actual owl?” Gabe seemed even more confused but it was making some sense now.

“Yeah, I thought it would be pretty clear,” she sighed, “I mean, I literally named him Owl… who would name a person that?” she asked with a little laugh. “What, is that so unusual here? Is that why you were confused?”

“Sorry, from the context about him advising you, I thought it was some kind of weird name for a person.” Then he realised that she mentioned it was his name: “You named your owl Owl?” He looked at her weirdly. 

“Yeah, and what?” Cass gave him a teasing smirk, as if he was challenging her when she knew he was only confused. “Alright, probably I could have clarified all of that, but now you know.”  

Gabe nodded and smiled: “Thanks for explaining.”

Then there was a quiet moment. It was interesting to learn that she had a pet. It was the first time she’d opened up about anyone she knew personally back then. The lack of a creative name could have looked like a sign of carelessness, but she seemed happy to remember him… maybe she was just very functional, utilitarian, naming her pet after the animal. Still, he didn’t want to pry and she’d stopped talking; he wasn’t sure what to talk about next and he noticed Cass turning to the side, sad face visible.

She remembered more now. Owl, what a loyal companion and friend. He was there for her, she could rely on him, even though he didn’t approve of her methods, he always came back. Always kept an eye on her no matter what. Always seemed to fly around right when he was needed, like he knew her feelings before she felt them. A wave of sadness came through her. This was the first time she was talking about any of her friends with someone from the future. It seemed normal for a moment, even happy, but then she realised how much it hurts to mention him, knowing he was gone, and how much she missed everybody. 

“Cass? Should I leave you some space?” he asked, knowing she wasn’t the nicest person when she was trying to conceal her feelings in front of him. He was worried she would blame him for her opening up, blame him for her feeling so hurt.

Maybe she didn’t have many friends... maybe that’s why she was friends with the owl. Who knows how hard she had it back there? She probably started to talk back then just because she was too tired to think about it. At least I know more about her now. I suppose she loved animals… probably also nature. She doesn’t have anything like that here. She’s just locked here, without seeing the sky, nature, outside. I sometimes feel bad for her. Shield really could let her have more freedom.

Cass noticed his question after a moment of sad thinking. “No, it’s okay. I can… We can have some lessons now.”

“Okay.” Gabe was glad she didn’t react too badly like the previous time, he had to be careful about not going too deep. With her turning off the topic he knew she didn’t want to talk about it further and was glad to start a new lesson. Or probably repeat some of them from the last week.

Gabe asked which most recent lesson she could remember and then they were discussing the last war lesson. It wasn’t that boring as Cass remembered it when she was sleepy, new weapons and stuff like that interested her. She wanted to know more about how everything developed, but the most weird part about learning the history was the fact that she didn’t know how it actually ended and what was the result. Every other person would probably know this information. It was weird, but she could live with that. At least there was some suspense now.

In the meantime, Gabe left for a moment to take a meal for Cassandra and she stayed by herself.

This day reminded her why those lessons were such a good distraction. Between the long days and sleepless nights, she always had to entertain herself, and in a limited place like this she couldn’t be good at it. Back in Corona, she would just sneak out and train with her sword, or map the area around her and the kingdom, small adventures which made her life more interesting than just doing what she was supposed to do. But here, what could she do? She couldn’t even be useful.

I tried so many things, I did even that stupid puzzle, just to be able to look at some picture of nature. I miss the freedom, I guess I wouldn’t have had any anyways if nothing had messed up in the past and I would give up. I was the bad guy, I was supposed to end up in prison, so this is maybe some kind of compensation? I shouldn’t be running free somewhere in an unknown world, people would think I’m crazy. I’m probably really strange but I miss being a bird after all, no worries for a moment of my life. Rapunzel by my side. Raps. She inhaled. 

All memories mixed up suddenly. Remembering Raps made her feel sadder than anything. She saw her bright smile, her positive energy, her warm hugs… Cass wasn’t able to apologise. Not in time. Then all those images shifted onto images of black long hair, flying everywhere around. Rapunzel had even her eyes fully black and dark. The last memory of her was so painful. Raps couldn’t run away, couldn’t save herself. She was possessed, and Cass couldn’t do anything to stop it. How many times had she promised to protect her before? It was too much to think about, how much she’d failed.

Hold it together! She forced her forming tears back, not wanting Gabe to see her like that. The lesson was fine, but as long as she was back in full senses, memories and pain came back too and she had to keep it inside once again. He is going to be back soon.

As she predicted, he just knocked. She inhaled and put the mask on. 

“Hi, back with a big lunch, you just slept the whole day and didn’t eat much, so I’m here to fix it. Also brought a few books which can be interesting for you.”  

“Thanks Gabriel,” she smiled, but was also curious, “...and about those books, isn’t it unnecessary if I have to catch up with a couple of lost lessons?”

He explained: “Actually some of them aren’t for lessons.” 

“Okay, let’s see what you brought up this time.” She stood up and took a look. “You really brought a book about sleep? You’re bold, I need to note that.” She said with a small smirk. Going through more of them, she noticed other titles too. “Also books about hobbies and free time? Okay, that one’s on me, most of your stuff didn’t work on me, so I could find something to do maybe...”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I tried to be creative.”

“I see,” she finished going through a pile of books and her focus shifted to lunch. “Well, I’m gonna eat lunch now, thanks for the books.”

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it then.” Gabe smiled and left.

While starting to eat her lunch, Cass started to wonder what Gabe was doing when he left on lunch break. 

Did he eat lunch too? Probably, but maybe he was just waiting in the corridor. That would be weirder, because he always came not too long after I finished my lunch. Was he in a hurry with his lunch to spend more time with me? Maybe I’m overthinking it too much. Cass thought.

Her lunch was great and as soon as she finished, she wanted to find out if he was waiting outside like an idiot. So, with quiet steps she reached the door and slowly pulled the handle. The door opened and Cass glanced out. 

Two guarding agents were near the door but nobody else was in the corridor. 

Alright, maybe I’m too paranoid. 

She closed the door, returning to the pile of books from last week, recapping everything she remembered from it, half of it was completely unknown to her. At least she was receiving half of the information before it blurred in her mind.

Soon, Gabe knocked on the door again, leaving her just about the right amount of time to finish eating and have enough time for herself and her thinking. He had good time management. Unlike her.

They had another lesson. The day went so quickly, smoothly, as if days weren’t so long as Cass perceived them without drifting off. Sleep was important for her and today she learned a lesson. Not only from Gabe but also from her experience with sleeplessness. She would need to learn to control it, or at least try to sleep more. 

After Gabriel left for the night, Cass was reading a book about sleep. 

Yeah, this book has it explained well, so many kinds of dreams in it too. It’s like a bedtime story about bed time, as funny as it sounds. At least there is also scientific stuff with much research and words from experts.

Then, she found a page about nightmares and what might cause them. There were many different ones, but she recognised few descriptions. Most of her dreams were nightmares, maybe if she learned to control them, then it wouldn’t do so much harm. She was reading through the whole section several times, but she couldn’t figure out or find some text which would help her to get rid of it. There were some examples too, one that was describing specifically her problems. Her centre of the nightmare. A demon. 

She shivered while reading that word. It wasn’t a literal concept; it was just an innocent comparison to some inner trouble that could be worrying the person… but her one was real. Well, maybe it wasn’t, she couldn’t be sure. The real one had been able to live outside of nightmares too. Maybe Zhan Tiri had hid in her mind, maybe she never left… It was too much. She was horrified at the thought that a vile, evil creature could still be inside her, waiting for a chance to wreak havoc on a whole new world. Maybe Cass was really dangerous- No. Too much.

Abruptly closing the book, she turned on the side, tears starting to form in her eyes. It was her burden, the reason why she couldn't be happy. The trauma had run so deep, she’d lost everyone and everything, she felt cursed.

How could she sleep well knowing it can appear anytime? But no, she couldn’t make this mistake again. Not sleeping wasn’t a solution, it was just making things worse. One set of problems or another for her.

I need to prepare myself for this somehow. I don’t know how though, I know they may all appear again in some horrible situation. Why was I even talking about my past? With Gabe? He knows about Owl, that shouldn’t be so bad, but how it made me feel when I realised how much I miss him… I’m not ready to talk, so I should avoid this topic. I miss them all so much. 

She laid on the bed and curled up on the side, feeling like she was weak and useless, just a broken little girl like she was told so many times when she was little by her mother.

Crying again. Great. I probably can’t have peace. Why does everything have to be so hard? How can I even fight this? Maybe I wish I could just forget everything and all that pain would be gone. But that’s not how it works I guess. Maybe I need to accept that pain… it’s too overwhelming though. I can’t, denying it was easier, but then again, nothing changes that way. I’m stuck right here, right in this state and it will probably stay like this for a long time. I need to learn how to fight it, fight nightmares at least...

Soon, she fell asleep, but the night wasn’t so peaceful like the previous one. As she expected, nightmares didn’t avoid her this time. It became a long night.

Chapter Text

Cass was sitting on her bed, still feeling many sad emotions from the previous day. Talking about something from her past was painful enough, she wondered why she’d started opening up like that. Maybe because she’d mentioned Owl already… she managed to hold her sadness back in until Gabe left, but still she had that uncomfortable feeling that he noticed pain in her eyes. She’d had another one of those nightmares that evening as well, to add insult to injury. She didn't want to talk about her past anymore. 

Suddenly she heard a weak knocking on the door with Gabe's question: "Can I come in?"

She knew that avoiding someone here was almost impossible to do, so she reconciled with the fact that Gabe would want to cheer her up, or at least try. It always worked so far. She answered: "Yes."

"Hi Cassandra, guess what? I have a small surprise for you."

She already knew that this was nothing new, since he brought a couple of things already, like clothes, books and also a camera. But with this one he had a different look on his face. A smile he couldn’t seem to hide, a bouncy excitement. It felt more personal. It could be anything, she was pretty interested to find what, but at the same time she knew whatever he had, it wouldn't be what she longed for or what she missed. That's what she thought.

She hid that sadness and reacted slightly pleased: "Really?"

"Yeah, I saw something in the shop that you might like, so I decided to buy it for you." 

She realized he was hiding the gift behind his back. "And what is it?" her interest was more visible, an eyebrow raised, because she wanted to see what he was hiding there.

He approached her closer, a smile on his face as he showed the surprise gift to her.

"This!" He said excitedly, "I thought about our yesterday's discussion and I wanted to cheer you up with it. I know it's not a live owl, but... at least you can have this one close to you."

When she saw it, she just froze for a moment. It was a stuffed owl, quite similar to what she had as a kid. She didn't know if she was supposed to be happy or start to cry. Owl was her most loyal animal companion and she missed him so much. She missed everything so much. This sudden unexpected moment just showed her how unprepared she was to face the past again. Yet, she managed to stay calm, took quiet deep breaths and held her tears inside. Seemingly okay, Cass hinted a smile to Gabe and took Owl to her hands. "Wow, thank you."

As she gazed upon the stuffed owl, Gabriel's voice started to mute. For a moment, she was carried away with thoughts. She remembered her first stuffed owl her dad gave her when she was a little. She remembered her amazement when she saw Owl for the first time as a baby when she adopted him. She was lucky, no one else had an owl. She trained him, gained his trust and they became best friends… she didn't have many friends anyways, especially back then. He was loyal, skillful, he tried to give Cass the best advice possible. If only she listened to him back then...

Suddenly she heard Gabriel saying her name and snapped back to reality. 

“Cassandra… Cassandra, are you okay?”

Surely she wasn't but she wanted him to see that she was happy with the gift. "Yes I am." 

She needed some distraction. Something that would disperse her actual thoughts, so she put the Owl on her bed, sitting upright, and asked Gabe: "So what's today's lesson about?" 

She stood up and headed to the new pile of books from yesterday. Gabriel noticed Cass' reaction, he thought she would like it, she smiled but he knew that smile wasn't completely honest. He saw her deep breaths, but as he knew, prying deeper would be a bad idea. So, he went along and tried to not focus on the owl. Maybe he messed it up again, but he wasn't completely sure how he should feel or how Cass felt. He wished he could ask, but he knew he couldn’t.

After the lesson was over a while later, Gabe left the room, and Cass was alone again. The feeling of privacy allowed her to relax and act normal again. To be herself and not hide anything, but anyways she wanted to feel better instead of being sad and depressed. She took a look on her bed, a stuffed owl still laying there on the pillow as she put it there. She went closer, sat on the bed and took the owl to her hands. Her feelings were now more honest, she felt growing sadness as she was looking at the owl. Tears started to form in her eyes. She held it closer, hugging the owl as if it was her real Owl who was long gone. Holding it tighter, she started to cry. All the pain, all the sadness, all the guilt went all on the surface. She didn't try to hold it inside, she didn't try to cover it with a fake smile, this was her and even after three weeks she still felt horrible. 

Gabriel went right after lesson to check the Control room, because he could tell that Cass wasn't honest with him, again. He knew that she wouldn't tell him that he messed up even if he wanted her to be honest. He saw her sad eyes behind that slight smile. He didn't even know if she was at least a little happier with all of that cover. He wanted to find out how she really felt, but once again his conscience told him that it's not fair to spy on her without her knowing it. But he couldn't tell her that, he couldn't do anything with Shield rules, so at least he avoided that place for a while to be respectful of her privacy. Still, he was really upset and didn't know what to do, or how else to try to get on the path to fixing it. He hated the thought he could have hurt her.

He entered the room, instantly being the centre of attention. Collins and others were not happy as her mood went back with his "present". Even though the Shield allowed him to carry some stuff to her, this was more like a link to her past, which they had hoped to avoid.

"Is she alright?" Gabe asked  gently.

Collins answered, ironically: "Shouldn't you know that after you brought her that gift of yours?"

Gabe looked on one of the screens, seeing Cass sitting crouched on her bed. "I didn't mean to hurt her, I just wanted to bring her something that she likes..."

"You mean something that would remind her what she had lost," the older agent responded.

"That's not-" Gabriel was interrupted.

One of the agents in the room, who was writing down something suddenly joined the conversation, knowing exactly what to say: "According to the observation I would let it be like this. She needs some links to the past, so she has motivation to actually think about it and try to solve it. Her problem is that she doesn't want any help, she doesn't want to share which is pretty common for people with trauma. Many of them associate being vulnerable with the trauma itself."

"That's right! It's hard for her but she can't avoid it forever... aaand who are you?" Gabe aked, happy that someone actually understand why he brought it.

"I'm Dr. Garner, Shield sent me here for psychological evaluation and examination for your friend." he stood up and introduced himself to Gabriel. They both shook their hands for a friendly acquaintance. Garner had a firm handshake.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Agent Perez, but I guess you already know me. Can I ask how long you are here for observation?"

"About four days now, so I have already written a few things down. I know you even though we haven't met up to this moment,” he explained, smiling. “I can tell that you're doing a good job down there."

Gabe was pleased that he didn't mess up everything as he had feared: “Thank you. Will you stay here for a longer time?” Gabe was curious how long this new agent planned to stay here for help.

Garner answered: “Yes, Shield called this a “top priority mission” for me, so I will stay here for some time. She’ll need a lot of attention and therapy once she accepts our help, but until then I can’t really do as much as she needs. I understand though she needs some time to feel comfortable with this kind of help, so I’ll be ready when she needs me.”

“Nice, glad you’re here… Actually,” Gabe looked closely at the doctor, “I think I remember you from somewhere now. Weren’t you in one psychological book from Shield Academy? I think I recognise you from there.”

“I've been working with Shield for many years, so I suppose it’s possible I’m known to the Academy. I was on many missions with gifted individuals, one time I was working even as a therapist with an individual who seemed quite volatile at first, but turned out to be very manageable. Although many patients didn’t stand for help, that individual was actually just scared. Nobody else had tried to talk to them before.” 

That sounded familiar. 

“I can’t tell you details of classified missions, but I think your friend seems similar to that one in a way. She could even have better results in the future if she's willing to accept some help. In this basement we have resources and better ways to manage gifted people than in the field. She looks fine, her powers seem to be strong but she’s controlling them quite well.” Garner explained.

“Wow, I can’t imagine how many gifted people you met.” Gabe was amazed. He remembered how he was reading comics about superheroes when he was a little and now knowing that he was so close to someone who actually met few of them, it was amazing for him. The only superhero he knew was Iron Man, and it was from the news. Most of the superheroes lived off in America anyways… and this world didn’t have many of them, at least real or known.

Doctor reacted to Gabriel's remark: “Actually there aren’t so many of them, I can’t say a number, but not as many as you’d think… and most of them had trouble or problems with their powers. I think that’s enough about me and my work, how about you?”

“About me?” Gabe was surprised that someone like him cared about his work. Probably it was only because he was involved in this mission, right?

“Yeah, how did you start in Shield, what are your goals?” Garner continued, with a comforting smile, making it sound like casual conversation.

Okay, phew, he wants to know about me, not about the mission, oh wow. This is exciting! But my Shield career isn’t that exciting, what to say?

“Well, I don’t have a long history here… I mean, I started maybe three years ago when I came from the Academy. I was assigned here as a programmer and hacker, and wanted to help people through my skills and save lives on the mission with helping agents in the field… and I ended up here. Which is probably the most exciting thing that ever happened to me and also it’s still pretty awesome to be here…” he started to talk a lot, a little nervous, because most of the agents didn’t seem to be interested in his story before, and now he was standing in front of a really cool agent.

“I see, you’re still a novice for field missions but you’re doing great over here,” Garner complimented him. “Shield could use more people like you if you ask me.”

“Thanks!” Gabriel’s excitement was really big, but he had to calm down a bit. He was out of reality for a moment, but realised that they were still in the Control room and others didn't share his excitement. He turned around to check monitors again and saw Cass crying on the bed. He shouldn’t be excited, it wasn’t the right moment. His smile faded, he felt compassion for her. 

The doctor noticed his sad expression too, how quickly Gabe went from excitement to sadness. He recognized then and there how high Gabe’s empathy was; something that made him happy couldn’t sustain seeing someone he cared about upset. No wonder he was so attuned with psychology, so effective at this mission. It was just his natural instinct to try to make someone feel better like that.  He patted him on the shoulder with assuring words: “Don’t worry, she’ll be alright. She just needs time.” Then he smiled at Gabe. 

“I want to believe that, I hope so. Any advice?” Gabe asked, lack of certainty clear in his voice.

“Just do what you were doing, lessons are great. Routine is good for her. She may even open up soon, but you can’t hurry trying to get to know her more. Go with her own tempo, try to meet her requirements for a talk and she’ll get more comfortable with you. She’ll know when she’s ready. You’re on a good way.”

“Thanks doctor.” He was grateful that he had new support, someone who seemed to understand him so well. Things will get better, I need to believe that.

Collins joined the conversation, his voice softer and less sharp than before: “Perez, I want to apologize for my earlier comment. Maybe it wasn’t that bad idea after all.”

Gabe nodded at him. Then he guessed he had been there for a long time for his standards. He was avoiding that place for some time and now he was debating for a really long time there. He turned on the door and said goodbye to the agents.






~~Owl scene comic🦉~~

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Chapter Text

“How long have I been here?” Cass asked.

Gabe answered: “About a month. We progressed a lot.”

“Yeah,” Cass nodded, but wasn’t hyped about the time spent here. “The lessons were alright.” She sighed, looking around the room sadly.

“What’s wrong?” Gabe noticed her sad look.

“It’s just…” she inhaled, “I’ve been here for a month.”

“Yeah, that’s just what I said.” Gabe didn’t understand what could make Cass so unhappy about that information.

“You don’t get it. I’m here, in this place for a month. In this room specifically. Only here,” she explained. She was locked up too long in the same place. While she had her sleeping problem, it wasn’t that bad, because she didn’t perceive it as much, but now, after another normal week she just wanted out. This was her prison anyways, even if they didn’t name it that way.

“Oh, I see.” Gabe realised. He was the one who was going here but he was able to leave every day to go elsewhere. She on the other hand wasn’t leaving. “Is it that bad?” he asked, though he felt like he already knew the answer.

Cass hesitated: “I don’t know… I don’t like being stuck in places.”

Gabe said with hope in his eyes: “You’ll be able to go out soon hopefully.”

“Really? You really believe that? I’m the threat, they won’t let it happen. I remember when you and Coulson explained to me Shield and how it works. You’re securing dangerous threats, am I right? They wouldn’t allow a dangerous threat to go out.” She realised it sooner, but didn’t say anything. Now it was out and open, she was a threat indeed, to her old Kingdom. She was dangerous, they saw it with their own eyes. 

“You’re not a threat to me.” Gabe assured her. Hearing this from her hurt. He was sorry for her, because he knew it was true. Shield was always careful with threats, and even his opinion wasn’t enough to actually change anything for this specific problem.

That didn’t move with her. He wasn’t the one in charge. “You’re not the one who’s giving orders. It doesn’t matter, maybe you’re not realising this, but I’m their prisoner.”

“I realise your position, but this isn’t a prison. I’m trying to make it more comfortable for you, I can bring you almost anything you ask,” he tried to smooth her frustration, to make her feel better.

“I want to go out.” Her voice was firm. She laid the cards on the table. She didn’t want to be there anymore. Nothing else would do.

Gabe wanted to do anything to be able to satisfy her wish, but he knew he couldn’t move with that one: “That’s not in my competence, I’m sorry.”

“I thought you might say that. Look,” Cass inhaled, “being trapped isn’t fun. I’ve been stuck before, imprisoned, and now it’s almost the same thing. The only difference is that I accepted this… somehow. This place seemed like a safe house for me where I had time to realise things and had privacy. But now it’s becoming too much, this is just one room. I haven’t seen the clear sky in centuries.” She started to breathe more deeply, getting this out was important, but at the same time hard. It was hard to not show any tears. “You’re not the one who’s spending time here every day, without being able to leave. You can go out. You have freedom.” Maybe she understood a little better how the Tower had affected- no, she cut that thought off immediately.

Gabe felt still more compassion as she was saying that. She didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t fair that Shield saw her as dangerous, even though a whole month had passed. “I wish you could have it too. I won’t stop visiting you, don’t worry.”

“This is your job, but it’s my life! You work here and you’re getting paid for it. You don’t have to care about me.”

“But I want to. You’re important to me.” He tried to approach her.

She backed away, moving her arms into a protective gesture. Getting closer with anyone was really painful for Cass as long as her experience confirmed that it’s going to end up really badly. She shouldn’t let herself be vulnerable, and having someone important in her life would make her exactly that now, in this situation. “I’m your assignment. You wouldn’t even know that I exist if you didn’t get the job.”

Gabe saw the resistance. He tried to explain how it really was: “That’s not true, it wasn’t like that. I had barely access to level 2 places, the room you were in was highly classified.”

“Then how did you get there?” she asked, voice a little raised.

“I tried luck, found an opportunity and fought my way in,” he explained.

She raised her eyebrow: “I can’t imagine you fighting.”

“I don’t mean literally… my point is, it wasn’t easy to even get the classified assignment and when I got there, I didn’t see you as a threat.”

“You were hiding too, I think. You all were scared of me.” She saw them. Didn’t remember all the faces, because she was panicking, but they were all scared. 

Gabe tried to refocus that “scared of me”, because agents wouldn’t attack if her powers hadn’t showed up: “We were freaked out a little by your powers.”

“This debate got so out of the main topic, but right, they were completely shooting at my powers and not at me.” She was angry.

She was fighting off every attempt to make this conversation better. “Cassandra-”

“No, right, that’s how you deal with a non-threat, I see.” Cass’ trademark sarcasm was still there.

Gabe had enough, she was getting just angrier, he just wanted to assure her that he was with her and didn't want to see her hurt: “Please, stop. I don’t want to argue about this, you’re right. Shield wasn’t fair with you, but I am doing everything I can to improve your situation. I’m on your side.”

“Yeah. Right. But you can’t get me out,” she stopped getting angrier and lowered her voice.

“I’m really sorry about that, maybe we’ll figure out some alternative…” Gabe’s voice was softer, his heart breaking a little as he saw how much pain she was in, like he could feel a little of it in himself as she expressed her anger.

“This room... it's been on my brain lately. I don’t only miss the outside, but also movement. Everything inside here is so still. I don’t know if you’ve ever been stuck like this and know what it feels like. I’ll soon go crazy between these same walls. I need some space. I can’t just… let them hold me forever.”

“You don’t really think about… running away, or?” Gabe was concerned about her thinking of escaping.

“We had different prisons back then. It was easy to escape, but with this place… I don’t even know if I would be able to. This basement is so big… I really don’t know what I would do if I escaped, so that’s why I’ve never done that. They would probably chase me afterwards. I’m at a dead end. I don’t know what to do.” Cass explained her thoughts. 

“Please, don’t do that.” Gabe pleaded.

She asked: “If you were in my place, wouldn’t you think about that?”

Gabe didn’t know what to answer: “I… don’t know. I have no idea what I would do either, but you’re strong… I don’t know if I was even able to survive that to this point.”

“I’m stuck here because I don’t know what to do. With my life.” Cass was depressed. She really didn’t know her next step, did she really want to stay there? Or make new enemies while trying to escape? 

Gabe suggested: “We can figure it out… together, well if you want. Just don’t go against Shield, it’s not the way.” He didn’t want to leave her alone in this. She needed help.

“Do you think I would even have a choice? What? Should I play nice till they release me? How long do they even want to keep me here? Months? Years? Do they even want to let me go one day?” She ran through the questions faster than he could answer them, trying to get him to see how overwhelming it was as they bounced through her head.

“I’m sure they’ll let you out sooner or later. Don’t lose your faith.”

“I already lost it once.” She inhaled deeply. “I just want to let you know that the reason I’m still here is because I don’t want to fight them. If they were some organisation that was more hostile or they would force me to do things, I would definitely fight. Shield is… complicated and I don’t even know if I should trust them, I surely don’t yet. But I have a feeling that you’re not the bad guys and I don’t want to be the threat they think I am.”

“So you want to prove them wrong?” Gabe asked, turning his head a little.

Cass hesitated a moment, listening to her thoughts and trying to find the right answer. “I want to find out if they’re right or not.”

He wondered what that meant. 

Chapter Text

Gabe was still thinking about the talk they had that day. Cass seemed so frustrated and angry because they would not let her out. Well, her room wasn’t that big, so he could understand that she needed more space... he supposed agents already heard their discussion and were ready to hear some suggestions from him. He was heading to the meeting room, where higher ranking agents were at that time, to discuss this problem. He didn’t want to see Cassandra losing her temper and storming violently out, they had to do something so she wouldn’t feel the need to escape.

He arrived at the room: “Good evening agents, I have something to discuss.”

“We’ve already started, but you may join,” Agent Gombert noted.

“Oh, okay…” Gabe was surprised that they started without him, “What did I miss?”

Coulson explained: “We discussed some possible new rooms for your friend, so she could have a little more space here. We'd like to grant her access to some additional parts of the basement here. Agent Armand has already suggested a few rooms possible for that.”

“I suggested the dining room as the first new room that would be accessed for Cassandra, when nobody’s there. It's a pretty harmless room and it's not far away from her base room.” Armand repeated this information to Gabe.

“So you would eat elsewhere then?” Gabe asked as he mentioned nobody in the room. 

Agent Armand explained: “We would just adjust times of meals for agents in the classified zone, so they wouldn’t be there at the same time as her.”  

“Oh, okay. Would I be there with her?” Gabe asked. He was leaving her some space on the lunch breaks, so he wouldn’t just watch her eating, because he thought it was weird, and also he needed to eat too. He was usually visiting the dining room of the basement section, but now it would be different. They would probably both eat their meal at once there. 

“Yes, you’ll be there as her company.” agent nodded.

Then Gabe also realised: “Wait, would she also need supervision?

Agent Gombert answered: “I believe that for a start she would need at least one or two agents near her as a supervision while going through the corridor. Letting her out of her room is still a potential risk and we don’t want to let her walk freely anywhere she wants, even less if she decides to try to find a way out. We don’t know how she would react, so rather have security and agents near her.” 

“They won’t be armed?” Gabe was nervous. He knew what would make her nervous, so he didn’t want to see her being distressed with the fact they still didn’t trust her to the point they needed armed agents to follow her anywhere.

“They will have their weapons hidden. Just a small safety catch.” Gombert illustrated. 

“I don’t like this,” Gabe showed his objections, “There are cameras everywhere in this section, you can just watch her walking through the corridor, I’ll be with her. There’s no need for armed agents to come with us everyday.”

Coulson joined the discussion, knowing that without supervision it could be difficult to intervene in case of her suddenly changing her mind: “Look, I know you care about her and you think it’s better that way, but we need to have some safety procedures. Her behavior has been unstable these last few days, you don’t know what mood she can have, she can do something unexpected if we’re not careful. You heard her today, she has doubts about her intentions and course of action, so we can’t leave her unsupervised walking outside of her room. Let us handle the security.”

“I know our talk today might seem a little tense, but I believe she won’t attack us. It would make her just less sure if she sees agents following her everywhere, even less if she notices the weapons they have.” Gabe tried to convince at least Coulson. He was the one who could change the final decision, but looking at him right now, he wasn’t sure if he would agree this time.

Coulson explained his standpoint: “Belief isn’t enough for Shield, Perez. We need the proof, we have to be sure about it. You know security protocols, she is still a risk.”

“I agree with Coulson on this one,” Armand nodded, knowing from his monitoring job that she shouldn’t go out without some supervision.

Gabe saw that his opinion wasn’t something they would care about. It was Shield after all. They wouldn’t make an exception for this case, especially with this case. Holding a potential threat with superpowers was probably the most secured thing they’ve ever had in this basement. So he just bowed his head and let them decide. He didn’t have a choice. “Alright.”

Agent Gombert informed Gabriel about one more thing: “When we’re done with the timetable for visiting the dining room, we'll let you know. Tomorrow will be the trial period and then we’ll see how things will be working. We may expand the area for Cassandra also to other rooms, but everything needs time.”

“Thank you for your time agent Perez. You’re doing a great job down there. Just trust the system and everything will be fine,” agent Armand reminded. 

Gabriel understood that the meeting reached its end and although he wasn’t satisfied, he left. “Thank you. Goodbye agents.” 

On his way back to his room, he was thinking about how he would explain all of this to Cassandra. Even though rules were strict and there still wasn’t much freedom anyway, there was still one good thing that happened. She could change the environment by going out of her room. That was a positive change, so he couldn’t let his uncertain thoughts take a light from this fact. He still accomplished something that he hasn’t before. Even a small change could lead to another and then another bigger one. Small steps and building trust were still probably the better way than doing the thing with blindly trusting someone who could use that trust afterwards. He was an agent after all, he wasn’t supposed to trust someone so easily. He just couldn’t help himself this time. 

He signed the document the second day of this mission, so he had to comply with rules anyways. Now he just had to think about it as something good and focus more on the positive side. If he saw it as a problem and not as an advantage, it would also make Cassandra uncertain, and he couldn’t let that happen. He had to convince himself to be able to convince her.

You’ve got this Gabe… It’s just a meal, there’s no danger. She’ll be fine, everything is going to work out. Say tomorrow that you have great news… well not too much hype- That you have good news and we’ll be eating in the dining room for a change. 

“...I have great news for today!” he said the next morning with expectations when he came to see Cassandra. Then he realised. Damn, I said to myself not too much hype! Nevermind.

“Which is…?” Cass was just sitting there, tilting her head, wondering where her breakfast was.

“We’ll be eating in another place today!” 

“Oh.” Cass was surprised, rubbing her arm a little. “I thought that they wouldn’t allow me to go out of this room, especially after our last talk…”

“Well, I tried to convince them that it would be a good idea to actually let you see more places in the basement. Even though we won’t go out, it’ll be at least a nice change of environment.” Gabe tried to focus on the advantage to Cass.

Cass shrugged her shoulders: “I guess this is still better than nothing.”

“Yea, also the dining room is bigger than this room, so you’ll also have more space.”

“Okay,” she said, relieved.

Cass was thinking about this. Interesting. He actually convinced them somehow to change something. It’s good to get out of this room at least. And maybe if this works out, I'll be going out soon. I shouldn’t be hasty about it, because I don’t know them that well to make big expectations. And also, it can be a disappointment.

“Are we going now?” she asked.

“Yeah, we can go right now if you’re ready. Just… umm, there is one thing I need to tell you about this.” Gabe started to be unsure and looked like he had some doubts about the supervision. 

“Let me guess, some catch?” Cass raised an eyebrow. She could see this coming. 

“Yea…” he rubbed his hand around his neck.

“Do I need to be nice or what?” she asked. Maybe it could be something even worse, with Rapunzel for example it was simple; she just didn’t want her to be mean. Maybe Shield required something more from her.

“No, it’s just…” he inhaled and tried to not sound too terrible about this even though he hated the decision from above, “there will be two agents with us. Just on the way… don’t worry.”

“So they need to follow us- me. Is it because I’m a threat?” Her enthusiasm faded out quickly. She understood this pretty well, there wasn’t any trust.

“No… of course not,” he tried to cover it, because her definition seemed really cold, almost like a leader's words. 

Cass detected him not being honest immediately: “That’s a lie.”

He tried to hide it from her, maybe he didn’t think she was that dangerous, or didn’t believe it, but this was clear for Cass. How Shield saw her was obvious, that’s why she wondered how leaving her room was even possible. Probably because she had escorting agents all around her. Still, it would be at least a change. How she felt yesterday was just a faint decoction of what was to follow if she stayed there locked for a longer time. So this was still a better option. 

Gabe was nervously standing there, trying to think up with something more believable, but before he started, Cass interrupted him.

“Look, I understand that Shield has some security protocols... and that not everyone shares your… trust in me. If I was an agent, I wouldn’t allow someone dangerous to go alone in my fortress.”

Gabe quietly noted: “Basement.” 

She noticed his correction and raised an eyebrow, but soon she changed the expression: “I’m trying to say… it’ll be alright. I can live with that; I won’t focus on them. And also... I won’t cause trouble, don’t worry.” 

Gabe was relieved after hearing that from her. She understood, even though she said some not nice words addressed to herself. Was she really thinking that Shield saw her as the threat? Or someone dangerous? She said it about herself that she is dangerous, indirectly. It’s weird and I’m starting to be concerned. At least she agreed. 

“O-kay, then I think we can go.” he said, not trying to go deeper into that hesitation. Maybe he messed up a bit, but he could skip that for now. She was somehow okay with that supervision. 

He opened the door and two agents were already waiting out. Cass checked them both with her glance. She noticed their hidden weapons, but didn’t say anything. Maybe they had their orders and those weapons were there as a safety catch. 

Finally out of her room at least. That was a change when she stepped out to the corridor. She examined the area around her and waited till Gabe showed her the way. At least a new place to explore. And the dining room seemed like something harmless for the beginning. 

“So…” Gabe started, “we’ll be going on our meals together from now on if everything works out fine. I’ll bring the snacks to your room in between our main meals.”

Cass just nodded; his explanations seemed so official. She didn’t feel completely convinced with this, but knowing the area would help her in the future. Escorting agents kept their distance, unlike the agents during the first day. They had the whole corridor filled up with armed agents, so this was still better. 

Now she knew how Raps felt with all of this supervision. Guards were following her everywhere too when she returned. Their security was so exaggerated during that time, now she was in her position. She didn’t like it much, but what could she do? They didn’t go too close, so she accepted it as long as it allowed her to go beyond her restricted area. 

They didn’t go too far, it was still near her room, just two corridors further from it. The way wasn’t as interesting as she imagined, comparing it with the previous one, it was boring. No interesting modern stuff, no glimpse of their other rooms, everything here was closed and corridors were also windowless. Were they underground or what? It was pretty dark apart from those ugly white lights. 

They reached their destination. The door to the dining room was open. The room itself was much bigger with a couple of tables and chairs and it also had a big table with food put on it. 

Supervising agents stayed outside of the room when Gabe and Cass entered, so it was just two of them. Cass noticed the emptiness, there was nobody else inside. Was this another private room? It seemed more like a common room for more agents. 

She asked: “Where is everyone?”

“The other agents have different meal times than us. They won’t disturb us, don’t worry,” he answered. 

Gabe saw this more as an advantage since he thought Cass wouldn’t like some curious eyes while she was eating from unknown strangers. They had privacy, so nothing should make her uneasy.

“Okay,” she nodded. That wasn’t a problem. 

Cass walked around a bit to check the whole room. Gabe on the other side went to the food table to get his breakfast. They had it solved there as a buffet, so they would take as much food as they wanted. He suddenly wasn’t sure if Cassandra was familiar with this system; so far she could eat as much as was offered to her.

“By the way…” he started, inconspicuously, “do you know buffets?”

Cass looked at him and rolled her eyes: “Of course, we weren’t undeveloped.” 

He felt embarrassed. He just quietly took his breakfast and sat at the table. 

Cass went close to the buffet table and checked the offer. There were so many things to choose, she was free to choose her own stuff as she wanted. And the quantity too. That was a nice change.

She took the plate and started to take some food. And then poured coffee into the cup and took the tray to be able to carry all her stuff to the table. She had the decision to make; she could choose her seat. Even though everything was empty and there was only Gabe, she wasn’t completely sure she should sit next to him. He kept his distance while she was eating in her room. Maybe that was the better choice… for both of them. But now she was uncertain. It would be weird to just sit far away from him, on some table in the corner of the room. And she didn’t wanna sit right next to him either.

Gabe minded his own business, but he noticed Cass’ hesitation. He let her decide though, he didn’t want to interrupt her, she was free to sit wherever she wanted. He wanted to let her have at least this small freedom since Shield didn’t allow more.

She came closer to him, but stopped a few seats apart from him. Then she sat down two seats further opposite to him. At least it was the same table and he could guess she still needed some space for herself. She wasn’t comfortable with getting closer to someone yet, so he accepted it and continued eating. 

Cass felt a bit weird with being in the new place like this, but it was still a step forward. She chose her seat tactically; to have a view on the door if something unexpected happened, not too far from the buffet if she needed to take a few more things and a little closer to Gabe. It was maybe weird to tactically choose her seat close to Gabe, but something deep inside her was saying to her that it’s safer with him being close. Probably that was a stupid thought, but since he knew so much about this basement, being close to him in new and unknown places made her less stressed and more relaxed. She wouldn’t admit it to him though.

They were both quiet. Gabriel was always considerate; Cass just didn’t want to talk. Instead, they enjoyed their meal, although Gabe noticed Cass being more on guard than usual. Maybe she was really nervous from this change. He thought it would be just a matter of time until she adjusted to the new environment, so he was calm. 

After the breakfast, Gabe waited on Cass and they returned the same path as they came. Both agents were waiting outside of the dining room and didn’t draw attention or make noises, they were just quietly following.

Gabe broke down the silence: “So… this wasn’t that bad, right?” He turned on Cassandra as they walked.

“Yeah… it was…” Cass was unsure how to describe this new situation, “...fine.”

“We’ll return there for lunch.” Gabe tried to stir up the debate.

Cass just quietly nodded: “Okay.”

Probably not the best time for debate. Gabe got the hint. Cass seemed really cautious and on her guard at the moment, so he didn’t want to disturb her from… whatever she was doing. He was observing her behavior, but not too obviously. 

Looking around, mapping new areas, being careful… She reminds me of other agents on the missions. At least from what I learned during the training, even though those were only basics. Maybe she could be a good agent once in the future. But first thing first, she has to be healthy. Mental health is most important. Maybe she’ll be soon ready for that therapy. I still don’t know how to convince her ever since she said that “not talking about help” stuff. I wish she could just be okay and happy, at least we’re on the right path. Slow, but we’ll get there, together.

They reached Cassandra’s room. Agents stayed outside and Gabe and Cass went in to have another lesson. Each day they were progressing with more modern stuff, so after more than a month of their lessons together, it was becoming more complicated but also more interesting for Cass.

During the days they both were coming to the dining room and it became a new habit for Cass, she started to feel less uncertain. Lunch was as usual great, but the buffet was only during breakfast and dinner. Gabe was bringing a few snacks in the meantime. Cass was finally starting to develop good eating habits again, with all the important vitamins. She wasn’t that skinny either. When they found her, she was clearly malnourished, maybe it was because of that amber, maybe she wasn’t eating much even before. She started to look healthier. 

There was still that one thing that bothered Cass every night. During daytime she could get lost in the lessons, she could explore and see new stuff through books and things Gabe brought her, but when he left for the night, she was once again lost in her thoughts. It never left her, that pain and regrets. 

Nightmares became normal for her on a daily basis, but some of them were stronger anyways. At least she managed to avoid red rocks most of the time. Zhan Tiri was mostly showing in her nightmares as the source of the fear and regrets. Luckily, she didn’t see the demon during the day, but some nightmares felt real, as if she was still connected to her. Maybe she was, she hated those thoughts. 

Crying became normal for her too. She had changed, she wouldn’t recognise herself before she took the Moonstone. Once respected and feared fighter, worthy of being in the guard, which was never an option anyways; now broken crying girl hidden in the room. Well, she wasn’t hidden, more like locked, but she didn’t have the strength to move on. She was stuck anyway. 

At least she had great food and great distractions, someone who respected her and helped with learning about this future… and a few nice new things. She felt more comfortable wearing a few clothes now, mostly she was hidden in the hoodie and she wore it to the dining room too. Little progress was still a progress. 

She was reconsidering her thoughts about Shield and their intentions often, but she saw them more in the good light now. Even with all of the restrictions. She wasn’t completely lost as she would be without them.

Chapter Text

“We progressed a lot,” Gabe noted at the start of the day, when they both returned from breakfast.

“Yeah, you like to say that often,” Cass raised an eyebrow on him, “but hey, it’s true. Last month it was about older old stuff which is still new for me, this month even some devices which are powered by… electricity, which I didn’t even know existed 2 months ago.”

“Right! I can slow down though, it must be really a lot for you lately.” Gabe checked if she needed more time to process new lessons, mostly the recent ones.

Cass reacted: “No, I’m okay, I can keep up. I’ll just check up with questions if I need some more info.”

Gabe nodded and continued with his little surprise he brought in the bag even before breakfast. “Well, about our most recent lessons about computers…”

“You really spent at least three days on that stuff, is it something that important?” she asked.

“As I mentioned yesterday, yes, it’s really important… Now everybody has a phone. The computer is like the ancestor of the phone, it’s still used, but modernised. Basically a phone is a small computer now. So if you understand computers, you’ll have some basics about phones too.”

Cass still didn’t understand how deep this invention was. How it affected society and all. People were used to the internet now and Cass had to understand computers first to be able to understand something even more complicated. He brought a laptop to be able to explain some basics, since the whole computer would take a while to build in her room. Or it would take Shield ages to actually approve her visiting some room with computers, and also he had that monitoring camera information ban. He was okay even with a laptop, but he was nervous with possible hints he could make about recordings or something similar. He had to be careful and avoid that stuff. So no videos. 

Cass reacted to Gabe's explanations: “Right, it’s important now. Do you wanna do another lesson about it? Because that would be the fourth day.

“No,” Gabe reached his bag next to the door, “I have something to show you today, and teach you how to use one in practice.”

Cass understood now, that bag was his big surprise. That was actually a nice gesture. To be able to not just learn about it from books, but actually see it and try it herself. She loved to explore new things, as long as it wasn’t too confusing. It could feel so different to read about something and then hold it in her hands.

“So you have a whole computer in that bag?” She teased him, since she had knowledge about how the whole computer looked and how big it was.

“Well actually, I have a laptop. A smaller version of a computer that doesn’t need to have all the cables and stuff like that and is easier to carry.” 

"Huh, so they make a... miniature computer?" Cass asked, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head.

"Well... it is smaller." Gabe nodded, pulling the laptop out and bringing it to the table for her. 

He put the item on the table next to her. Cass was confused with how it looked. Pretty flat and disappointing. No screen thing like she saw in the book, not that weird big box next to it… 

He suddenly opened it. “Here it is, the laptop!” he gestured.

Okay, so here it is. What a surprise… just like a book, he just opened it. Fun. She was quite surprised. It hadn’t looked thick enough to open up in such a way.

The top of the device reminded her of a painting, with a frame around a flat black area, and then the bottom was harder to describe, it was a thin box with what looked like a hundred buttons. She tapped her chin and approached it. 

"People use computers to access all kinds of information. It can be for communication or like a library so you can access what information you need."

"How does it work though?" Cass asked, blinking, "...Computer, show me a map." Nothing happened.

"I need to turn it on." Gabe explained, face a little red, as he pressed a button. He noted: “This button is important for turning on and off this laptop.” He pointed at it.

In the meantime, the screen lit up, with a colorful screen and stylized words she couldn't read as fast as they appeared. She was surprised seeing the screens change so quickly, she was used to turning pages in a book. Was this like a book where pages turned themselves? Soon it was a page full of little pictures with words. 

"There, now you see the desktop, that's where all your computer programs are."

She was confused: "How do I use it?"

"Use the touchpad there," he indicated. 

A moment passed as Cass tried to figure out what he meant.

"By the keys, there's a little square, move your finger on it." he explained. Now, when Cass was about to touch it, he realised that with her gloved hands it may not work. Even his own smartphone didn’t work while he was trying to press anything with winter gloves, so he wanted to warn her. She was quicker though.

She put her finger on the touchpad and began moving, watching the mouse before her eyes. Cass' eyes widened with astonishment. It seemed strange to see the item move according to her finger without touching it. She hadn't the slightest idea how this could function. It felt like a kind of magic.

Nevermind. Gabe told himself in his head.

"...okay, so I have the little pointy thing moving, now what?" she asked.

"Well, what kind of information do you want to find? A map of where we are? Or maybe some question about the world we haven't covered yet?" Gabe asked.

Cass tapped her chin. "I'd like to see something you mentioned before." she said. "How do I find information here though? Is it like a file folder?"

"Sometimes, but here, the easy way most people do, open the internet program." The icons had been given simple names to avoid confusing her. 

She clicked the little multi-colored icon that said 'Internet' rather than the name of a specific browser. It didn’t do anything though. “It’s not doing anything.”

“Oh, sorry, forgot to say you have to double click when you want to open a program on your screen,” he explained.

He watched her clicking twice, but slowly, not too close together. “It has to be a quick double click, like this,” he motioned with his finger to show her how he meant it.

“Okay,” she confusingly observed and watched the entire screen change as it opened a window, this one showing the Google search page.

"...what's a Google?"

Gabe had to admit, it was cute to see her asking him about something that so many found ubiquitous now. "It's a... place on the computer that lets you find information. You can try to type in a question or any object or thing and it will look all over the internet for an answer." he suggested.

"Okay." Cassandra nodded, typing something on the buttons. She had no experience typing, so she started intently at the buttons, then would press one button for the letter she needed, then pull her hand back to look for the next letter first, rather than holding both hands and looking. She didn’t even know how to separate words, so she just typed everything together.

Gabe realised she was older than a typewriter, everything was by hand then. He forgot those things sometimes. 

"Now what?" she asked when she finished typing. Her first typing ever.

"Press Enter."

She checked the keyboards and none of them was named like that. “Okay, you should probably explain these buttons sooner than telling me what to press, but whatever. Which one is ‘enter’?”

Gabe felt embarrassed a bit, since explaining something like that in a book wouldn’t help anyone to understand it like this, and that quickly. He noted to himself that he needed to print some ‘how to use a computer’ helping paper. He hinted with his finger: “This one.”

Cassandra looked for the button and pressed it, and the screen went bright white. "It's just blank! This thing must be broken! I don't even see any-"

The page finished loading and she was greeted by a few large pictures and then results to websites. 

"Wow," she said, a smile tugging at her face as she saw her search results. "It's as beautiful as I imagined."

Gabe hadn't seen her smile often, and forgot what a dazzling smile it was. She looked pleased with herself and engrossed in what she had found, like she wanted to keep looking for more information. He couldn't help but be curious. "What did you look up?" he asked.

"Snowy owls." Cassandra admitted, voice softening. "You'd mentioned there were owls further north that live in the snowy tundra, and I was curious what they'd look like since I'd only ever seen owls in the woods... the white feathers look so striking. Pretty but deadly." She admired the photos. "So I can look up something like that on this device and just see all the information and pictures about it?"

"Yeah, pretty much! It's very fascinating, isn't it?" Gabe said with a laugh.

"Well, it's nice to not have to look all around the town for some kind of expert," Cassandra pointed out. "It's right at your fingertips. That's pretty amazing."

He smiled at her. This was definitely worth the time, bringing items always helped her more to understand things in practise. Even though this one would take more time than others, he was willing to be her guide, patiently explaining everything she needed to know.

With his main expertise as a hacker and programmer he couldn’t even remember how young he was when he was on her level. This world progressed so much that even kids knew how to use modern technology and computers, since they were learning it in school.

Anyways, he returned back to reality, since there was so much more to show to Cass. “Hey, I think we can even open some articles about snowy owls here, so you’ll be able to learn some new information that we would be able to find in the book. I mean if we had any about owls…”

“Okay,” she agreed, interested in finding more about owls.

Gabe checked the titles of webpages to see some reliable page: “Oh, I think this third page could be okay.”

Cass clicked once on the big text that was showing the title. She forgot about the double-clicking rule, but this time it worked even without it. Getting used to this would take her a lot of time anyways. As the page loaded, Cass noticed the main title, some pictures, but the article was continuing even beyond the page and was confused again. She read all the text she could see and then she asked Gabe again: “Uuuh, there is text that seems to be continuing somewhere, but I can’t see beyond.”

“Oh, right, I need to explain scrolling…” he realised that he would need to explain every little detail that he was doing automatically, since she had no idea.

It took him a while to explain everything as it was, the most difficult parts were with holding the touchpad and moving the scrolling bar at the same time. It would probably be easier with a mouse, so he remembered he needed to bring it with him for next time. 

The article was entertaining for Cass, she liked that it was written as a book, but there weren’t as many unnecessary things included. She appreciated many pictures and all that design that was unknown to her.

After she read it all, Gabe asked if she wanted to search for anything else. She got an idea, but it wasn’t something she would say to him. Her interest about what happened in the past in the world shifted into thinking about what happened with her world. Would she want to even know it? 

It was destroyed anyway. Finding information about what happened afterwards wouldn’t change that fact. I’d just cause myself only pain… or it won’t even find it. Maybe it was totally erased from history, since not even Gabriel knew about the place. It’s not a good idea. I should stop thinking about this.

“Actually, this is enough for now… What else can I do here?” She wanted to know about other functions that this laptop could do.

Gabe answered, noticing as she reflected. “Okay, I’m gonna show you some of them… not too complicated.”

“Yeah, that would be great.” Not complicated, right. Everything is complicated when I have no idea how to operate this thing. Anyways, this seems like new fun for another week or two.

Although it seemed as a basic thing, Gabe had to admit that this was a challenge. Going through other programmes, even easier to use than browser, wasn’t that easy for Cass. Explaining it was less complicated though than wanting to start a whole new chapter about the internet. So he spent hours explaining and showing new things and possibilities on many programmes like Paint, Notes and few others. Paint was even a fun programme after all as he found out. The whole lesson about computers and its practical use they spent on this small laptop.

He also informed Cass about a few not-so-great things which came with computers; such as eye draining, or even addiction for some people. So, he set up time for computer lessons and time for practical usage lessons to not drain her eyes as well. 

The next day, he brought his printed help paper, which described all the useful keys to Cassandra. He targeted the lesson for teaching her how to use keyboard and mouse. This time finally a normal mouse with cable.

Cass figured out that it was easier to use a mouse. And his paper full of advice and explanations was useful too. “Okay, so this button with the arrow up is making my letters big?”

“Yeah, it is. But only when you’re holding it while pressing the keys.”

“Oh, okay. So two buttons at once,” she stated.

“Yes, and you don’t even know shortcuts for the keyboard yet. Sometimes you have to hold even more keys at once,” he said this as an interesting fact but Cass got even more confused. “Uuuh, ignore this, I’m just a little excited.”

“I get it, you’re the expert and I'm a total beginner,” she smirked. 

“Also, if you wanna make it easier, there is one button with similar function above. Caps lock, you just have to press it to make everything big and then press it again to make everything small again,” he explained. 

Everything took so long, from marking the text, to copying and pasting it… He had at least a lot of time for this, this seemed more like an actual beginner course into using Word, but it was still an experience other than in the school. Even kids played games on the computer and knew the basis.

Computer lessons took weeks till Gabe moved on to other topics that had to be covered. Those weeks weren’t that bad for Cass, she learned so much during that time. 

Gabe brought up a radio to explain topics covering music and after complicated lessons they finally had some rest. They were listening to all kinds of genres of music from many different years. Every one of them was new for Cass, even the way how it was recorded and played again.

“How many kinds of music are even there?” Cass was curious. “It’s like thousands of different styles… I could listen to songs every day for several years and still hear some new ones.”

“Yeah, basically. I haven’t heard all of the songs that exist and are recorded, there are really plenty of them. And about styles, I don’t even know how many… I could name maybe the most popular ones like pop, rock, country, r&b, hip-hop, jazz and many more… I can’t even recall all of them,” Gabe explained.

“Yeah, pretty much. Still can’t believe that people were able to figure out how to record them. Or even make some of the sounds… You said there are many new musical instruments, I know many of the old ones, but can you tell me: did they make all of them electronic? Or is it just me that thinks everything is powered by electricity now?” she asked. That was an interesting thought, since Gabriel explained some of the sounds were made by electronic instruments and she wondered if people still used normal ones.

“Oh, no, there are many instruments without electricity. Don’t worry, we still use classical ones such as piano, trumpet or guitar, just some of them were updated. You can see in this book,” he opened the page and pointed, “Here is a bass guitar, which is electronic, but there are also classical and acoustic guitars. So people can pick between them, and they all sound a little different.”

She reacted: “That seems to have a logic. I can see that people have much more possibilities and opportunities with this big selection. Do you play any instruments by the way?”

“I don’t. I’m not a musician, never tried to play like that… it wasn’t for me. My sister on the other hand loved to play piano. We listened to her practice often when I was younger, but after she moved away, I was listening only to the radio.” Gabe liked to add something personal to his lessons, even though this seemed more like a friendly talk rather than some kind of lecture. It was nice to talk about music even though he didn’t have a strong relationship with it...  maybe Cass could have. “And what about you? Do you like music? What music did you have when you were younger?”

Music seemed as an innocent topic for Gabe, he wanted her to share something from her experience as well. Speaking to someone who lived two centuries ago about anything related to their history seemed still so unreal. He had to stay low anyways to not get too hyped with that fact, he couldn’t touch any sensitive topic.

Cass wondered for a moment what to say: “Yeah, I like music I guess… it filled the silence, sometimes even brought a good mood with it,” she admitted begrudgingly. “...And the different kinds of music… we had just live music, mostly on feasts, balls or in the town when someone brought their instrument. Nothing extra though, just for fun.”

“Okay, I see…” Gabe nodded. Then he noticed she said ‘balls’: “Wait, you were at a ball?”

Cass reacted annoyed by that question: “Yea, unfortunately.” She hated balls and all that official kingdom stuff. “It is worse than it sounds,” she explained.

“So, you hate balls,” Gabe deduced. 

She nodded. “You can’t even imagine how horrible it was to wear a corset and a dress.... and to dance exactly as the norms say.” She cringed very clearly, sounding disgusted with it, but he would also swear she was being a little playful with it, too.

“I can imagine you weren’t for this kind of stuff. But at least… music was nice?” Gabe asked, tilting his head.

She shook her head. “Boring I’d say.”

“So what about feasts? There had to be more lively music and not just nobles and rules everywhere.” He tried to guess what could’ve been better in the past. He couldn’t imagine how boring all the rules must’ve been, so something more loose had to be more fun at least. 

“Some feasts were fun, just… There were too many of them. It started to be annoying after…” she stopped and realised what she was about to say. ...After the princess had returned. It touched her. She had to quickly say something else, or Gabe would ask about it. “...after there were celebrations every second day.”

Gabe noticed her hesitation, but didn’t say anything about it. He rather followed up on that last thing she said: “Wow, your kingdom must’ve been really joyful if you had that many celebrations.”

Now he felt it, she looked really sad. It wasn’t a good topic to discuss. He could’ve realised it sooner, not talking about something that was destroyed a long time ago. 

Cass was aggrieved. Really? Talking about joy when you know the ending Gabe? Not cool. I shouldn’t have replied. Really bad topic. “I guess you realised that you messed up looking at your expression. So we’ll just skip this and return to the lesson, alright?” 

“Yes, of course…” Gabe felt sorry, but he knew she wouldn’t stand for his apology, so he accepted just returning to the lesson. There was something new about her reaction anyways, instead of getting angry and fighting off, she just said to skip it. She was trying to not overreact, just to redirect.

Later after dinner, Gabe turned up some rock music on the radio, nothing he recognized immediately, but watched to see Cass’ reaction, and without saying anything, she seemed to smile. Maybe tapped her hand a little at one point. She really seemed to like it.. It was a nice and relaxing evening at least. No lesson-like meetings, just listening to many different songs together.

Chapter Text

Cass was lying in her bed, lights off. She was focusing on her sleep preparation. It became something like a routine, since she knew what followed. Nightmare after nightmare, night after night. Many nightmares weren’t strong enough to cause red rocks, so far she avoided that for most of them. Still they were all horrible, either painful or regretful, with flashes from the past or Zhan Tiri doing her demon thing. Mentally preparing her time of sleep seemed like stupid idea, but it proved to be better way. She wasn’t used to being awake that long, she avoided sleep, but when she got tired, she knew she had to do it anyways. 

I can’t pass out again from sleeplessness, it was so stupid and irresponsible. Even the first weeks! I didn’t even know this place that well and didn’t trust anyone who might interrupt me, and yet I passed out. They could’ve been hostile and used my moment of weakness on anything. Luckily for me nothing happened that time. It can’t happen again anyways. I can’t pass out again.

She closed her eyes, focusing on her thoughts. The best way to avoid nightmares was to think about something calm. If she got too nervous, she had to breathe heavily, but sometimes she couldn’t avoid tears. It had been two days since she slept the last time, that was usually the time when to stop and go to bed. 

Her fear of sleep was really annoying, since she couldn’t feel rested even afterwards. She watched the clock to be able to see how many hours she had actually slept. Last time she managed to sleep five hours. She was really tired now.

Okay, I can think about today’s lesson. That was actually nice. We were listening to music for the first time like this. There are tons of songs and amazing melodies now. Sounds like nothing I had ever heard before. Some of them were exciting and loud and some were even calming. I could play some of them in my head for example to get in a good mood. He could’ve brought it sooner, all that music stuff. Definitely better than silence at some point. I look forward to hearing some of it again tomorrow.

Her thoughts were calm and positive. She saw some hope for a better life. Even if only a glimpse, it was enough. She wasn’t completely lost. She could maybe even find a meaning soon. 

She was drifting off. Best parts of sleeping were dreamless nights, when she could rest really well. Although often it didn’t last the whole sleep. This night included. 

It felt like just a few minutes of dreamless sleep, when an image formed. She found herself in the basement. Her same room, again. She often found herself there. Zhan Tiri often appeared, but so far not this time. That was strange. Cass stood up from her bed. Nightmares that looked like reality were the worst, since she couldn’t sometimes recognise what was real and what wasn’t.

Switching on the lights, she looked at the clock. It was still a night, around 3AM. She heard weird noises outside of her room. 

Maybe I should stay here, just in case of… This is a dream, nothing is real, right? I need to be sure.

 She tried to find out if her theory was right by trying something. Trying my powers could do it, I know how it works normally, so in dreams it feels different, even useless.

She tried to create black rock on her palm. No success. It seemed like she was in a nightmare now, she was powerless. She felt like that many times, either she didn’t have any powers or she couldn’t use them effectively in a fight. 

That strange sound outside of her room was growing louder. She wondered if someone was behind the door. If it was Zhan Tiri to scare her sleep or other kind of monsters or anything related. She didn’t want to go empty handed though. Opening her closet, she looked for her black rock dagger she created a while ago. It wasn’t there. In fact, nothing was. As if she had never gotten any stuff from Gabe.

Well, I guess I need to rely on my fighting skills, she thought as she decided to check the door. As she opened it, nobody was behind it. Cass also checked the corridor from both sides. Completely empty and even darker as usual.

Great, creepy corridors, what now? I guess I’ll just stay here and avoid any creatures.

She waited there for what felt like hours, but which were just moments in her dream, sitting on her bed, reading that one book about sleep. Somehow it was the only book in the entire room. That was weird too. The words inside seemed different, she noticed.

Suddenly her quiet night was interrupted with a really loud sound coming from the corridor outside.

“Okay, definitely not going there,” she told herself.  She wondered if staying put would really make a difference or help her.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t much of an option. Sound soon reached the room and it was so loud that it was almost unbearable. Like that first day when agents lured her out of her hiding place. 

“So this is how it is? This dream sucks, just like others!” she screamed, but she didn’t even hear herself.

She had to hold her ears, but knew that the only way out was getting away from that horrible sound. Demons awaiting outside wouldn’t be worse than this. 

So, she opened the door and started to run. She picked the direction of the dining room corridor, since that was the only place she knew so far outside of her room, but the sound was loud there too, so she had to go further. Corridors stopped making sense and it seemed more like a never-ending labyrinth, without any living soul on the way. 

At least, Cassandra found a spot where the sound wasn’t too loud and she exhaled. No weapons around, not even Gabe as the last time. Someone who helped her in her misery. She was all alone, but soon it changed. She heard footsteps, many of them, coming closer to her hideout place. Preparing for the fight, she recognised this room. 

Is this… the first room I was in? She looked around quickly to actually see all the hints she missed: equipment from agents who were cutting the amber, there was even a slight stain of where amber used to be placed. She inhaled deeply.

I know exactly what kind of nightmare this is going to be. Damn… they’re gonna attack me. Again. Great… If I’m lucky they’ll even aim better to stop this nightmare.

Her guess wasn’t that far from reality. The agents all arrived in a big army formation and were ready to strike. They blockaded all possible exits, so Cass wouldn’t be able to get out. She moved away from them, ready for some painful hits. Yet, she didn’t react or attack them, since she knew it would be all useless. She tried to fight in many nightmares, it never ended well. This time it was more about retreat and avoiding them.

She spoke up: “If you wanna fight me, just do it… if you wanna shoot me, go ahead. I don’t care.”

They surrounded her from almost all sides, looking hostile. However, they didn’t start to shoot from their weapons. Instead, few of them were holding weird modern things and it soon became clear to Cass what it was.

She couldn’t even react too quickly; a big net was thrown in huge speed directly at her. First shot was bearable, but the second one threw her on the ground. She didn’t want to fight back, but her fighter’s reaction was like an instinct. She started to struggle a bit and in the meantime others were coming closer, weapons loaded.

One of the faceless agents shouted: “Secure her, now!”

Cass murmured to herself: “Great, totally helpless” 

And yet, she didn’t fight back. It was her nightmare, not the real Shield. Nothing would change the situation anyways. She just waited on time when she’d be able to wake up. 

They went closer, suddenly too close. They put some weird metal ropes at her and started to tie her. It was so uncomfortable, but struggling would be wasteful. She just let them. Her hands were soon tied together. Rope was tight and soon they made her unable to escape.

“Right, so what now? Wanna see me powerless and weak? Here I am, are you satisfied?” she said, expressionless. 

Shortly afterwards, she heard other agents arriving. And she heard a familiar voice. It was Gabe, screaming.

“Cassandra! Don’t hurt her!”

He was struggling, she could tell from his frightened voice.

“Gabe?” she asked, with a worried look on her face. 

“Wh- what is happening, what do you want from her? Leave her alone!” he continued reaching her. 

Even in the nightmares, Gabe sometimes appears as someone who wants to protect me. That’s actually the nice part.

It didn’t last long. At first glance, other armed agents caught him and he couldn’t reach her. She was just watching everything from her low position, completely tied and helpless.

“She isn’t attacking so why don’t you leave her alone?!” Gabe tried to struggle to free himself to get closer to Cass, but he failed.

Cass saw Coulson. That was also the good guy. They wanted to help, but the rest of the Shield seemed the opposite. Coulson was captured too.

Her nightmare seemed illogical, but then she realised what that actually meant, right in the moment when one nameless agent took a gun and aimed it towards Coulson. It kinda reminded her of her horrible flashback from the amber, when everyone close to her was dying.

And then she heard the shot. 

“No!” Gabe screamed.

She twitched. “Coulson!” she screamed almost inaudibly.

Why did her thoughts and dreams have to be that violent? Maybe she was really damaged from her horrible experience. That’s why this kept happening in her dreams. Trying to keep it all inside during the day made the night even more unbearable.

She knew what she should expect; Gabe was going to be next. And she was helpless to do anything about it. Suddenly, she realised everything wasn’t just insignificant for her. She cared about what was going to happen to Gabe and she didn’t want to see this happen, not even in her dreams

As the agents moved, Gabe continued to struggle to little avail. They threw him on the ground, still far from Cass and completely cornered, and then they aimed their weapons at him.

“Wh-what are you doing agents?” Gabe asked, shakiness in his voice. He came there to save Cassandra, yet he was about to die trying.

“You betrayed Shield. You and Coulson. You know what we do with traitors.” one of the agents spoke to him. 

Gabe tried to argue with them: “What?! When did I betray you? You’re the ones that are trying to do harm, she wasn’t attacking!”

He looked at her, she saw pain in his eyes. She had to do something about it. Even helpless, she tried to talk them out of it: “It’s me who you want! Let him go.”

They ignored her as if she wasn’t even there: “You tried to help her escape! She is a dangerous threat! She has to be secured and you tried to get her out!” another agent screamed on Gabe.

“She is NOT dangerous! She’s just scared! Look how you treat her! Like she was some wild animal. She’s a person and Shield is supposed to protect people!”

She looked at Gabe: “Just let it go. Forget me, it’s not worth it. Leave me, it’s okay, there’s nothing you can do.”

Gabe’s gaze turned completely at Cass, tears in his eyes. “No, that’s not right, I can’t leave you behind. You’ll get hurt… I ca-I can’t let them-”

“You can’t save me, not this time,” she interrupted him. Cass inhaled and turned on the leading agent with a gun: “Let him leave, I’ll do what you say.”

He actually heard her this time, but didn’t listen to her. “You’ll do what we say anyways, you don’t get to decide. Now shut up and let us handle the traitor.”

The agent nodded at the other one wielding a weapon. “Let this be an example of how we deal with traitors!”

Cass recognised the signal. They were about to kill him. She screamed: “NO!” And yet, her restrictions didn’t allow her to do anything, just to struggle.

It was useless. It was just a nightmare and yet it felt so real. She closed her eyes and then she heard a shot with a scream. This wasn’t real Shield, so why did she imagine them so cruel? 

She heard a body falling on the ground. Tears started to form in her eyes. No, she wasn’t that close with Gabe, but he was the only person who was so close to her now. The closest person she had in this future. She tried to not become too close with him. She didn’t want to trust him, yet he was the only one who tried to not let her down. Who wanted to help in purest intentions. Even if she rejected it. She actually cared about him. And only in this nightmare she was able to finally realise that. 

Now that he died in this twisted dream, she was so angry. She didn’t know if she should be pissed on her mind or whatever twisted things inside her were, but she wanted to tear this dream apart. She struggled and struggled, but anger didn’t get her powers back. 

Agents, or rather nightmare minions, came closer again. Maybe it was better to stop this horrible nightmare.

She was shaking in anger, still pushing her restrictions: “You killed Gabe.” She had a killing look in her eyes.

They didn’t respond, just took both bodies out, while others were still coming closer to her.

She cried: “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Just kill me already!”

One of them smiled. “If we wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.”

She recognised that smile. Twisted and full of venom. Just like Zhan Tiri’s. The demon had probably taken the form of one of those agents, or maybe she was controlling them all at once like puppets. Either possibility was terrifying.

Cass reacted: “Yea, right, you wanna torture me, in your twisted mental games? I know who you are.”

The same agent smiled again, his eyes glowing purple. It was definitely her. 

“I thought you wouldn’t be so smart, but you recognised me pretty well. You want to know what will follow?” he asked with a demonic voice.

“Let me guess, you want to make me feel horrible and guilty and helpless.” she said sharply.

“Actually, you're right,” he said, evil smile so wide and poisonous. He turned to the other agent and ordered: “Bring her the surprise.” 

Cass’ eyes widened the first moment she saw what they were bringing. She felt the terror suddenly, her whole body started to shake as never before. Just seeing that color was scary enough, but this, this was pure horror. 

“Remember this?” he asked.

How could she forget something like that? The weapon that ruined her life, a modern version of bazooka full of amber colored liquid, was aimed at her. 

“NO!” she panicked. Cass was shaking and panicking, breathing irregularly and struggling as much as she could. She was probably experiencing another panic attack, but this time in the nightmare.

“This isn’t real” she tried to convince her to calm down, but she couldn’t. “This isn’t REAL!”

Struggling was useless, she was useless, everything was useless. Why did she keep struggling so much? Because she probably had such a strong trauma trigger? Her mind knew her every dark secret, everything she feared, and now everything mixed up in this nightmare. Maybe it was really the demon controlling all of her fears and doubts after all. And the demon was winning.  

And then, a shot came at her and she screamed loudly.

Usually, she woke up when she screamed from pure fear, but not this time. It hit her, the amber was growing on her and she was helpless to do anything about it. Panicking so strong, wishing this torture to end, she just felt amber encasing her body. Slowly growing, restricting Cass to move and reaching her head. If all her fear and pain was expressed the time she saw agents getting her out was compared to this, it would be just a fraction. This time she couldn’t hold it together. This time, she lost. And soon, it encased her completely. Before that, she formed one last scream.

Cass abruptly woke up, completely panicking. It was as if the nightmare didn’t end and all those feelings were still there inside, tearing her apart. Her half-closed eyes still saw that amberish color around, and now red rocks growing from all sides. She tried to control them to not leave any damage again, but she just couldn’t get over the shock and panic she was feeling.

She had to breathe heavily to even perceive reality and she again focused all of the fear rocks to her. Luckily, she managed to centralise it all to her and her armor was now enriched with red spikes all around her hands and chest. Just like her normal spikes, but these were more numerous. 

Breathing heavily like that to come down to a calm state was long and exhausting for her, but after a few minutes she managed to feel a little better, then she started to cry.

Just getting that nightmare out of her veins was so complicated, she was thinking about it all night. It is hard to think about anything else now. When she was more okay, she let the red spikes disappear back into the ground, but it became a struggle for her anyways. Repressing her powers just on herself was really hard work and probably really bad and unhealthy for her too.

After a few hours, she stood up from her bed, still shaken, and reached her book about sleep. She read it again, to check all the important stuff she underlined. Maybe it was important to figure out her nightmares in order to become better at going through them.

“Find the meaning of the dream.” “Try to remember details.” “Find some symbols.” Why is it hard to understand my dreams? Maybe there is some link. It’s my fear and doubts. Everything I hate, everything that traumatized me…

She was going through that book one more time and tried to figure out meanings and how it could be avoided the next time.

At least she realised something in her nightmare - Gabe was slowly growing on her. She didn’t see him as someone bad, he was honest and wanted to help. Maybe he would be her only friend she had in the future. She kinda trusted him, not completely though. He had some secrets. But he was willing to tell her about himself more than she ever told anyone.

At least that book helped her to realise something.

Chapter Text

"That book about sleeping you brought me... it makes some sense," Cass stated.

Gabe was glad that Cass went through the whole book: "I'm happy that it helped at least a bit."

"Yeah, although some information is written in an obscure way," she added.

Gabe explained: "Well, I suppose that was the Dream chapter, so yeah, dreams can be obscure and weird and everyone can understand them in their own unique way or not at all."

"I probably would be in the group "not at all". Or maybe it'd be better to not have dreams. Not like never any but at least not those bad ones."

"You can't decide what dreams you will have... it just happens, but yeah, it would be better to actually control at least those bad ones. Not everyone can control it and have lucid dreams." Gabe wondered for a moment about his own dreams and what weird things there were. He understood that for Cass it had to be much harder. She had a really horrible situation in her past and it could be shown to her every night as post traumatic dreams.

"Yeah." Cass looked sad, remembering some of her horrible nightmares. Sleep was needed, but she avoided at least a few days a week full-fledged sleep since nightmares were waking her up often. From experience she knew no sleep at all wasn't a good decision either, so she had to learn to live with it.

"At least you're sleeping better than before, right?" he asked.

Cass raised an eyebrow at him, he wasn't asking those personal things often. But he was right, it was still better than a month ago. Well, maybe expect this night. Maybe it even didn’t change much, just the way she started to perceive meanings, thanks to that book. 

“Honestly, I can’t compare it…” she said, not knowing the right answer.

“Oh, okay. Hmm… At least you’re sleeping after all, right? I mean more than before.” Gabe tried to get some information directly from her so he would be able to confirm his theory.

She narrowed her eyes: “Are you trying to hint at that first month?”

“Yeah, what else?” Gabe noticed her look.

She admitted: “Okay… I mean... I know I overstepped it that time with sleeplessness.”

“You actually even broke the record.” Gabe mentioned it as an interesting fact.

She got confused: “What?”

He explained: “Yeah, the world’s record for sleeplessness.”

She got even more confused. How could she break a record? Maybe the Moonstone helped her with it. But that would be cheating anyways. How could anyone even know how long someone didn’t sleep to set a record? Maybe it was possible with new technology or whatever.

“Really? How? I mean you can’t somehow count that, or can you? Was there any person who was checking if they weren’t sleeping? Or how…?”

This didn’t make sense. Why was she thinking about the person setting the record when she beat the person? How could she beat the person? How could they know? 

Gabe already interrupted her thoughts.

“It’s simple. I don’t know if I explained to you this thing that exists, but people invented a stopwatch to be able to measure time and it was used while the person was awake. It’s a basic thing that everyone has, even in their phones now. Then, they stopped when he fell asleep.”

“Okay, that makes sense. I mean the stopwatch, I think you explained it in the book with 19th century stuff, but I couldn’t link that. Also…” she refocused on her previous thought, “That thing was used on that guy, so how was I able to beat him if I didn’t have a stopwatch?”

Gabe stopped for a moment and realised that he messed up a bit. Just an amaterous mistake. They didn’t have a stopwatch to check her time being awake, but modern devices and all that stuff that was monitoring her. She couldn’t know about it, so he just passed a dead end. He couldn’t explain the truth, but she was already curious, so he had to say something to redirect attention to other topics.

“Well, that’s a tricky question.” He scratched his head, trying to make up something: “Actually, it’s not about the stopwatch, more about days. I mean days count is a better explanation. You had that in the past, right?”

“Yes, but… how is it linked with this? Do Stopwatches count just hours and days count more? How did you even find out when I stopped sleeping?” she became suspicious. Gabe started to talk out of line. He did that to avoid talking about something a few times in the past. 

Gabe tried to sound honest with a lie: “It was just visible.”

“Gabe, I can be awake four days without sleep and you wouldn’t notice any hint. Why are you avoiding telling me the truth?” She figured out his lie. He wouldn’t know that just like that. It was something else.

“Uhh, okay. You got me,” he sighed, “the reason I’m lying is…”

He couldn’t tell the truth. He would get fired or even worse. Who would be there to help Cassandra then? He had to make something up again, but this time more convincing. Then he got an idea.

“...it’s because you didn’t want me to remind you. You said it to me when you were too tired to think about anything. Just like with that Owl talk. Well, except that you felt embarrassed afterwards telling me this. You were telling many weird things that day honestly.”

“Oh.” She thought for a moment. Actually, that could be right, because she didn’t remember many things from that day. She messed up that time, so she revealed some things about herself. But why did she tell him this? Maybe it was her sleep-deprived self who tried to fight off with some lie and accidentally revealed the truth. “That’s possible, I guess. I don’t remember saying that for sure, but it would explain things…”

Gabe exhaled in his mind. Ooof, this was close. She can pretty easily detect lies, so now I have to act like nothing happened before and just refocus on other things in this conversation, to accidentally not reveal anything else.

“Yeah, it’s just… it doesn’t matter that much… you weren’t in your senses, so I can forget this information if you want.”

“Thanks, also I’m sorry… it just…” she inhaled, “it’s hard, I mean that sleep. No matter how hard I try, it’s just not the same as it used to be. I can’t-” She stopped. This was opening up. Again. What was wrong with her? Few minutes ago, she would roast him alive if she didn’t have full information, but now she has softened. Maybe it was her trying to hold her anger and insecurities… She couldn’t just trust someone, even if it was Gabe. Even if he didn’t do anything wrong.

“You can’t what?” he asked as he wanted to hear her opening up more, feeling a little guilty she seemed to only be opening up after he had to lie. She deserved the truth.

Cass thought for a moment: “I can’t sleep without nightmares. I can’t go to sleep without fear of seeing everything again. I can’t control my thoughts and fears, it’s too much. I wish I could tell you everything Gabe, but I just can’t. I have horrible trust issues, so it’s hard for me to even talk about myself in general. I- I can’t stay like this. It’s too painful, but you wouldn’t understand.”

She spoke up: “Nothing.”

She was suffocating her feelings again. He noticed pain in her eyes, but didn’t try to force this situation. Even three months weren’t probably long enough for her to feel comfortable about opening up.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, I understand. It can be hard, but I’m here if you ever feel ready,” he explained softly. 

Cass felt bad for not being able to do anything like that. Talking about her feelings wasn’t her thing and she wasn’t used to talks like that. She wasn’t ready. She feared it, it could break her boundaries and then she wouldn’t be able to stop. Stop herself from crying if she got too far. Stopping herself from breaking down… it was all too complicated, so she rather just avoided it. She was thankful that Gabe didn’t try to push her or force her to talk. It was nice that someone didn’t try to do that. He was different. She should tell him everything, maybe she will, in the future. Maybe.

She formed an honest nod: “Thank you.” Then she refocused on something else rather than getting too emotional. “Will we start another lesson now?”

“Yeah, no problem,” Gabriel nodded and went to get a prepared book.

Chapter Text

After another day spent with Gabe, Cass started to think back about their first conversation that day. Although she tried to move on from that one specific time when she became too open and soft with Gabe, there was one thing that still didn’t make sense.

He moved on from that sleep discussion really quickly, and he was definitely avoiding something, but lost track when the debate turned towards me. I wasn’t paying attention enough to his avoiding, so I played along with it. So that’s why I need to think about it more deeply.

First thing that didn’t make sense: that lie. “It’s just visible.” That was definitely him avoiding the truth, I told him that… But then he got nervous again as he was telling me “the truth”. He acts weird when he wants to avoid things or topics, but this time he was still nervous about telling the truth, if it was true after all. He said I told him, but did I? Or did he find it out some different way? The world’s record of sleeplessness. I don’t remember telling him the information about me not sleeping. I know I told many weird things that day, but this doesn’t feel right. Why would I tell him that? How would he be sure enough to measure it? Why would I tell him the days and hours? Some parts are missing. 

Maybe that his sudden shift towards me in the debate was planned out too, Gabe just can’t lie for too long, so I would figure him out if we talked about it further. Maybe he just made it up, that I told him that. It’s like in the time when I had that panic attack and he was nervous. He’s using my out-of-reality moments to be able to have a good excuse where I wouldn’t be able to confirm anything… 

Damn, Gabe. I thought I could finally trust him.

He seemed trustworthy at first, but I’m not making that mistake again… I should know better, even hoping for someone like him being honest was just my wish. It wasn’t the reality at all. Even the seemingly purest people can lie to my face. I’ve seen that enough times before.

Maybe he could’ve been better if he wasn’t with Shield… they are a spy organization after all, they probably all knew he was lying, or maybe even taught him that stuff… I wonder if they made him do it, not that it would make him completely innocent anyways…

Coulson had mentioned SHIELD was monitoring dangerous people and possible threats, that’s what he tried to explain as the goal of Shield several times. She was one of those possible threats. Could they somehow spy on her too? She was paranoid before, but this was a whole new level. She didn’t feel safe anymore. Her skin was crawling with discomfort.

What if they are listening? What if they could see everything even before? That would explain why Gabe was acting so weird. He was a pretty open book, but he didn’t give those hints before. Why now? She thought as she was slowly realizing what was going on the whole time. 

She was nervous, but if it was true, that would mean they would be able to see her even right now… 

She looked around the room and suddenly everything was clear. Those things she had seen in the corners of the room weren’t decorations like she had thought before. Her camera had those lenses, and so these things. She figured it out - those were cameras too! Suddenly a wave of fear occurred to her. Still not making it known externally, careful not to make her distress visible, it all got together in her head. She felt uneasy, almost sick, they were watching her the whole time! Once again she looked to the corners, she counted three of them. She needed to go out, or at least out of the reach of those to be able to process this horrible discovery. 

She stood up, trying to be as normal as usual, and headed to the bathroom. Hopefully there aren’t any cameras inside, or I’ll throw up, she thought. Going in, she quickly checked all the corners of the room. It was clear. Nothing in there. It was a cold comfort, she still hardly felt safe, but it was something. She exhaled and closed the door. Leaning against them, she could finally be herself and let those emotions out. 

Oh my- They know. Th-they saw everything. She breathed heavily, sliding down to the sitting position to be able to hold herself somehow together. She was panicking. T-they were watching me from the beginning, they know! They knew exactly what was going on every time! They hid it all along, they lied that I had privacy, I’ve never had! They betrayed me! Gabe betrayed me! Everyone's the same, cheating and watching me without me knowing about it. I can’t stay here! That panic attack, those nightmares, everything, they know! Does it have any purpose to pretend anything? It ca-It can’t be like this. What should I do now? 

Her feelings were hurt the worst way possible, she felt like she really couldn’t trust anyone. Even them telling her that they wanted to help her, were they honest? This was wicked, they weren’t playing fairly, she had no idea about this kind of modern technology being in her room. It wasn’t fair. Everyone else would figure it out sooner but her. Because she didn’t have the knowledge, she didn’t have a chance to know. 

But if they told me this information before, I wouldn’t stay here, I wouldn’t be okay with it, so I would probably do something about it. Maybe I should now too. But what? Destroying cameras would be conspicuous, maybe even alarming to them. The best thing is probably to run away, to get away from this twisted organisation... I don’t even know how to do that, they have so many weapons, and men, and this basement is like a labyrinth. Maybe I shouldn’t make hasty conclusions until I’m sure how to get away from here. Maybe I should calm down first, I’m shaking.

She was really shaking, tears on the edges. Deception like this was like a shot directed to her trust. They probably didn’t even consider this as betrayal, but they had no right to do this! She was so angry, but also scared. What did they have ready for her? How did they use that personal information? To use it against her? They knew her weakness. They knew the truth she tried to hide. Just like how Zhan Tiri had been watching her, they knew everything about her and they could use it against her any time.

Then her nightmares could be real.

I’ll make them regret this! But not yet. They don’t know I know. I can play along. But who knows for how long I can pretend to stand this reality? I have to make a plan, maybe find out some info from Gabe. But he won’t tell me much if he finds out about my intentions. Who knows what his intentions are? He seemed fine, I almost thought I could trust him, but once again my guts failed me just like before. Maybe I can’t really have anybody close, anybody to trust. Maybe nobody deserves my trust if they all want to take advantage of it.

This was a really sad realization, but it seemed so true to her. So many people had betrayed her before, even the purest ones couldn’t be trusted. Everyone so far let her down, and now she realized Gabriel wasn’t any different. She wanted to scream from anger, to let it all out, but it wouldn’t have the effect. Not yet. She would have to retain this rage for the time of the fight. Swallow it up but keep it handy somewhere for when she would need it most.

She wanted somehow to get herself together. Sitting on the ground with teary eyes she transformed all that pain, all that sadness and fear into anger, but she had to contain it for the sake of her plan. They couldn’t know her plan. She couldn’t act weird suddenly, after all, they were watching. Monitoring her room. She stayed in the bathroom for a longer time. Only place where she could feel even a little safe without staring eyes from the shadows. Who knows how many of them knew, how many of them saw her every day? Just the thought of returning to that room while being watched made her shiver. 

Just calm down, you’ve done this before. Burning down the rage and anger and releasing it at the right point. Just like old times. Back then, it probably wasn’t the best decision, it was still a bad decision to follow some random ghost’s advice. Now I’m on my own though, following just my own voice. I can decide, I am free to make this decision and nobody is going to change that. I’m in charge of my life, not anybody else, not them. For whatever reason they’ve done this, I won’t follow their orders. I won’t give up. I’ll cross the line if I have to.

As long as I release that rage, there won’t be turning back. If they find out something’s off sooner than that though, they would do something to prevent anything I may try. If that anger slips from me even for a second, they would see it. I need to stay focused; I mustn’t let anything slip out. Control myself, conceal my feelings and be ready if I fail. They would probably be there to stop me. Although I have my powers as an advantage, they still have so many unknown ways to stop me. Need to be ready for anything possible. Maybe even impossible. And to protect my head if they start to shoot at me. Who knows if I can make it out? What kind of life awaits me out there with them breathing on my back?

Chapter Text

“You seem to be acting strange lately, is everything alright?” he once asked. 

How did he know what was strange and what wasn’t? She tried to act as normal as possible, to be normally active in lessons, to be alright during nights and time alone. Only time she could exhale were her bathroom breaks; she wasn’t spending there just normal times, but sometimes she had to also get herself back together. To try not to look strange in the room. But he still had some clue. How?

“I’m completely fine, I don’t see your point,” she said, completely conveniently.

Maybe it was because she didn’t let the emotions slip up at all, the agents probably noticed that suddenly there were no crying nights, no normal sleep and maybe her being too much together. Too careful. It was still a change, but she thought it was better for the agents. They probably wanted to see some “positive” changes.

“Alright, sorry, my bad,” Gabe said embarrassedly. But he still felt some change. However, if she didn’t want to talk about it, he knew he should keep his distance. Maybe it was even his mistake, he thought. 

Cass was really in the role - that of herself, but as before, without any additional knowledge. Acting was her thing, so she continued. During the lesson, when Gabe was talking about organisations, she felt like there was a place to ask about Shield and gain some information, inconspicuously of course.

“... So, you’re saying that there were many organisations founded at that time. What about Shield? Since when is Shield a thing?” she asked, moving the debate away from the lesson’s topic.

Gabe was slightly pleased that Cass was interested in Shield history, but he had no idea about her side's intentions. He started to talk: “Well, Shield was formed in the 1950's, as a successor of an earlier organisation called the Strategic Science Reserve, or SSR. I never thought you would be interested in Shield’s history.”

“I can know some more information about the organisation I’m in, right?” she said, trying to look interested and excited about finding out more about them. She wanted to shift it more to the present, not too sudden to be suspicious. It wouldn’t hurt her to listen to something about her enemy after all, find some weakness and info, that was her plan. 

“Yeah, I suppose. Maybe I can put the lesson aside and we can talk about Shield’s history,” he suggested.

He caught like a fish on a fishing rod. Great. Through history I’ll be able to find out more about their operations, about the way they think and how they react to some situations. Just need to be patient. 

“So, one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. 's founders was Peggy Carter, she was a great woman with good values. When I was in the Academy, we were learning about everything important in Shield’s history, so I can briefly sum up the main events and then maybe talk about how the organisation works, so you'd have a better idea.” He wanted to promote his organisation in the best light, so it would at best interest her to the point she would want to be part of it in the future. He was so full of hope.

Even Cass could see his excitement, he really wanted her to understand them the best way. She was almost feeling bad for what she wanted to do. But this wouldn’t change anything for her. Just gaining information, that was all it was about. He was talking about Shield’s first years, about some founders, she didn’t really care about that much, but she kept on her interested face. 

Then he mentioned the values and principles of Shield: “... Even though many people can see us just as an agency or a spy organisation, there is more to it. The Shield’s main goal was to protect. It was a simple thought, simple and pure. Sometimes to protect the nation, the country or the world, sometimes to protect individuals. Basically, to protect people, mostly from bad people, dangerous individuals, organisations or groups; but also, sometimes from themselves.” Then he looked at Cass.  

She got his hint. Yeah, I know, you wanna protect me, great. You wanna show me the good side of Shield, but I don’t trust them. Neither to you. These small attempts won’t change a thing. 

She didn’t say anything related to her incredulous thoughts. She didn’t even have to try and lead the way to the present; he was making it easier. But she could make it quicker at least. “And how exactly does Shield know who needs help and who not?” 

That was a tricky question for Gabe, but they were learning theory for this question at the Academy. “Well, there are people who feel threatened by something that normal police can’t solve, usually something extraordinary, so some of them call Shield. Basically, some people ask for help. But then there are also people we may find, who don’t know that they are threatened or in some danger. It’s usually when some uncommon case happens, which cannot be solved by just basic police officers. There are also dangerous individuals, some not knowing how to help themselves, some wanting to do bad things, so Shield needs to determine which ones need help and which ones need to be captured. Even those with bad intentions can be fixed in Shield’s remedial programme, but we have to be careful anyways. Some can’t be fixed. It’s hard, but nobody said it’s an easy job.” 

An uncommon case, a person in need, it all fitted. She needed help way back, when she couldn’t break free, but now when she was out, she didn’t need it anymore. She wasn’t buying those comments about help, all she could see was just that capturing part. Dangerous? She was dangerous, but she didn’t have bad intentions. She just wanted to be free, to have privacy. Her only obstacle was Shield. She didn’t want to hurt them somehow, she just wanted to leave. But she knew it wouldn’t be in peace. Shield didn’t seem to have options with releasing their prisoners. Even after three months of building a relationship, that small part of her still considered it as a prison, but she somehow accepted it, thinking they’re not that bad after all… but they were spies, and spies couldn't be trusted. She should know better. Gabe seemed to still believe this helping nonsense. 

On the other hand, Gabe sensed some tension in Cassandra’s face. Did he say anything wrong? He was trying so hard, he thought it would help her understand them more, but the more he talked, the more he felt like there was something wrong. He didn’t know exactly what. He wanted to continue talking about SHIELD, but he had to avoid talking about her case or give any hints at all, since it was too subjective. He didn’t try to hint on Cass’ case anymore, because it seemed like a bad decision. 

She was just listening this time, so he directed the conversation: “Well, when I first found out about Shield, I didn’t exactly know what to think about them. They were a mysterious organisation with many secrets… but they found me when I was in high school. They noticed my talent for programming, so they offered me a place in the Academy, where I had more resources and possibilities…”

Great, now he’s talking about himself. Cass noticed that he intentionally changed direction, not wanting to talk about something related to her, but she wanted to hear exactly that. How to move him back on the right track? Maybe he’ll come to the point where he will talk about this basement, I need to be patient. So she was listening to his story. 

It wasn’t that bad after all, even though she’s listened to his talks about life before, it still seemed honest. His intentions seemed pure, but still, he was one of them. Maybe they’ve manipulated him somehow too, maybe he didn’t realise what they were doing wrong, what he was doing wrong, who knew? Knowing what she knew, she didn’t want to admit that Shield was a good organisation, they were spies, liars, traitors, that was still on her mind. Her anger towards them destroyed all the possibilities to consider them as the good guys. As possible allies or friends. 

Suddenly he started to talk about his entry to the basement. This basement. That started to be interesting.

“Even though I haven’t been here a long time, I still somehow feel like joining Shield as an internal agent was a good choice. I knew it would take time to have some interesting missions, but I’ve already achieved some cool stuff as a programmer. I was just level 1 when I joined here, but after 2 years and some successful small missions I gained trust from higher agents and increased my clearance level. I had a funny experience in my first year when I got lost in this basement. It’s so huge and there are many places I wasn’t supposed to be in. So many classified zones, this is maybe the most secure zone I’ve ever been in.”

What? Most secure? It’s so scary, are they keeping me in the most classified and secure zone? Remote and dark, with really little chance to escape? He said that they secured so many threats in the past, maybe even now, but I’m still here, in the most secured zone. Maybe I’m the biggest threat that has to be contained. I get it now! They didn’t have a plan to release me. But he’s going right to the direction I need to hear; how to get out. Just don’t storm out with the emotions. Not yet. But I’m so close to officially losing it!

“So, is this place really just for special people, to be in here?” she asked serenely.

“Yes, I mean not many agents have access, I wouldn’t have a chance to get the access if I wasn’t in the right place at the right time,” he answered, still not getting any leads to Cass’ acting.

“Interesting. So there aren’t many agents in this section, right? With access and knowledge about me,” she said, with a slightly teasing tone which she tried to hide.

Now he felt it. It was something that bugged her, she shifted the debate. He tried to avoid her case, to not say anything that would upset her, but she led the way exactly to that. Nervousness grew inside him, if she asked something concrete, he wouldn’t be able to answer without breaking some secrets he wasn’t allowed to tell, that would be a problem. Her interested face was slowly and inconspicuously shifting, almost as if she was angry, but she tried to hide it.

“Well, umm… I’m not sure if I should start talking about this, you seem to be concerned,” he said, really unsure why or what was actually happening with her. He tried to avoid this sensitive topic that might touch her, but it seemed almost impossible when she reacted.

“No, it’s completely okay, I’m fine, just continue.”

Whoa, what is going on? She is saying that it’s okay, but I see her eyes telling the opposite. She’s acting really strange, why does it interest her so much? Maybe I should stop, but she could become even more nervous if I changed the topic now.

“Are you sure?” he asked, just to be clear.

“Yes, I am.” He noticed something. Just hide the emotions, I can gain more information. But it’s becoming conspicuous. If he noticed, that means others could notice too. I need to be careful, I’m on the edge of revealing myself. And on the edge of losing it! I really want to shout at him, but not yet.

He doubtfully asked: “Do you really wanna know about how many people know about you?” 

She nodded. 

“Well, there aren’t many agents to have security clearance to know about you, just a small group and a few higher agents in the basement.” He didn’t want to mention the backup team which was sent several times when the red rocks appeared, or guarding agents, but she probably already knew about them, while being taken to the room the first day. It wasn’t usual to bring someone to the classified zone like that. The others that were taken to the other part of this section weren’t conscious to see the corridors and the security. She went there willingly. She wasn’t some kind of convict locked for crimes. But as dangerous as she was with those powers, she couldn’t just stay in the guest room until others could be sure that she wasn’t dangerous or hostile.

Not many… “sure”. He didn’t mention that bunch of guards everywhere around, so she teased with a new question: “And what about those agents in the corridors?”

Aaand she mentioned it. Her roasting mode is on. She is clearly irritated, but what caused this? Did I mention something that got her into this mood? I guess I shouldn’t mention this zone after all, it was clearly a mistake. How to fix it?

She on the other hand couldn’t hold it much anymore. She sounded more irritated than she wanted, maybe even mean, but still focusing on her goal. Stone face followed, to hide her upset feelings. But she was nervous on the inside, she even checked the cameras several times, trying to be as unassuming as she could be. 

Gabe was really nervous from the tension that absorbed this room. It escalated really quickly from normal conversation to this almost scary discussion. He needed to get her back to a calm mood: “Cass… maybe we shouldn’t-”

She interrupted him with a passive-aggressive tone, her voice firm and unflinching: “No. I asked something... and I want to hear the answer.” 

Her stone face was even more grim when she wasn’t talking, almost as she wasn’t even breathing at all. Gabriel was scared, there hasn't been anything so intense as this yet, not even when she asked about going outside. 

What is bugging her so much? Why does she want to know so much about everything around? Why does she keep checking that wall with her gaze so often... unless…? 

Then he realised. 

Oh, this is bad, this is really bad, she figured it out! She was playing all along, why didn’t she tell me before? How long has she known? She can explode any time with her feelings and anger, I need to calm her down and explain everything. 

He started: “Hey, easy, we can figure this out calmly. I can explain everything, just…” he didn’t want to say “calm down”, because he knew it wouldn’t help, or it could even upset her more, so he rather used a calming gesture with hands.

Cass on the other hand noticed his sudden change in tone. 

He knows! I was too conspicuous, he figured it out. “Calmly,” yeah? That wasn’t an option. If he knew, others knew as well. Everyone figured it out, this game is over! They will do anything to stop me. So that time has come. Now or never. Why wear a mask when everyone knows the truth? It was time to cross the line.

Chapter Text

“Just WHAT? Calm DOWN?!” she abruptly yelled while standing up. “HOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!” She let the rage out. It even activated her powers, angry as she was, the lightning started to fly around her chest. 

Gabe was shocked. He had no idea how much anger she was holding inside, but with her powers included it could be really dangerous. Not just for him, but for the whole case. He stood up too, but she was already moving further from him. So much rage in her eyes, it was almost impossible to think that the situation seemed so calm a few minutes ago. “I can explain-”

“YOU CAN’T! YOU HAD NO RIGHTS TO LIE TO ME! YOU BETRAYED ME! I’ve had enough lies, your organization is so twisted!” 

Her rage was a mixture of anger and disappointment, but any other emotion which tried to float to the surface was shifted to that anger. She was quickly getting out of control. 

Gabe had to say something to try to calm her down. But he didn’t choose the right words: “Cass, just wait, we can-”

That was that triggering word: “WAIT?!?! I’M TIRED OF WAITING! I’M NOT WAITING ANYMORE. I’M LEAVING AND YOU CAN’T STOP ME!”

“Cass, please…”he didn’t mean to offend her more, he really wanted to do something to stop her from making the huge mistake, but maybe it was too late.

“I’M NOT STAYING HERE ANY LONGER! GET OUT MY WAY!” 

He tried to get closer to her, but then he noticed the rocks. She pushed him further with blunt rocks!

She used the rocks against me! This is really bad. If she storms out of the room, it’ll be the end of our trust building, but also the agents would go after her, and there wouldn’t be any chance to get her back! 

Then he remembered what Coulson said back on the first day while joining this mission: “... If something happens, it’s up to you to calm her down and convince her that we aren’t the enemies. That SHIELD doesn’t have bad intentions with her. Her life is in your hands.” He could really try to convince or at least stop her for the last time. This was the breaking point and if he failed, everything would be over. So, he didn’t let those rocks leave him stunned. He needed to act now. 

He bypassed the obstacle that got him further away and went directly to the middle of the room, slowly approaching Cass with his voice low and a calming tone, his hands down as he walked slowly towards her: “Cass, please, we can talk this out. I know you’re angry and you have every right to be, but things can be solved also by other ways than fighting.”

“You have no idea of how I feel! There is NO other way!” she was still raging, but stopped from running away. He had some nerve to go and stand in her way.

“There is. Just let me show it to you.” She stopped, now at least I have a chance… he thought, but something disturbed him.

Suddenly agents opened the door. They were ordered to take control over the situation. As far as they were concerned, Agent Perez's life was in danger from the first rock attack aimed at him. They were alarmed immediately after he was pushed back. Until then, they were just prepared, waiting for some signal outside of the room. They held weapons in their hands and were ordered to not intervene until she attacked first. 

For Cass this was expected, but still a wave of fear went through her as she saw those weapons. They looked almost the same as those which they used against her the first day. They almost killed her this way back then, and they were about to do it again. She couldn’t let them do that. She stood in a fighting pose, ready to clear her way out. The only obstacle was Gabe.

He was standing right in the middle of this encounter, nervous as ever, afraid for life. But not his. Really the worst timing ever! They must have been alarmed by those rocks and had orders to keep me safe if she had attacked me. But she wasn’t, she just pushed me out of the way. They cannot start shooting at her. I’m the only blockade of this fight, it can’t start! Even if I should risk my life… for her. She didn’t deserve this, it was just misunderstanding and unspoken conflict that was kept inside. Secrets are destroying trust. I need to convince her that we don’t wanna hurt her, but with those weapons in the background it will be even harder. 

Agents were standing still, fingers on triggers on their weapons, ready to start shooting if there was about to come another rock attack directed to them or Gabriel. But Gabe stood in their way, ready to obstruct them. 

“No agents, don’t shoot! She’s not attacking, please leave us alone! I can make this up.”

“We got our orders Perez, we’re not going anywhere,” one of the agents said, not planning to leave anytime soon. At least they weren’t moving further. All agents were standing on their positions, not taking action yet. 

“Don’t you see? There is no way back! You can’t make things right! Shield was never a friend. Just look at them, they’re ready to shoot me anytime! YOU’RE NOT A FRIEND! Just MOVE OUT OF THE WAY! This is not YOUR FIGHT!” she shouted, without any hope of figuring this out the calm way. Her anger was consuming her and as she shouted, the lighting was flashing almost through the whole room.

Gabe didn’t move away. It was his fight, everything was up to him. Handling this situation well was up to him. He knew other agents wouldn’t be so nice to her. “It is. It’s my job to help people, to help you. We don’t need to fight, they don’t wanna fight you. They have just orders to keep me safe. But I don’t need it, I believe that you’re not a bad person.”

Cass was surprised. Even though Gabe knew almost nothing about her past, he still believed that she wasn’t the bad guy. But she was, she'd done terrible things and felt like she didn’t deserve to be saved, or to get some help. Maybe she even got the feeling that she was the bad one now for a moment, but she hated the thought, so she fought off: “You don’t know who I AM! I don’t need any help!”

“You do, but it’s okay, you don’t have to accept it. I won’t force you. I can’t imagine how hard it is for you right now. But remember, I am willing to do anything to help you, to get you better,” he was slowly approaching her, “it doesn’t have to be quick, just small steps at a time.”

Why is he telling me this? Why would he still want to help me? I’m not a good person, I don’t deserve to get better. And yet, his honest eyes, his slow and subtle movements, do I really want to fight him? He doesn’t seem to have bad intentions, he’s too honest. But the others are still there, with loaded weapons ready to strike me if Gabe was about to move from their way. Or were they? I can’t trust them, I don’t even know what I should do. 

Her feelings were slowly restoring, there was not just anger and hate, but also fear and sadness. Nevertheless, she didn’t want to let it out, to show weakness. She had so much pain inside. 

But then, she realised that this was their plan - to keep her there, to not let her out, so she covered those painful feelings and pushed them back inside. Anger was an easier option. “No. You don’t want to help me, you just want to keep me here, to keep me locked!”

“Cass, please… we just want to keep you safe.”

She interrupted: “Keep me safe? Or keep the world safe from me?” 

“Keep you safe. You are worth saving. You can overcome that anger. I see the pain in your eyes, it’s okay, nobody will hurt you.” He noticed her mixed feelings she tried to hide. 

Nobody will hurt you. She still didn’t believe those words. “Yeah, right,” she said sarcastically, still looking at the agents behind him. She was on the edge of officially losing it, but she didn’t know if it would have the form of attack or breakdown. Her breathing became heavier.

“Don’t focus on them, just listen to my words, it’ll be alright,” he gently said, with his same calming method he was getting closer to her, but still slowly enough to not scare her.

She was fighting with herself. Anger and hate were still too strong, but she didn’t attack or take any action. She was standing there, almost shaking. It seemed like she was about to have another panic attack soon, not being able to hold her emotions much anymore.

She had conflicting feelings. What am I doing? Why do I listen to him? I can’t even hold my emotions, if I give up now, there won’t be any other chance. They could backstab me, they could lock me even in the more remote place afterwards. Basically, they would be able to do anything to me. If I fight, at least it would be up to me what I would do with my life. Even if I fall, at least I won't give up. 

But what if he’s right? What if they really want to help me? I was in this kind of situation before. Rapunzel wanted to help me, right at this point of the situation, I could accept the help. And yet, I chose the easier option, I ran away from my problems and it made everything worse. People got hurt because of me. I made that horrible decision which led to everyone’s doom. Now, I want to do the same, wanna fight, wanna hurt people, because I don’t trust them. Maybe their reasons make sense, but it’s my problem that I don’t want to hear it. Why can’t I just try it? Why is it so hard for me to trust? Why am I such a horrible person? I-I’m so bad… maybe I should….

She didn’t even focus on Gabe that much, then, she suddenly registered him so near to her. She was about to explode from emotions, she didn’t want him to be close, or to see her like that. Maybe even hurt him unintentionally with her powers. “Please… go away.”

“I’m not going anywhere, I’m here to support you. You need someone close to you and I’m willing to help. Just let me help you,” he reached her with his hand, but left it on her to decide. 

She had been angry and shouting and dangerous, but he did not seem threatened or intimidated. “Go away! I ca-I can hurt you,” she said, tears on the edges of her eyes. She was so terrified, she even crossed her arms to hold herself together. 

“You won’t hurt me, it’s okay. Just grab my hand, everything will be alright.”

Cassandra has never been so nervous in her life before. By grabbing Gabe’s hand, she would place complete trust on him. She didn’t fully know if it would mean giving up or allowing him to help her, it was so horrifying. Fighting was her thing and an easier way, but with letting someone help her, it was so much harder. Nobody’s seen her so broken, so vulnerable, in fact she was afraid of it. But in her heart, she felt that this one life decision should be finally the right thing to do. To accept help. Even with her bad experiences in life, even with so many strangers around, she felt that Gabe was the one person in the world now, who could actually help.

With all her courage she had left, she slowly and doubtfully outstretched for his hand. She closed her eyes, still reconsidering her decision even now, but then she just inhaled and let go. Her right hand was coming closer until she reached him. 

Immediately afterwards, Gabe pulled her towards him with a quick move. She felt the shock filling her body. Like as if he was going to do something unexpected that could end up badly…. but it didn’t. 

She found herself in an embrace. Nothing like backstabbing, nothing bad at all, just a gentle warm hug from Gabe. Then, she felt safe. She could let it all out. All that pain she was keeping inside, all those tears which she tried to hide. It was maybe her most vulnerable moment, but also the most natural way of letting out her feelings, she was so unused to this. Even clearly not with anyone close to her.  

Gabe was so happy that she gave him a chance, that she allowed him to help her. First thing he wanted to do even before, when he first saw her so scared and vulnerable, was to hug her. She clearly needed a hug. But that first time, she wouldn’t let him, she wouldn’t trust him. Now it was different. Even though he was scared that she wouldn't allow it, that she won’t accept his help, it ended well. She wasn’t completely lost. He could exhale when she decided to reach him back. He needed to stay strong and be the support though, she really needed it. 

“It’s okay, you’re safe,” he said tenderly as he tightened the hug. He could feel that she was still shaking, still in a shock, but at least this didn’t end up with a panic attack. Now, she had the support.

Those words. They resonated with her. She wouldn’t believe in them if they were told by anyone else here, any other time before this moment. She opened her crying eyes again to see if this was reality. She still couldn’t believe it. He saw something in her that she didn’t. She thought she was lost. That she had nobody. Now she saw she has gained something. Small kind of trust and somebody who cared about her. She was no longer so hopeless.

They stayed like that for several minutes. Gabe indicated to the other agents to leave the room. Everything ended up well. But after that hug, Cass still seemed to be in a distant mode. She sat on her bed, looking sad and broken. Gabe went next to her. It was time for an honest talk. 

“Cass? Are you okay?” he kindly asked.

Cass felt still shaken from what just happened, but there wasn’t any way out of this. She hated those talks about feelings and emotions, but everything was super-obvious for others. She let them see her real broken self. What else would she lose?

“I’ve always thought… that nobody would care about me. I couldn’t be closer to others, because when I was, it always ended up badly. I thought I couldn’t trust anyone. But now… it feels different. I expected that you would be like others, that you would let me down. But you didn’t.” she said honestly.

“I’m sorry for what happened to you in the past. I didn’t know that you had those kinds of problems, but I promise that I will try to not let you down. That I’ll do anything to help you. You’re not alone in this.” Gabe was thinking about her past life before and only a few leads she told him weren’t enough. He hasn’t heard anything so honest from her like this, so he was happy that she finally got the strength to open up.

“Why are you supporting me like this?” she asked, still not getting why he acted differently than others. “I don’t deserve help, I’m not a good person.”

“You are. For me it’s enough to see that you were lost, that you were hurt and needed some help, you’ve never seemed to be bad. You were just scared. Even when you tried to hide your true self, I still got some hints. I've seen your passion during the lessons and that you tried to get better. But I guess, it’s too much for you to handle on your own. By accepting help you would be able to reduce some weight of your problems to other people who would help you with them. People who are good with helping others, who have the knowledge of how you can improve. But only if you allow them to do it.” he suggested finally openly. 

Cassandra was touched by Gabe’s words, he was making her emotional lately. But that help from others? Would it be a good idea to let somebody completely unknown to help me? Gabe was a stranger to me too, and now I’m sharing with him something I would never tell to anyone. And yet, it makes me feel like I have less weight to carry, when my secret is out, when my mask is off. Being myself like this… even I don’t recognize myself. I guess it’s probably good, I need to learn how to be like this now when they know. When the truth is out.

“Do you think that they would actually be able to help me more?”

Gabe reacted: “Of course, there are many professionals that were studying it their entire life. It’s completely normal in this world to get some help from a psychologist or therapist. Many people with mental problems search for them to find an ideal one exactly for their kind of needs. There are also alternative ones, like art therapists or other kinds of therapists. I know one from Shield specifically, that would be perfect for you, I even met him several times and he gave me some good advice. Would you like to try and go on a trial meeting with him one day?”

She wasn’t completely sure what to think or say, mental problems? Nobody said this to me directly, nobody cared about this kind of thing back in Corona. How can I know that it would actually help? But he said that those people were studying it their whole life. Maybe they know some tricks to help others, probably not magically, but with some modern way of help. It wouldn’t kill me to try it. I survived worse. I have some troubles that can’t be fixed just by not thinking about them. Even after some time here, I couldn’t put myself back together, maybe Gabe's advicor could.

“I think it shouldn’t kill me to try it… But what exactly is therapy?” She was a little curious, because back in her age there wasn’t anything like that.

“Well…” Gabe tried to come up with some brief explanation, because he knew many details would discourage Cassandra. “Shortly, it’s a set of meetings with a patient and therapist, in which the therapist tries to find out the source of problems within the patient by talking about it and then helps to find a way to overcome it. It’s like they convince your brain to see the problem from another perspective and then persuade it to accept the problem as something that is not hurting you anymore. I had a few classes in the academy, but I’m not that good at telling the theory.”

“Oh.. I see what you mean, but I will have to… talk about it?”

“Without talking you won’t be able to move forward, but don’t worry, it's a slow process and you will be able to go through it with your own tempo. First meeting is mostly the key time to see if you feel comfortable with the therapist and to settle the terms of treatment. It’s harmless,” Gabe explained.

“Okay, I’ll try,” she exhaled. It didn’t seem forceful, Gabe let her decide. That therapist would probably understand her too somehow when he studied it, she didn’t know for sure. Maybe that was enough talking about therapy for her now, so she changed the topic. She looked around to see the rocks still occupying the room: “By the way, I’m sorry that I destroyed this room… again.” With her hand she made the movement to let those rocks disappear. 

“It’s okay, it’s just a room, at least you didn’t destroy me,” he giggled a bit to relax the atmosphere. 

For a second she smiled too, but then she realised that the attack was aimed at him: “I’m also sorry that I pushed you so hard. I was just angry over everything, I couldn’t control myself.”

“It’s okay, I’m fine, it wasn’t anything too bad. But, I can confess that I was scared when rocks appeared. It’s like… sometimes I forget how powerful you are, because usually I see you just as a normal woman at the lessons.”

“Yeah… powerful and dangerous.”

“Cass…” he gave her that look, with a raised eyebrow and a frown, as if to tell her not to talk about herself badly.

“Okay, I’ll stop,” she took his hint. Change of topic was about to come: “So, what about those cameras? They’re still watching us, right?”

Gabe answered: “Yeah, I was thinking about this for a long time, but I couldn’t find a solution for this kind of situation. I’m not a high ranking agent, so I don’t decide everything. They usually set up the case and I’m just following the restrictions they ordered me to. Often I try to ease up on things, but not every time I get a space for it. I’m not a commanding agent of this mission, to be honest.”

“I noticed.” Right the first day, it was super obvious Gabe but I rather won’t tell you this one, Cass thought.

“Well, I got an idea now, but I would need to discuss it with them first. From experience I know that Shield wouldn’t let anyone cancel monitoring protocol, but I have an alternative. Will you wait here for a sec-, oh sorry, just… didn’t want to use that verb after that-”

“It’s okay, it’s not something that I would explode about right now, but yeah, I hate that word…” Cass admitted.

He was a little embarrassed, but needed to check if he understood right: “So would you-”

“Go, I can have patience.” Cass nodded.

“Alright, thanks, I’ll be right back.” Then he embarrassedly left.

Cass stayed alone for the first time after that really intense moment. At least she knew she wasn’t completely alone, while agents were watching her every move through cameras. She didn’t know how she should behave right now. They knew, so however she felt, they would know the truth anyways. There was no point in pretending, but she didn’t feel the same way as the time she had no idea.

Chapter Text

After a few minutes, Gabe returned to the room with positive energy. He had that kind of look as if they decided to allow him whatever he came there for. “Alright, come,” he said, eyes focused on Cassandra.

Cass was confused: “Come where?”

“Just follow me. Don’t worry, everything’s fine,” he indicated with his hand for her to follow him.

Cass hesitated as she stood up: “O-kay?” She followed him.

Leaving the room, Cass found herself in the corridor she recognised, but this time there weren’t so many agents with guns around. She felt safer with this fact. Gabe led her to another room just at the end of the corridor. 

He started to explain: “So I had this idea… Well, I think you were feeling pretty uncomfortable with the fact that unknown people were watching you through cameras. I said that there is a limited number of people who have access to this area and also rules for people who are monitoring your room. They are agents like me, normal guys with just different jobs than others. They know some information about you, so with their permission I can take you to meet them and you will know something about them. There can be some kind of compromise if you agree.”

“Gabe, I don’t… know, they know too much… I didn’t want to share…” She felt nervous and a bit uncomfortable.

“But at least it’ll be fair now, they can introduce to you, so you wouldn’t be so upset about strangers watching you, but some normal agents that are taking this job and all its secrets seriously, they wouldn’t break the principles,” he said, not knowing exactly how she would react on that.

“Okay Gabe, but when it starts to become too tense or weird, I’m out,” she hoped that she didn’t make the mistake of agreeing to do this. It was still strange.

“Alright.” He opened the door.

Coulson was already standing there, prepared to welcome their new guest: “Hello Cassandra, welcome to the Control room. This is the main workplace of this mission.” 

As she was entering the room, she received a few gazes from agents unknown to her. They were probably feeling as weird as she was, she supposed this wasn't a common thing for them. They seemed almost nervous. Probably only Coulson and Gabe knew why this idea was advantageous. She looked around and saw the screens. It was expected, but it was still strange to see her own room on them. 

Coulson continued: “Agent Perez introduced me to his idea with trust building. I wasn’t so sure about it at first, because an hour ago we were on the edge of our seats, but both of you provided good qualities; Gabriel with not giving up and you with being able to accept help. With this we can move on much better. We believe that you don’t have bad intentions after today and we’re willing to share something of ours with you. I know that secrets can spoil trust, that’s why you are here.” 

“Okay,” she said hesitantly. Coulson seems to be honest too, even when he is an agent in the spy organisation. He is sympathetic. But what about others? She turned her attention to them.

Gabe noticed that this introduction should be organized somehow, so he started: “So Cass, meet my superiors.” 

Collins, leading agent of Control room started: “Hello, my name is Ian Collins, I’m Shield agent level 6, and the main writer for documents and reports on this mission.”

They noticed that Cass still wasn’t in any welcoming or pleasant mood, so they didn’t reach for a welcoming gesture. Collins even realised that mentioning monitoring stuff could be too much for her to take, so he decided to go with a more informal and friendly way of meeting.

“This is my older colleague and friend, agent Armand, he doesn’t want to be called by name so we just call him Armie or agent A as a nickname,” he started with some friendlier stuff while hinting at his friend.

Armand reacted: “Thank you, but I can introduce myself pretty well. And you already did it.” He turned back on Cass and respectfully said: “Nice to meet you Ms Cassandra, I’m Armand as you already know. I'm a senior agent in Shield and it’s been part of my life for pretty long.”

Somehow that nickname insertion did a good job at easing the atmosphere. Ms Cassandra. She wasn’t called like that before. She was called many things, mostly lady but she didn’t like that title, so this was a nice change. She felt like she should say something back to be welcoming, but wasn’t sure what. So, she rather waited for the last person to introduce himself. But he seemed shy, she on the other hand wasn’t shy but just didn’t have anything to say.

Her patience ran out: “And what about you?” she asked, not enjoying waiting even for a short time.

The agent in the corner focused his attention on her words. He wasn’t too communicative like his colleagues, but he knew that they made a deal with this introduction thing. “Hi, I’m Jack Dawson. Agent level 5… nice to meet you.”

She felt his hesitation, he was probably some strong introvert, even more than her. “Hi,” she said just for some feedback, but in reality wasn’t sure what to talk about. She didn’t know what exactly Gabe imagined from this meeting, but it was a little weird. 

Both Gabe and Collins noticed that the situation seemed strange to Cass, she was looking everywhere around, not much interested in her “stalkers”. So Collins started to chat: ”You can look around and see our workspace. Just to state that we’re being watched too by our superiors, this room has a camera too.”

Cass reacted right to what she thought about that with an annoyed tone: “But you knew about it from the beginning and accepted the place with this information. I didn’t have a choice.”

“That’s right, but that information wouldn’t help you in any way in the beginning and would be even more confusing since you’re still progressing with adjusting,” he said his argument but didn’t want to go deeper and cause some kind of argue, since he knew how she would react on that from the past situations. 

Coulson joined this conversation: “We didn’t want to cause any troubles with this, but it was the protocol in Shield. Monitoring has always been a part of the Shield, mostly for people we don’t know. You were new here, we didn’t have any information, any leads, you didn’t seem to be ready to talk, so we had to figure it out ourselves.”

Cassandra didn’t like it anyways, she felt offended with this monitoring thing. She just couldn’t accept it as a normal thing, it was an invasion of her privacy. She didn’t care if it was normal to them, but they seemed all to be on one side.

Collins noticed that Coulson’s explanation didn’t help, so he tried another method: “You can take it like this - imagine if you were in our place. Suddenly there would be an unknown power in the basement, you were just informed that with that power there is a person who is still alive from more than 2 centuries ago, about whom you know nothing. There is chaos, danger and luckily it didn’t end up badly. Person was successfully moved to a safe room, so now would you leave the person in there without any kind of information, with our possibilities to check if everything’s alright?”

Cass was a little taken aback. It surprised her that Collins used the “try to understand the other side” argument, but she still supposed that there could be another way: “Gabriel was the one to check me, so there should be no need for those.”

“What if he didn’t return back? You don’t know what might happen there with an unknown powerful individual,” Collins continued with hypothetical questions.

Now there was another hard question for her, but she didn’t want to retreat and admit their methods might be the right ones: “Maybe there could be more agents with Gabriel to check the situation.”

“Would the person feel safer that way? Less people to see, more to watch, I suppose it would still be more advantageous with our technology. That way there is no need to check the room every time if it’s safe.”

Cass admitted that the cameras seemed to have a logic there, she wouldn’t definitely feel safer with more agents present in the room. But what to say? She was thinking, then tried to shift it: “Alright, I see where you are going with this, but still, it wouldn’t kill you to inform me about it. Others would realise it, but I had no idea, it wasn’t fair.”

Collins continued: “You were in our world for a couple of hours, you had no idea about any kind of modern technology, it would be confusing and maybe even ominous for you. Just ask yourself - would you be able to stay there while knowing this information?”

“Definitely not.” He got her. She wouldn’t be able to accept it then, she would probably fight her way out, like she wanted to do today. If she were in their place, she wouldn’t know what to do. She wanted to find some golden mean, but didn’t find any. She inhaled: “Okay, I see what you wanted to explain. But that doesn’t mean that I agree with it.”

“We understand. But you need to understand too, we have our orders, we can’t do anything with this protocol until we receive a new order. I’m sorry,” Collins apologized, because he understood how hard it must’ve been for her. She didn’t like intervention in her privacy, she seemed to be a pretty closed person. But there wasn’t anything they could do with those cameras. Shield had its rules and they had to follow it.

She felt it. So now I’m going to go back to that room without any change? Why is he sorry? It’s his job, do they want to show me some compassion? I don’t want to go back. I don’t want to be locked. She didn’t find the courage to say this, she tried to hide her emotions.

“It will be okay Cass, you’ll get used to it. In time you’ll probably even forget that it’s there.” Gabe wanted to support her.

It seemed like everyone there wanted her to accept it, she felt like it was the only choice, like they drove her into a corner. But what else should she do? What would they do if she declined? She was thinking if she didn’t make a mistake by staying here. Expectations from them weren’t something she would care about, but she felt the stress, she had to stay strong, to not show any weakness. But they already know, they know everything. This was a really bad idea. To go here. “I have to go out for a second,” she said when it came to the point she couldn’t take it anymore.

She turned her direction to the door, awaiting anyone to stop her, but they didn’t. Just Gabe reached out for her: “Cass.” She didn’t care, she had to be alone for a moment. Then she left.

“She needs a moment alone, leave her for a second,” Coulson said to Gabe.

They all checked the corridor cameras to see if she didn’t decide to leave completely. She was still there, standing, leaning against the wall and breathing heavily. This technique in calming down proved to be helpful for her. She had to deal with the fact that they will still monitor her.

Gabe felt a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach when she left, he hated seeing her hurting so much, and he just wanted to help, to make her bad feelings go away. He knew this was how it had to be here with SHIELD, but he felt powerless to help her through her problem and after spending so much time in the last few weeks, he couldn't help but feel a rush of empathy. He knew how he would feel if he were deceived like this, how much it would hurt... maybe it was wrong to allow that to happen to her, maybe he did the wrong thing. He took a step towards the door to follow her...

"Look, I know you want to help, but she needs the space right now." Coulson said, noticing his disappointment, "This isn't protocol but I think we should leave her alone for a little bit, let her gather her thoughts. If we try too hard to keep her here, or not leave her alone, it'll only feel like more of a prison. Maybe having some time to herself with her thoughts will let her feel like she has some privacy, and she will cooperate more." he suggested, "We can't push her too hard."

Gabe knew he was right, and that he would probably tell that to another agent if the roles were different. It pained him to leave Cassandra by herself when she was hurt and he wanted to help, but he did realise that this time she probably really needed the space.

So they left her alone for some time. It helped that they sent away the guarding agents from the corridor, at least from the part where she was. In the meantime, agents discussed what would help to improve her situation. There were suggestions to let her go to other parts of the basement too, not just in the sector, where everything was underground. She wouldn’t feel so closed there, maybe finding her some window to watch the sky, even if it was still a risk. She’s spent too much time just in that room. In that windowless space, in the artificial lighting of the basement sector.

Then Gabe brought up another possibility: “Maybe we should let her go outside sometimes, she may feel locked, because we’ve never given her the opportunity to leave the inside space of the basement or let her see the clear sky and some nature. It would be closer to her world than these rooms full of technology she still doesn’t fully understand.”

Armand opposed his idea: “We’ve already discussed this Perez, it’s not safe enough.”

Before he could continue, Coulson saw the both arguments and felt like there could be room for some agreement: “Even if we’ve closed this discussion before, now I can see more possibilities Perez. Maybe we could finally manage to make a compromise and do some action.”

This was a really great message for Gabe - at least something good was going to happen. “Really?” His mood shifted from worrisome to excited, finally there would be a possibility to take Cass out.

“But don’t hurry things up, there will need to be many other meetings and discussions for this to be allowed. So, no talking about this until you have permission, is it clear?” Coulson explained to him the time delay for these kinds of missions. 

Gabe calmed down a little and turned his professional face on. “It is, sir.”

Collins checked cameras and noticed that this conversation took probably as much time as Cassandra needed, so he suggested to Gabe: “Agent Perez, I think you can now accompany your companion outside. She seems to be more okay than before. And remember, no mentioning outside yet.”

“Alright,” he inhaled and went to the door.

On the other side of the door, Cass was somehow calmer. Still not too much, because she couldn’t do anything about her current situation. At least, they let her have some space to think. Alone. She needed it. She slowly realised that it was probable that corridors were monitored too. She was right. But what could she do? Nothing, so she ignored it, because she was tired of feeling bad about the fact that someone could be watching her. Then, Gabe came.

“You’re feeling better?” he normally asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know…” she hesitated but exhaled. All that anger and frustration was for nothing. At least she knew that she didn't want to explode like before. Normal, calm solving of the problem seemed like a better option now. “They’re watching us even now, right?” she asked, knowing the answer. 

“Yeah, but don’t focus on it… I’ve learned to ignore it and do my job,” he said.

“For you, it’s your job… for me it’s my life, I think you still don’t understand-”

“I do, and I can understand that you’ve probably been used to privacy, used to being alone without anyone watching you from behind… I don’t know much about your life but I can imagine that this change may be too difficult for you. But don’t worry, I’m here to help, you can overcome this. It doesn’t matter that much when you realise that these people don't want to do any harm, just to help you.”

“You’ve told this before and I still can’t fully believe it. I don’t trust people as easily as you.”

Gabe thought that his easy trusting attitude can seem really weird for his position, so he explained: “It’s probably weird to want to be both a good agent and someone who can easily trust others. I know that many other agents are spies and can’t trust anybody, because it may cost them their life, but I’m not here for that long to lose my ability to trust, but yeah, for an agent it can be dangerous. For me it was too, but I trusted you and it proved to be a really good decision. If it wasn’t I could’ve been killed, so it was still a risk I was willing to take.”

“I.. had a friend who could easily trust others. She was open minded like you, ...she was even naive, but I was afraid that people would hurt her and use her trust because of that. I couldn’t understand how she managed to still be so positive towards people, and wanted to trust any stranger....” Cass didn’t even realise that she was opening up like this, in the corridor, without privacy. But then she noticed it and returned back to reality. “Sorry, I got carried away.”

“No, this is good, you can continue,” Gabe wanted to hear more and to let her know that he’s willing to listen to anything she had to say.

“I actually… I don't want to talk about it,” the sadness returned to her when she realised that this was the first time she mentioned Rapunzel like this, not concretely, but she just touched something she’s been trying to avoid. “I shouldn’t have started in the first place.”

 Gabriel got the hint: “I understand, you’re not ready.” Then he returned to the initial topic: “So, how are we going to deal with this camera issue? Are you willing to… at least to try?”

“I guess,” she said, still not being happy about it.

“Will we return now to the Control room or do you want to go back to your room? It’s up to you.”

“I’d rather return to my room now,” she decided that she wanted to have some rest, after everything she’s been through today. She had so much to figure out in the future, but one aspect stayed. She accepted help. 

Gabe smiled at Cass: “Okay.”

Chapter Text

Gabe opened the door and they were about to come in. He walked there first. Cass on the other hand stopped on the doorstep.

The room, her room, wasn't actually the same as she was used to being in. Her new knowledge stunned her and she couldn’t move forward. She didn’t see just her room, it was something that was visible to others too. Even if there were just a few agents watching, it was still more than she was comfortable with. What would she do there now? To feel bad about it? To cry about it? That would be uncommon even for her, she didn’t recognise how emotional she could get over everything lately. This time, it was about her being seen, but not by people she wanted. She didn’t allow anyone to get closer to her, the only exception was Gabe now. But he wasn’t watching from the shadows like others. It was scary though, to just sit there while people were watching her doing anything. It was as if she was in the shop window, just not with visible surroundings.

Gabe noticed her hesitation: “Cass? Will you come in?”

She returned back to reality and answered: “Yeah.” Then, she slowly stepped in, leaving the door open. “It’s not the same,” she stated.

“Well yeah, you created a pretty big crack on the floor,” Gabe noted, but noticed her mood and realised she didn’t mean that change. “Sorry... you mean cameras…”

She was staring at them, two in the corners on the opposite wall, one in the left corner near the door. “Can they… hear us?”

“Yes,” Gabe answered, even though he knew that this info wouldn’t make it better. At least he was honest this time.

Cass closed her eyes, dealing with this new uncomfortable information. She inhaled, trying to keep it together. They could hear them all the time. Everything she said, everything she revealed about herself to Gabe only… Nothing was discreet between them two, he knew what was going on and that their talks weren’t private. Also, her painful nights weren’t so shadowy for them, maybe they didn’t see her, but they heard her screams… when she abruptly woke up from her nightmares. Maybe they could even see her… 

It was time for the truth. She wanted to know everything, and she wanted to make sure Gabe wouldn’t lie to her to spare her: “Can I ask you to be honest with me from now on?”

“Yea, alright, I can… I’ll just… I probably won’t be able to answer everything that you may ask.” he explained, knowing he couldn’t tell some secrets of Shield anyways.

She understood: “That’s ok. Just… don’t spare me, I’ll rather hear the hard truth than some soothing lie. I wanna ask you a few things.”

“Okay,” Gabe agreed, but wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to tell her something that could maybe even worsen her state now. But she demanded this and they owed her for what they’ve caused. 

“First thing… about those cameras: do they see everything just in that moment or can they record it like on my camera?” She wanted to know if they archived some of her moments… not the nicest ones. She had the right to know what they possessed if it was a recording of her.

“They can record anything.” Gabe grew nervous as she started to ask, but he had to cooperate with her wish, even though it could make it worse.

Cass was in that state to accept things as they were, even though she didn’t like it, she couldn’t do anything about it, or just not yet. As Gabe said his first answer, she realised that even seemingly crazy ideas as she had in mind, weird questions and all those not nice answers could be true. She was prepared to hear it though. She had a worried face, but nodded, because she knew Gabe was cooperating. She would figure out if not, since he wasn’t good with lies or making up things… and also his answers weren’t soothing or mild. 

“Can they see everything, even in the dark?” she asked the second question, not trying to go deeper into Gabriel’s answers.

“They have night mode, so they can see even when the light is off… They’re using blacklight to be able to see in the dark, because it wouldn’t be possible in total darkness. That’s how night vision works.” Gabe explained.

He used his explanations again, this time Cass actually appreciated them to understand how it works. She was staring at the cameras when Gabe was talking about it.

“What about the bathroom?” she was interested if something she didn’t spot before was there too.

“Your bathroom is a private room, we don’t use cameras in bathrooms or toilets, that would be inconsiderate from us.”

“What about the other parts of the basement? I saw cameras in the corridors, probably they’re everywhere, right?” she asked. She supposed it was some basic security thing in this modern world.

“We’re in the secret basement with many classified or dangerous things inside, from weapons to information, so we are secured not just by guarding agents, but also cameras, so nobody that shouldn’t be here can get inside unspotted. Usually it’s just security basics, if someone messed up something they would easily find the person, if someone betrayed us and tried to attack, they would be able to navigate agents to stop the enemy… It has many purposes. Most importantly, it keeps us safe.”

She focused on that part with the word betrayed. She couldn’t get distracted with it now though, so she refocused back. Gabe could often find a really logical and good explanation for something, including this. It made sense, all the security in her time could be reduced if they had something like this. It helped them to keep themselves safe.

“So even the dining room? If somebody wanted to steal cookies?” she tried to ease up a bit too, since she saw his tension, with each question he grew nervous again. This wasn’t something he was prepared to do. 

If there was a nice atmosphere without any tension or doubts, Gabe would even laugh at this. He formed a slight smile instead. She tried to somehow lower that tension, but it wasn’t like she was calm and okay again. She was holding up, but it still wasn’t easy for her, he could tell.

“That wasn’t that funny, right?” Cass asked, since it wasn’t time for jokes and nobody was laughing.

“Actually it was… it’s just… the timing,” he explained, but tried to reassure it was funny.

“Yeah.” Timing, that was not great.

Why should she feel so bad? It wasn’t that horrible for her. Yes, she’s been through an extreme situation today and yes, they had the full responsibility, but their intentions stayed pure, they didn’t want to hurt her. They weren’t the enemies, she could finally see that, at least. Maybe not all people were trustworthy, but after seeing how they handled her little explosion, she knew they wouldn’t want her being hurt. Probably. They could use that knowledge on something hostile, but instead they tried to calm her down and reassure she’s safe. At least Gabe could be trusted.

“Also, about that explosion of mine…”

“It was all valid, you had the right to be angry. I’m glad we could talk it out.” Gabe reached her out, but stopped before coming too close.

Cass was just looking at him, not knowing what to say. It was valid. He said it. He just accepted my anger as something legitimate. Nobody before actually did that. Everyone seemed to not understand it before, why I was angry so many times. Even that confusion in their faces made me angry. But this… this is something different. I’m in a different world.

“Also…” he continued, “does it always seem so scary to be around you when you’re raging? I mean, those sparks that were flying everywhere around when you were screaming. It kinda looked like small lighting. Is it normal?”

Okay, he ruined that nice moment of validation. Anyways...

“Yeah, I guess. I even stopped perceiving that as I’m thinking about it now, but yeah, when I’m really angry it usually reacts like that.” Cass thought about this for the first time. She never paid attention to it that much. It just came with the Moonstone as a normal reaction.

“Wow, so your powers react to your emotions?” Gabe curiously asked.

Cassandra was not used to talking about this topic. She didn’t know how she should feel, if she wanted him to not ask this, or if she could tell him something at least, since he was cooperating well so far. 

“Obviously…” she rolled her eyes, annoyed. The annoyment was clear from the tone of her voice. It wasn't anything that he wouldn't expect since it was her usual reaction but this time... it didn't seem right to her... Then, she eased a bit and tried to explain: “It reacts mostly only to strong emotions… otherwise I can control it.”

This didn’t seem like new info from her perspective, since through cameras they already could’ve figured it out. But for Gabe it seemed as something new. 

“You didn’t know?” she asked, calmly. 

He shook his head.

“Well, then I think you either didn’t connect dots or your spying on me was pretty weak lately,” she teased him.

“I didn’t spy on you,” Gabe tried to explain, “I was avoiding the Monitoring room as much as I could, I promise. I wanted to get to know you without cheating.”

“Is that true?” she didn’t believe it, but he said it honestly.

“You asked me to be honest with you, I’m not trying to lie. My superiors told me only as much as they needed. I requested them to not inform me about everything, just about the most important things.”

She raised an eyebrow: “Which are…?”

“At first, if you were ready. The first days were actually full of doubts and they wanted to make sure you’d be in a good mood for my visit, so they informed me that you were ready.”

She inspected him as he was talking, and her guts didn’t tell her that he was lying after all. She nodded, but wanted to hear more.

“Oh, and also, remember that bad night the first week?” he asked.

She said her thoughts aloud: “Of course I remember.”

“I actually knew what was going on, it was an extreme situation for us, since we didn’t know what to do. Agents informed me what happened and that I should be there.”

“Did they order you to calm me down?” she asked with a sad face.

Gabe remembered this situation well. “No, that was actually my idea, since they didn’t allow me to go in.”

“I asked you to not go in,” she remembered a few bits of it too.

“Yeah, but it helped even from the corridor, that calming I mean.”

She nodded. That was actually a well-handled situation, maybe thanks to Gabe only. Who knows if she would be able to calm down so easily otherwise? Then she realised that meeting afterwards, on the other day.

“That means that you lied to me the next day."

Gabe explained: “Yeah, I had to. I’m sorry about that, I had the rule to not break this secret about monitoring.”

“Apparently,” she said, not surprised.

“I had to sign up the deal to be able to be part of this mission, and one of their requirements included a ban of this topic.”

“So, you’re now breaking the rules? A rebel.” she teased.

“No, no, no…” Gabe refused, “it was actually lifted when this secret got out.”

Cass corrected him: “You mean when I figured it out. You had no clue that I found out.”

“Okayyy, I confess. I didn’t know… you’re a good actress,” he praised her.

“Thanks,” she said, then she realised. This was the first time she wasn’t playing anything. The first time being honest like this with him. Also Gabe, he was finally telling the whole truth. “Also thanks for being honest. This is probably the first time we are truly honest. The first time we don’t play anything.”

“Yeah.” This was a nice thing to hear from her. For Gabe, this moment was precious. She said it aptly, this was their first longer honest talk. From both sides. “By the way,” Gabe was curious, “who was I playing again?”

Cass rolled with her eyes, but in a good way: “that perfect man, who was right every time and who had no secrets and was open and pure.”

“Really?” Gabe giggled a bit. Word perfect wasn’t exactly how he would describe himself. “Actually you’re right with that open characteristic, I am an open book. But definitely not perfect… and I don’t have many secrets myself, but have to keep many for Shield.”

“I figured it out.” Cass smiled, her eyes weren’t that sad anymore. 

“What were you playing?” he asked.

Cass thought for a moment, but decided to not hide her feelings anymore: “That it’s not that big deal…” she paused and thought about her pretending to be okay. To be normal again. She wasn’t that kind of woman anymore. “...everything.”

This had to be hard for her to say. Gabe thought. I knew that she’s not okay for a long time, but the first time, she actually confided in me about it.

“I knew nothing could be completely okay when you first arrived into this room. I figured out it has to be hard to live like this…” he started.

“Gabe, you don’t have to explain it, I know how things were. I tried to deny it all. I tried to forget. But I just… couldn’t. I probably can’t do it anymore.” she opened up the most honest way she could. It was all true.

He nodded with understanding.

“I guess now, when it’s out, it’s no use to pretend anymore. We both laid cards on the table. I am a broken girl and you are a not-so-perfect agent who still can’t lie that well.” Just saying this made her emotional again, but getting this secret out after it was already revealed was easier than saying it just like that… Then she made a gesture that was weird even for her: “Nice to finally meet you in an honest way.” She stretched her hand towards Gabe in a friendly way.

“Nice to finally meet you,” Gabe reached her back, for the first time this time. They handshaked. 

“Honestly, I’m probably meeting myself like this for the first time too.” Cass noted.

“What do you mean?” Gabe asked. “You mean the first time being honest?”

Cass shook her head. “No, actually not that…” she sadly smiled. “First time admitting that I’m... broken. It’s not like something that I would say. That would be normal for me. I’m not like this. I don’t cry in front of people. Or not at all…”

Gabe approached her: “There is nothing wrong with crying, it's a normal human reaction, you shouldn’t feel bad about it… Also, about that broken girl you said, I would say it’s normal too. You’re not who you used to be when something like that happened to you. It’s okay to feel different, to be different…”

“I don’t like this change,” she frowned sadly. She became too emotional again. “I feel weak like this.” Her gaze shifted to the floor. 

“You’re not weak, Cass. You’re actually the strongest person I’ve ever seen, and I’m not talking about your powers.” he smiled at her.

She looked back at him, not getting him.

“I’m talking about how strong you are as a person. You didn’t give up. Many in your place would. You keep fighting.” he explained softly.

“I almost gave up,” she confessed.

“But you’re still here. That’s still an achievement. And you were also able to acknowledge your problem, which would be hard for anyone experiencing a trauma. Everyone has a denial phase of some sort...” 

Openly talking like this, about trauma. Cass was still overwhelmed. She remembered many bad memories just talking about this. She held on barely to not cry again. Body gestures closing up. She felt weak, weaker than Gabe. 

Gabriel noticed her closing up: “Should I stop talking about it?”

Cass inhaled, her eyes indicating to change topic, but she explained: “It’s just too much for one day…”

“I understand,” he said, sincerely. “Hey, it’s actually great progress for one day anyways... what you achieved I mean. You accepted help, you showed your real emotions and you didn't let your anger overcome you... I'm proud of you." His bright smile was so pure and full of honesty, she couldn’t even accept it normally.

Wow. Cass thought. Moment of validation? Someone being proud of me? Gosh, this is just as insane as the fact that these words are like an emotional bomb for me. I’m trying not to tear up completely. 

Gabe noticed Cass’ surprised, almost weird reaction, but she couldn’t hide those tears. She was probably unused to getting compliments like these.

He rather asked: “Do you want me to leave you some space for reaction?”

She embarrassedly nodded, turning around to not show any more tears. This time tears from surprise and shock that someone cared so much. It was something else.

“Do you want some tissues?” with his hand, he reached his pocket to get some and handed her a pack.

She was still turned and ashamed for how she was reacting, but something to wipe those tears would actually help. She looked out of the corner of her eye at the pack and quickly took one, turning quickly back around. 

Gabe saw her cry. That was probably the first person who'd ever seen her cry from up close. Or ever. Even in his arms. It was so weird and a bit uncomfortable, since showing weakness was something she would never do in the past. And yet, here she was, with teary eyes again. Everything inside her was telling her this was anything but a normal reaction from her. She didn’t recognise herself. And Gabe was still there, supportive.

She wiped her tears away, but realised Gabe wasn’t the only one watching. She looked up to the corner and remembered her little camera problem. She weakly grunted.

Fuck. Everyone sees me right now. And I’m teary as hell. What the fuck am I doing? I must’ve gone crazy. That's the only possible explanation. Knowing they were watching me and still opening up? What the hell. It’s too late anyways.

She put her hand on her forehead to hide at least something from a camera angle, even though she knew it was useless. She felt frustrated now. 

Gabe noticed her another weird reaction, but recognised she checked cameras again. “Did you just grunt on that camera?” he quietly asked.

“Probably,” she threw her hands in the air in disbelief. She gazed at Gabe with a crazy look, seemingly going crazy about the fact she just did something like this in front of everyone. “I even left the door open!” she loudly stated as she noticed another detail that she messed up.

 “Cass,” Gabriel grew more nervous at her behavior, “are you okay?”

“I’m probably going crazy,” she deduced.

“No, no, Cass,” Gabe assured her it was still good, since he saw her small internal panic mixed with great confusion and craziness, “It’s completely okay. You’re not crazy. This is how people react, you can be emotional, you can cry, that doesn’t make you crazy.”

“It’s not me. I wouldn’t do this stupid mistake. If I was in my senses…”

“Hey! You made great progress and it was all worth it! Just calm down, you’re freaking out with your reaction. It’s not that bad.” he tried to get her back into senses. 

Cass wasn’t stopping though: “I just opened up again, what the fuck is wrong with me? Did you somehow drug me?” she just couldn’t make sense at the moment. She was trying to find some other reason on why she did all of this.

“No Cass, I swear, you’re completely fine, you’re just panicking again. Try to take a deep breath and calm down.” 

That can’t be true, I’m messed up. What am I doing? What the hell is wrong with me? Cass was shaking a bit, but tried to hold it together as much as she could. Maybe she was really just terrified from her change.

“Okay,” she breathed in, “I’m breathing…” she exhaled. She took a moment to take some deep breaths, since she remembered what helped her with calming down. She still felt crazy, she just didn’t have to stress out so badly about it.

Gabe reassured her: “You’re doing great. Everything’s okay.”

“It’s not… they’re still watching us- watching me. They see everything.” She closed up her arms as a sign of frustration. At least she was calmer. She wasn’t panicking like when she first found out this information… dealing with it now was a bit easier, since she went through the worst part already.

“It doesn’t matter that much, don’t focus on it and it won’t be that bad.” Gabe tried to soothe this situation.

Cass, sighted, still frustrated as hell. “Can’t I just destroy those cameras?” 

“No, don’t do that…” Gabe knew she actually would be able to do that. She wanted so badly to let herself disappear from sight. But he knew they wouldn’t be able to even turn off the cameras because of all security protocols in Shield.

“Why?” she knew the approximate answer, “because otherwise they wouldn’t be able to see how messed up I am? They already know that, so why do they need to watch me now?”

“Cass, they only want to help you,” he repeated himself, since the reason hasn't changed. 

She was in a circle, she knew she wouldn’t get any different answer and also that they wouldn’t do anything about it, even when she disagreed. “This thing isn’t helping me,” she stated.

“Yeah, I know at the moment it might seem the exact opposite, but it’s helping us to understand you, so you’ll get the support you need. Without it we wouldn’t move forward another few months, since you’re not a sharer… and the help you need might’ve been delayed… or even could be too late for it.” 

She rolled her eyes, even though she knew he meant it in a good way: “I guess it’s too late for that not-talking-about-help kind of thing now, right?”

He nodded.

She inhaled again: “Okay, so let’s do it the other way. I’m overwhelmed and I wish to not speak about my problems and your help offering and talks for today at least… I need a break.”

“Fine by me,” he agreed. They were talking too long about this topic anyway and she told more about herself today than the whole time before.

There was a moment of silence. They both were quietly sitting in the room, as if the conversation couldn’t go further after Cass' wish. 

Gabriel understood her, even though he had so many questions now. He had to keep them for some other day. Should he start a lesson? That seemed to be a bad idea, but it was just the morning. Not even lunch time. What now?

As Gabe looked around and saw the floor pieces everywhere, he broke down the silence: “Maybe I could help you to clean up the mess.”

She quietly nodded.

“Oh, and I can call that repairman agent who was here the other time to fix the floor. I mean if you’re okay with it,” he suggested.

“I remember him…” Cass reacted, “he was giving me weird looks when he came here the first time.”

“Still sorry about that… I mean he had a lot of work with fixing the floor everywhere in the basement the first day you released red rocks almost everywhere… Meeting you was something else for him apparently,” he tried to explain as he recalled why it could be like that. “Oooor I can call him when we’ll be on a lunch break.”

“That sounds better.” She remembered that awkward moment the day she had that first strong nightmare, Gabe said it would be ‘fine’, which wasn’t exactly the word she would describe it. She felt as if the repairman agent was holding some grudge against her, she didn’t like him. She wasn’t meeting many people anyways at that time, and this one seemed to be pretty mistrustful. Then, she realised she would be leaving the whole room to him. That thought didn’t make it better, she had some personal belongings now, even some old ones that were hidden near the place of the crack. 

She had to think it through, since a stranger in her room without any supervision could be lurking around and touching things he shouldn’t. Maybe I should take some of my things with me on the lunch. I definitely shouldn’t leave at least my satchel here, since it’s so close, but that way Gabe would have questions again… I can tell him to not care, but he would be even more interested. Uggghhh, this is definitely not great. Everything on this day gets more and more complicated.

Gabe interrupted her thoughts: “Sooo. What should we do now? I mean before lunch time.”

This was another good question from him. What now? Probably he thought after the agreement about not talking about my problems we would return to normal again. And yet, we didn’t. We’re just sitting here. To start a new lesson? I don’t have any interest at the moment. Overwhelmed as I am, I just want to go out and clear my head. To be alone for a while. I can’t go out, this is SHIELD, they won’t let me. I agreed to stay in this prison willingly.

“You can start to sweep the floor, I’ll wash it afterwards,” she suggested since Gabe mentioned cleaning. 

“Uuuh, okay.” He stood up and went to reach the broom and shovel to the bottom part of the big wardrobe.

Cass was in the meantime watching the crack on the floor, feeling guilty but at the same time she finally used her powers after so long. She almost missed it, not being able to use them while she was so frustrated and angry so many times in the past just to not create any leads for agents was so frustrating to her. Maybe unwinding a bit and freeing them from time to time would make her feel better, just not with a threatening aura… Agents wouldn’t be glad to see her destroy the floor again, so it was just another unspoken wish. 

She couldn’t relax anyways, after knowing people were watching her. She was thinking only about the closest future now - today. Dealing with this new knowledge would be so hard and overwhelming. Cleaning the mess she made could distract her thoughts at least a bit.

Gabe started to sweep the floor, putting away the biggest pieces. He was realising what kind of power she held. The crack was so deep, not just the paving, but also the floor underneath, which was made of concrete. The rocks she created were so huge, luckily blunt, so he recognised she just wanted to get him out of the way and not to harm. 

One gesture. If someone evil had that power, so many people would die just with a gesture. Luckily Cass could be talked to and never meant any harm. Fear and frustration, everything bottled up, led to this moment. Another gesture, and all the rocks disappeared. So much power. And danger too. So far, they haven’t even touched the surface of how her power worked and how strong she really was. He was curious, but couldn’t just ask… It wasn’t the right moment; they were talking too much that day anyways. Cass needed a break.

Together, they cleaned up...

Chapter Text

“Hey, would you mind if I wanted to stay alone for a moment?” Cass asked, knowing it would get weird soon. Nobody wanted to talk at the moment nor was she in the mood for a lesson. She wanted to exhale for a moment without the presence of another person in the room. She knew she wouldn’t be completely alone anyways.

“Okay, I understand.” Gabe nodded and left her some space.

As he left the room, Cass still didn’t feel like she was alone at all. Could she even call this privacy? Definitely not. She was technically alone in the room, but the presence of the cameras ruined all the ideas about relaxing and trying to feel comfortable again. She didn’t feel that way. She had no idea how to behave, since they knew so many things about her. 

For a moment, she was standing there like an idiot and watching the cameras, imagining the men behind them. It wasn’t that long ago that she saw them all, for the first time, while they knew and saw every moment she was in that room. It just wasn’t fair. It was cheating, even if it had good intentions. If she hadn't seen them, it would be even creepier. She imagined them sitting on their chairs, maybe drinking some coffee and watching the show of the day - her. Maybe they weren’t having so much fun now, since they had met and knew who was behind the curtain… or more like a lens. Maybe staring at the camera from her side would make them feel uncomfortable as well. She didn’t even know what to think about this weird mentality of hers. 

The staring contest with the camera got boring after a while. It didn’t make her feel any better, she was just standing there with an annoyed face. There wasn't any progress. Trying to process this knowledge on her own was not going anywhere. Not showing weakness after everyone saw it wasn’t possible either. She couldn’t just pretend that nothing had happened. They all saw her cry, saw her being afraid, saw her having bad nights, saw her panicking… she felt bad. Thinking about this was doing it only worse. She couldn’t get emotional again. That knowledge was hurting though. They were unintentionally hurting her even now. Her brain couldn’t process that ‘we’re doing it to be able to help you’ thing. Why would someone unknown, some stranger, want to help her just like that? Gabe was special for doing this thing, but she wasn’t convinced that others were doing it for the same reason. Maybe they agreed with him, since his ways showed to be effective, but they were probably just afraid of her before. Well, who wouldn’t be?

Screw this, gonna get out of the reach. It’ll be weird but I don’t care. 

She entered the bathroom and closed the door. Her only private room. She felt the frustration growing again. Her craziness probably wasn’t just a temporary thing as she was thinking about it now. Being in the same place as when she realised those cameras. Being still there. Did she really lose her mind, or was it a good decision? She didn’t know. One thing she knew for sure was that she didn’t want to hurt anyone. This wasn’t her world. She wasn’t supposed to be here. And yet, she was here, being a weight for Shield. They had to take care of her in order to find out what kind of person she was. Too powerful for them. Maybe for this world. She did bad things in the past and they were here to stop her if she wanted to do anything bad in the future. She let them handle her, because she wasn’t handling anything well lately. 

At least she didn’t hurt anyone today, even though she remembered how angry she felt when she found out. She was imagining destruction everywhere, violently storming out and getting away from all of them. Maybe breaking some bones in the process, beating up some agents who would stand in her way, but she tamed herself. Luckily. If there wasn’t Gabe, this would end up pretty differently, and worse. That much was for the bright side.

He was someone special. Not many would have that courage and honesty while dealing with someone like her. Cass saw his fear, but in the most important moments he didn’t hesitate. He knew what he was doing. He gave her time to think about it. She really needed it. Stopping her from making a big mistake. Filled with anger, when she wasn’t thinking straightly, she just wanted revenge, to let all that anger and pain out. At least she just screamed it out, not harming anyone, thanks to Gabe. If those agents weren’t hidden behind him, they would remind her of their actions, that screaming memory of what Shield did to her the first day. It would just drive her to fight them more. Seeing those weapons again wasn’t great, but when she realised they had only those tiny weapons, while she had sharp unbreakable rocks on her side, it was still unbalanced to her favor. So, this meant she would most likely win and they stood no chance. 

Even after realising this, she hated the image she had stuck in her head. Guns aimed at her, feeling the strong blunt force hitting her during her strongest fear, the panic she felt when she tried to avoid it. It traumatised her as well. It made Shield not trustworthy, even if only a few individuals disobeyed the order and took the shots. She saw all of them in a bad light, no matter the context. 

But in reality, on the other side, they saw someone so powerful who could create sharp rocks just with a simple gesture, who could attack so quickly that they wouldn’t even notice it in time. Imagining how scared people were around her back in her time, panicking, screaming just by her presence. She formed that image of herself, the reason why they should be afraid. Maybe she made it accidentally, maybe by her actions driven through anger and hate. It was her. She was that problem, she was that monster everyone saw in the past, and it foreshadowed even here, in the present time. They felt that image even though they had never seen her before. The reason why they should be afraid, why she was that scary figure whom they released. 

She couldn’t blame them, she was indeed scary. Her appearance, black armor and spikes everywhere around weren’t something that would make people happy or relaxed. If she was on the other side of this, maybe she would be scared, too.

She tried to keep up, hold that fear and go through that situation with a brave face, but maybe showing the fear would make them have some compassion. Maybe they wouldn’t have started shooting afterwards. She was so scared though, she couldn’t just believe or trust some strangers with weapons in their hands as the first thing after she was released. It was over her limit, over her understanding, and the situation just drove her into a corner. Thinking about what could’ve happened was useless now, but realising their point of view was something new for her. She could finally see at least that after Collins tried to explain that to her.

Cameras weren’t a weapon. It was just the way to find out if everything’s okay. It wasn’t some kind of finding weakness and destroying the enemy situation. They didn’t hurt her, nor did any physical harm. The way she perceived it was her problem after all, because she didn’t understand their standpoint before. Now, at least she didn’t have the urge to destroy them all, but she didn’t like being watched, and that was just the first day. Would it be like this forever? Would she hide in the bathroom for days? What about conversations with Gabe? Would she feel comfortable enough to share anything with him after she knew he wasn’t the only listener? Those things she had to figure out.

Gabe left her for around two hours till he returned and knocked on the door. It was lunch time, and the repairman was on the way.

“Hey Cass, I’m back,” he said behind the door. “Are you ready to go to lunch?”

He heard the footsteps and Cass approached the door on the other side. She opened it.

“Yeah, ready.”

Gabe was glad she seemed better than before, even though he didn’t know what she'd been through at the time he was away. She was struggling a lot after that point of realisation, even more after she let herself be seen vulnerable, which was the hardest thing for her according to what Gabe noticed. Apparently, she didn’t trust people. Which led to another thing he noticed.

“Are you taking your bag with you to lunch?” he asked, seeing it for the second time ever. 

“It’s a satchel,” she corrected him, “and yes, I’m taking it.” She was hesitant about taking something like this with her when someone was around, but it wasn’t like they could see what’s inside. About them, where was her supervision? “Where are the others by the way?”

Gabe realised that he even forgot that agents weren’t going with them today, like it wasn’t needed at all. Today was special with many changes and he forgot about this one. “Yes, sorry, I forgot to mention that supervision was canceled for today.”

“Oh, okay. It wasn’t needed anyways…” she stated.

Gabe knew that was true. “Yeah, today they realised it after well… you know what.”

“Yep.” she replied stiffly.

They started to walk towards the dining room slowly, Gabe starting the new conversation: “About that satchel of yours… Why’re you taking it now?” 

He was curious, she knew this was going to happen anyways. “I knew you would ask this. It’s simple, you’ll figure it out.”

“Uuuuh,” Gabe thought for a moment. Then he realised. “Because of the repairman?” It was a change, to let someone go to her room while she wasn’t there. Of course, she wanted to avoid him, but at the same time she was leaving all of her things inside and her trust issues were probably on alert when she knew someone could check her stuff even though nobody would do that if their job was something else.

“Bingo.”

“You know he’ll just do his job and leave, right?” he asked. 

“That’s the thing, I don’t. He could do anything unexpected. You never know who you can trust,” she explained, realising her trust issues could be much bigger than she thought. At least being careful was her style after all.

“Yeah, sure…” he knew supporting her mistrusting attitude wouldn’t help, but trying to prove the point when he guessed her issues were too deep wasn’t the solution. “Sooo, what about the ba- satchel? Why did you throw it under the bed before?” 

Cass got that unpleasant feeling after he asked that. Of course he was watching her through cameras as well to know this info… luckily she didn’t open it or else they would also know that. “I knew you were watching me! For the record, it’s none of your business.”

“I admit that the first day, I checked you for maybe the first three minutes… but not much afterwards, because it made me feel uncomfortable… to watch you like that… Sorry about that anyways. I mean you’ve never had that bag near you and suddenly you’re just taking it with you… I know, I shouldn’t be curious like that. It’s your private thing,” he said.

She accepted his apology this time. “That’s right. Just don’t be curious, I’m not asking you about your personal belongings.”

“But you could!” He tried to turn the discussion to the other direction, and signal he could be open to balance what he knew about her, “I don’t have many interesting things, but some of them are worth the mention…”

She frowned with an annoyed face. She didn’t care about his stuff.

“Okayyy, I know you wouldn’t be interested in some of my technological gadgets, since you wouldn’t understand them…” 

He could almost hear her eyes rolling. He rather stopped.

Then, they were quiet on the way. At least her absent supervision made her feel less limited than before. She was even subconsciously thinking of how to escape with her gaining more freedom, but they were quite conflicting thoughts for her. Alone, she wouldn’t thrive much better, maybe it would be even a step backward, since she realised she really needed help now. She knew her problem solving wasn’t very effective here and there may be a way to actually make it better, even though it wasn’t confirmed for sure. At least she would try, since she didn’t enjoy living like this.

At lunch, Cass sat far away from Gabe. She still wanted more space, mostly today. Also, she was pissed on him after he revealed he was watching her even after he said he wasn’t… much. He was too curious and still wanted to know more, even though she already said so many things to him about her. It was an emotional day for her. She wanted to rest a bit. 

Gabe noticed she wanted her space, and… really, he felt happy to let her have her distance, she had that right. If she couldn’t have her privacy, he at least wanted her to know he wouldn’t pry like that. At the same time, he felt worried how upset she might be with him. He was long past looking at her as a part of the job; she was someone he cared about, he knew her better than some of his fellow agents, and he hated the thought that there was distance between them… but he knew it wasn’t his place to close that. She was entitled to her feelings and he had to let her tell him when she felt safe again.

Still, he felt bad. He knew she was being watched and he hadn’t been able to tell her the whole truth. It bothered him a lot, he was never comfortable with it… but he couldn’t tell his superiors what to do, it could risk his whole job, and then he wouldn’t be helping Cass and… maybe, he wasn’t sure if anyone else could be trusted to do that. Gabe did not know who else would be helpful to Cass in his place right now, maybe someone could still come along, he didn’t think of himself as special, but so many people here cared more for security than empathy, he realized now. Maybe too late.

He wished he could have told her the truth. He knew she deserved that. 

They returned to Cass’ room after waiting a little longer this time, knowing it would take some time to fix the floor. Repairman had to fill in the cracks and it had to be at least a bit dry. When they opened the door, they saw a sign saying where not to step. Cass already knew how to proceed: just not touch it since it was not completely solid yet. Even though it was a big filled crack, it didn’t hinder the movement in the room.

They both entered the room, Gabe hesitantly sitting down at the table and Cass putting her satchel into the closet. Then, she quietly moved, unsure what to do next. She wasn't in the mood to talk anyways.

Gabe rather asked: “Would you feel comfortable doing a lesson now? Or we can just have a reading afternoon…” 

He wasn’t exactly sure what was the best activity at the moment, since the two of them hadn’t talked since lunch. It seemed Cass actually appreciated that, so him wanting to try some calm small lesson could be breaking that silence or whatever was between them.

She didn’t know how to answer that question, since she herself was so confused. Was she angry at him, or just wanting to stay silent? Would she rather enjoy some day off without Gabe or would her being alone just bring back all those doubts she had? She wanted to have some space, and yet she didn’t want to stay with her thoughts. 

She hesitantly suggested: “If you want to stay, we can read some books, but not talk. At least not now, I need some quiet and peace. If I need to have something explained, I’ll just ask.”

“Okay,” he was glad she let him stay, but understood the need for a calm environment, she was in no mood to talk.

She went to reach some books from the shelf near her door and picked at least two different ones. Something neutral to read, nothing about cameras or anything that could make her useasy again, just some random stuff about modern hobbies. Then, she sat on the chair, not paying attention to Gabe.

He, on the other hand, noticed that there wouldn’t be a new lesson for today, but felt that his presence was okay, since she mentioned she may ask something in the future. So, he went to grab some books himself too, maybe to study some new unexplored lesson books for Cass, to get ready when he’ll be explaining the topic. 

Later, Cass asked about some topic and seemed more in the mood to discuss stuff as if it was a lesson for something she was interested in at the moment. It wasn’t like Gabe guiding this time, but more like a nice talk about an interesting book, which Cass appreciated.

Gabe stayed calm and quiet even afterwards; he let her read and have as much time and peace as she needed. When it was closer to the evening, he went to take some snacks and later it was just a calm relaxing rest of the day without any more stressful talks.

Cass was aware of cameras most of the time, so she prefered to stay quiet on purpose. At least she enjoyed the calm mood without talking. She was glad Gabe accepted her wish and didn’t try to start a talk, unless she wanted to. Still, it was more neutral than a pleasing time, since it was her avoiding once again, just in the form of the rest.

Chapter Text

 Later in the evening

Huh. So, what now? Empty monitored room with me as a centre of attention. I don’t wanna be the centre of attention. But hiding in the bathroom would be for nothing. There’s nothing they already haven’t seen me doing. Maybe. Should I try to not care? It could be better, but I always have to care. Mostly about things I don’t approve of. I feel exposed. Hate that feeling. Should cover myself up at least. It could ease me up. 

She stood up and reached the hoodie in her closet. It was big, oversized and comfy, so she liked to wear it. It covered her up pretty well. It didn’t solve the problem though. Maybe she wished she could cover up the lenses as well, so they wouldn’t see her. She went to the table to choose some book to read, wanting to distract herself. It was her only functional distraction that was helping her overcome bad thoughts from time to time. 

After finishing the book, there were again those cameras… as if she thought they would disappear in the meantime. She felt stupid for taking all her attention back to the corners of her room. Frustration and annoyed mood, those were the feelings she felt every time she checked them. She started to stare again, but it was nonsense. She made no sense. She was tired of her taking everything too seriously. The whole day was exhausting. She had to deal with much more emotions than usual and it was overwhelming, she just needed rest. Maybe it would help.

She wasn’t sleeping much anyways at night, often just skipping it or taking a small nap instead. Now she would probably need normal sleep to be able to function normally tomorrow. That was another struggle. 

As she turned off the lights, she saw the red dots. She remembered Gabe saying how night vision worked. They could still see her, even if it wasn’t visible from her side. Probably she saw less than they did. Again, thinking about them. Why did it always have to be someone bothering her even now, when she wanted to sleep? Probably her thoughts were attacking her again. Nobody was doing anything. 

She slowly returned to the bed, being happy for that blacklight, since it was her only light source. No windows were a curse. Even thinking about seeing the stars and the moon was something that made her feel the lack. It would help her to get outside. To be more happy at least with that… All just needed time. As she already knew, she was staying there willingly. 

Lying on the bed with tons of thoughts. It always came back to those cameras. She was so annoyed with it. How could she even fall asleep there? Why would someone want to watch someone else sleep? 

This is just weird. Can’t just sleep in here like before anymore… I don’t even know what’s worse. If it’s the fact that they were watching me before, or that they’re still doing it. Now, at least I know, before it was unfair. Also, the things I had to go through, those nightmares, and they saw everything. Red rocks, my struggling and they did nothing but stare. Maybe they were worried but couldn’t interfere? I don’t care actually. They saw too much of my new self and I hate it. I hate being like this, this isn’t me. Is this who I have become? 

It was deeper. Now, she knew. When she said her thoughts aloud to Gabe, something from it was so deep that she didn’t even realise. About who she was and who she’s become. She tried to suppress those thoughts to that point when she didn’t even realise it was how she felt. She tried to reject her new self, covering it with remains of who she was. But acting as if nothing had happened wasn’t working all the time. There were leaks in her behaviour, of course Gabe noticed. She was just playing, trying to look normal, but deep down she knew she was just rejecting the truth. She wasn’t prepared to live with it. And now, what could she do?

Struggle. Again and again and again. 

Tears started to form in her eyes. Her life was a fight. And she was fighting with herself.

It was so hard, painful and full of regrets. No, it wasn’t about cameras, it was all about her. Well, now if she tried to deny anything, they would have proof. She already denied so many things which they knew were true… Only the cameras could actually confirm the things that happened. Maybe she even displaced her memories of some events that happened, that only agents actually knew what really happened.  

Maybe she was too damaged to actually process all of this. Her subconsciousness was fighting with her during sleep, she was fighting with her real self during days. And now, she finally accepted to show her real self to others and also to herself. And allowed them to help her. Maybe it wasn't a bad decision after all. 

She was in deep thoughts for a long time, till she got exhausted and fell asleep.

She woke up as if she didn’t sleep at all. Something was off. The feeling she got, that a bad thing was going to happen, made her nervous. Sensing danger or uncertainty made her always on alert. She didn’t know what was wrong at all, so she checked her surroundings. Turning on the lights, as usual, she carefully inspected her room. Nothing extraordinary, it was all normal looking… well, except one thing. Cameras. There weren’t any in the room!

That should be a good sign, or wasn’t it? She felt even less sure with this info. It just wouldn’t disappear like that if she wished for it. That’s not how life worked… What the hell was going on?

She went closer to the corner of her room, close to the doors, to see if they weren’t just hidden. Nope. No sign of cameras at all.

Now what? Should I do something? Maybe this isn’t real, but I can't be sure. They couldn’t remove them since I was still in the room and someone opening the door would definitely wake me up. Nobody was here… or?

She stayed on alert, but calmed down a bit. Not panicking about things that made her shivers was still a cool thing she built up as a fighter. She was scared, but ready. Without visible signs of fear, just a bit worried on the outside. She didn’t know what the danger was, but she was determined to face it… or run if she needed to.

As she was inspecting her room once again, walking around, she turned towards the wall and then she noticed it. The wall was a little transparent. As if it wasn’t even a wall. As if it was some unclean glass through which she saw something blurred. Shaped like figures.

Okay, that’s definitely weird. It would explain the absence of cameras… Was it like this even before? No, that couldn’t be it, I’d notice. It couldn’t be like that for all this time. Am I losing my mind? Or really seeing this, for real?

She got closer, touching the wall. Looking through that wall to see the figures. They were too blurred though. Then, she turned around to see if other walls were transparent as well. Her room was like a shop window. And behind all the walls, there were figures, watching her from the shadows. 

This seemed like one of her bad dreams, to be honest. A nightmare, just with different focus… cameras, right? Of course.

She felt uncomfortable. Soon, the glass was becoming more and more transparent and she also saw blank stares from the agents around. Everyone was looking at her. Staring at her. 

All of them were agents. She was in contact only with Shield, so she couldn’t even imagine someone else being around yet. They were all spies. And they were spying on her even when she was sleeping, now even in her dreams, apparently. 

Also, that was a really good symbolics, since cameras were used for spies to see her, now spies were watching her through glass themselves. Just visible this time, nothing different. Of course it was a nightmare, now she knew. It connected in her head, since the whole idea of cameras meant for her that agents were spying on her. And spies were like cameras now.

That didn’t make it easier for her now. It was as if she expected something worse yet to come, but nothing. And that made her worried. They were just standing there. Watching. Everywhere around. Doing nothing but to stare.

Mirror of reality. Yes, agents did watch her. They were watching her even now. And what? They didn’t do anything else, not hurting her physically… maybe only mentally. She was already bad at it mentally and they were just adding wood to the fire.

She couldn’t ignore it, everywhere she turned she saw their stares. It was too much. She moved from her room towards the bathroom, which was her only private room, to hide there. Unfortunately, the walls were transparent everywhere, so it didn’t help. She rather returned back to her room, thinking of what to do next. 

Maybe it was somehow connected to that Control room she was in, where there were cameras and screens. Cameras were controlled from there, probably. And maybe there was something to turn it off. Or to get rid of those spies all around her, block them from watching her. To make walls once again walls… or anything to make it better, she didn’t even know.

In her dreams, the rules weren’t like reality. She could just leave her room and nothing would happen. Unlike reality, where agents would probably block her way out if she wanted to go somewhere she wasn’t supposed to. Maybe some monsters would chase her at worst in these nightmares. So, she approached the door, taking the hoodie with her. At least something to cover up. 

Outside, she saw several agents standing still, all watching at her instantly. She carefully stepped out, staying on alert, ready to strike if they started to attack her. They hadn’t moved even after she walked out of her room. That was creepy. As she walked, they were all slowly turning towards her to stare, eyes completely blank. She never let her sight leave them, since if she turned, they could use the moment. 

She moved carefully forward, having to also watch the front for any possible danger. As she approached the room, the door wasn't locked. Good. She opened and went carefully in. Inside, there were Coulson, Gabe and agents from the room whose names she couldn’t recall.

… one was Armie? Nevermind. 

They were behaving like others. Speechless figures staring at her.

Gabe was the closest one to her. She was disappointed that he wasn’t different here, that he went with the crowd. What was more mysterious now was her noticing the monitors. 

She was there! In the room, her room. What was actually happening? She was standing right here, but at the same time she saw herself in her room. It was as if she changed position with agents, even though they were still present and most likely staring at her from behind. She had to keep one eye on them, but now she tried to figure out more about what was actually happening. 

She was observing the monitors closely, to see if it’s not some kind of error, but no. This was her. Or more like her past self. The monitor Cassandra just had a panic attack. Seeing it like this, the way that everything happened from the afar, she realised how many things they could see this whole time. When she was perceiving the panic attack, she didn’t even realise how others might see her. She wanted to cover the monitors to not watch her suffering. That time, at least, Gabe went to help her. This time, he showed no comfort, just that blank gaze from behind. 

Okay, I need to turn it off, I can’t watch it. Can’t watch myself suffer like that. But how to turn off these monitors? They’re much different from that laptop that Gabe brought me. It doesn’t have any keyboard. Or buttons… just-

She looked around to see other devices that looked more like computers from the book she had. Although she didn’t know how to control them, she knew what button she should be searching for. She had to find it somewhere on the other keyboards, but there were many of them. And even more monitors. How were they not confused by all of this?

She pressed the power button on the first keyboard she found and one computer in front of it turned off. But not the monitors which were a little further. 

There has to be a way to turn off all of them. Maybe at once. God, I wish I knew about this stuff a little more… progress is good, but could be better. At least I know how to type not with snail speed. Okay Cass, think. What would Gabe do? Wish I could just ask him… he’s here, so I can try, even though it may be useless here.

She turned towards Gabe. As she looked at him, she had a worried face. Coming closer. 

He doesn’t do anything, just stares. 

“Gabe?” she asked, hesitating. He didn’t respond. “Gabe, it’s me, Cassandra. I know you’re just staring at me in this nightmare, but I need help. I have to turn off these monitors, so I can have some peace. Please, help me.”

He was standing still, his eyes not even blinking. 

It was so hard to actually ask for help, but the situation she found herself in made her desperate. Not just knowing they have seen all of this in real life, but also the way she perceived this right now. It was a reminder, a proof that she had this pain inside. Still present and leaking, her behavior changing, her feeling helpless and hopeless.

“Gabe please!” she saw this wasn’t helping her, but she wanted to have some kind of support, while hearing her sobbing and crying from the monitors behind. “Just indicate, make a hint, anything.”

Maybe he really couldn’t help, even if he wanted to. Maybe that’s how it was in reality. He had to keep the rules, since he wasn’t someone who could decide. Maybe he had options, but was also limited. 

She gazed down. “I’m sorry.” 

She firstly realised this. His position was complicated too. Cameras were the main problem of the day, but Gabe was the solution. Was it easy for him? He had to risk his own life in order to be able to protect her from the agents who were aiming at her. Agents from this organisation that had their orders. She was so dangerous and he wanted to help anyway. And agents weren’t listening to him, probably his help was more of a good deed than an order. He was different from others. He was limited. He couldn’t make her wish of going out come true. ‘That’s not in my competence, I’m sorry.’ She remembered… It was true. 

Oh god, he was doing all of this for me. For a blue haired broken girl from another century. Was he doing it because he felt compassion? Or simply just couldn’t help himself helping me? Why me? 

She realised some of this information even before, but now it went all together in her head. He was a friend. A new one. The one she could trust. Even with all his mistakes and weird talks, he was holding her up so she wouldn’t drown in her pain. He was the hope. And she accepted it.

She had this weird urge to hug him now. He was so willing, so brave for her… Even this manifestation of Gabe in her head had that part of him inside. She embraced him, for the first time, allowing herself to feel comfortable with hugging someone

She said quietly: “I really needed that hug.”

Even if this was meant to be a nightmare, even if they all were soulless agents with empty gazes, she felt well. All the sounds from the background disappeared, all of the monitors turned off. And Gabe hugged her back. 

Chapter Text

Agent Coulson waited on everybody to take a seat in the big meeting room and then started: “Greetings agents, today I’m here to discuss our changed situation from yesterday’s morning. We progressed a lot with a well-handled situation, thanks to Agent Perez again.”

Gabe blushed a bit, because this was his second time being praised by his superiors. Others were focusing on him as someone special, even though he still felt like a normal Gabriel Perez. Nobody special. These changes were amazing, but at the same time strange, since he wasn’t used to getting big recognition. He was just at the beginning of his career and felt like this was really something else. A big step for someone not fully prepared. But he was glad, thanks to this job he could help people in a way that really mattered. It made him think about his training as a programmer and his previous tasks which were actually pretty replaceable. Maybe he studied the wrong area, even though his skills were extraordinary, he didn't feel like he had accomplished anything with it. Nor saving someone in need. 

This mission was really special for him. He had a new perspective, and yet his chance of getting some job like this was probably one in a million. Many others would dream just to be paid for spending time with someone, he on the other hand knew how important it was for the whole organisation and most importantly for Cassandra.  

When he returned from his thoughts, Coulson just finished his speech and agents even applauded him for his accomplishment. He felt weird again. He wasn’t even sure what Coulson said. 

One of the agents noted: “We’re glad to have someone like you.” He didn’t just say it for courtesy, he really meant it.

Agent Gombert, the older man who heard Perez’s ideas even before he got famous and gave him a chance, spoke: “I am happy that you got so much courage lately, keep going and doing your great work.”

That really meant something for Gabe, he felt overwhelmed by other’s praises, but then he also remembered that there was so much more work to do. “I’m really thankful to all of you, that you gave me this opportunity and this important task...” 

He wanted to continue, but Coulson interrupted him: “We chose the right agent for this mission.” Right after saying this, he noticed that Gabe wanted to say something more and apologized: “Oh, sorry, you wanted to continue.”

“Yea, nevermind…” Gabe tried to recall what exactly he wanted to say, but forgot it in the stress. “Umm, I'm still feeling weird getting this praise…”

Others gave him gazes like he’s too modest.

“...buuut I just wanted to say that there is so much more work to do with this case, mostly after yesterday.” He recalled his direction of conversation, trying to get out of the praise debate, since he didn’t see any progress with it and couldn’t handle so many kind words. 

Maybe that’s how Cass felt when I was appreciating her and telling her kind words, she’s just not built on getting some praise, and this is almost the same for me. Funny, we have something in common.

“That’s right Perez,” Coulson understood that the appreciation was enough for him for today and that they had things to discuss. 

Collins and Dawson, who saw the situation from close from the Control room, were also present at the meeting. Even agent Furlow, the basement leader, was listening closely to today’s topic of debate. He praised agent Perez as well. There were all the important and high-ranking agents from the basement, who had the lanyard for this mission. Only Gabe didn’t have a high rank from them. He still wasn’t completely adjusted to these kinds of discussions which included both nicer but also more concerning parts.

Coulson continued: “As you may already know, yesterday was a breaking point for our special guest. Even though Cassandra was not completely handling the monitoring protocol well, she decided to stay anyway. That's the bright side, we didn’t have to use force to handle her and she didn’t have to fight us as an answer.” 

"That's good. It sounds like she's becoming more comfortable, more willing to trust us." the basement leader nodded.

"I think it would be a good idea to give her some new kind of privilege." Coulson replied, "A little bit of freedom can go a long way, even if we do it slightly, she'll feel more comfortable if she feels less restricted. She's choosing to stay and that's a good sign. Agent Perez or someone else if needed can supervise."

"Do you think Garner would approve?" leader Furlow asked quietly, open-minded about it. He had been pleased they were assigning Cassandra a psychologist.

"We can call him back, but he's a pretty busy man. I don't think we can involve him day-to-day just yet." Coulson admitted, putting his hands on his sides, trying to look decisive, but he really wasn't sure himself what was best here. He looked over to the other agents: "What do you think she'd like?"

"She's been responsive to lessons involving weapons, but I know that's not what you mean," Gabe spoke up. "She likes nature, but that would probably be too much right?"

"If only we had a courtyard..." Coulson shook his head, seeming really sad they didn't have one.

"Sir," Dawson said, "when Perez is not around, one of her favorite things to do is to try to work out. Stretching, training, trying to stay in shape, stay strong." He pointed out. "We have a large in-facility gymnasium, and it's centralized so I don't think she'd be able to escape or access anything important from there even with fairly minimal supervision... it might be a good freedom to grant to her with the least risk."

"Hey, he's right, she does push-ups every day, and often!" Collins pointed out, "she could put some of our agents to shame there, I'm pretty sure," he grinned.

Coulson nodded. "I think that's an excellent idea!" he said, "I don't think it would be too much trouble at all. It might be easier for her in a gym with a female companion though, since there are gym rooms and everything." He meant the changing rooms, and seemed a little uncomfortable to bring it up.

"Agent Jenkins maybe? She seems resourceful." Gabe mentioned. She'd been so helpful with Cass before, and seemed very trustworthy.

"She's a bit low-rank for this, and her specialties are more intellectual, we need someone more experienced just in case something happens in the gym. I think I know someone appropriate." the basement leader nodded.

"Megan?" Coulson asked.

"Yes." Furlow gave him a quizzical look, not happy with him breaking protocol by using a first name but deciding not to break it, "she can escort... Cassandra to and from the gymnasium and to work out with her. Perez can oversee the first few handovers, then Collins and Armand should be fine," he nodded.

"I think it's a good idea as well," Gombert had been quiet, but nodded. "Perez is doing an excellent job so far, but it's important we try to build a larger support network for her. It'll make her feel more welcome and comfortable. We don't want her to become co-dependent."

"Speaking of the support network," Furlow nodded, "when do we plan to reintroduce the idea of therapy with Dr. Garner?"

"With all due respect sir, we need to take our time on that," Collins spoke a bit quickly. "She was really hostile to Perez about it for a while. I think she's clearly warming up to it, but we have to be careful."

"We will be," leader Furlow replied. "Give me a timeline though. I'm not relying on vagueness. When do you think is the best time?"

Gabe nodded: "I think she's ready to try it, but we want to make it seem like it isn't a big deal, or she'll be more upset... Just play it casual, let her try it, and she'll get used to it. One step at a time," he suggested. "It's not like anything that existed in her time."

"That's good progress, Perez," Furlow offered rare praise, nodding slowly.

"He's right." Armand replied, "Even the mental health standards when I was young were very far away from the kind of help you can get today. The world changes fast. One step at a time."

"I'll ask Fury if he can release Garner for a longer period here next time. He's a busy man but we can work something out," Furlow closed that topic. "We can wrap this up soon. Was there any other order of business?"

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm not sure just offering her access to a gymnasium is enough. Perez mentioned that she likes nature. I think we can work with that, give a little more."

The basement leader looked to Gombert. "What do you think?" he asked a little sharply.

"I know from experience that Coulson is an exceptional agent and I trust his judgement," he said firmly. "I also trust in Perez' relationship with Cassandra," he added, "We need to show her that she is not our prisoner and that her trust in them is not misplaced. I think it would be wise to let Perez take her outside, probably to a wooded area under our control, but far from the visibility of any guards, and let her see the sky, take in the fresh air, touch the grass," he explained. "I think it would do her a world of good, and I'm willing to take the heat personally if anything goes wrong."

Furlow's brow moved downward. "We're not ready for this, end of story," he said firmly. "It has taken us a long time to reach this point, we are slowly giving her privileges back, but this is a huge leap. Who says she stays here instead of trying to run off? Are you forgetting she could summon rocks anywhere, and probably with much more ease in a natural setting? I have the final say and my answer for now is no."

"Maybe in the future?" Coulson asked softly.

"At some time." leader Furlow replied simply.

Gabe opened his mouth to protest, but... he knew it wasn't his place. He softened and sighed. There was no use arguing with the basement leader, he knew.

"I... understand, sir." Coulson felt let down. "We'll reopen the subject at another time," he replied, hands moving to his waist again, obviously uncomfortable, now looking as if he couldn't look in the eye of another agent.

"This has been a productive meeting, gentlemen," Furlow stood up, taking a heavy folder under his arm, his voice sounding calmer again, "thank you each for your time, you may return to your stations."

Chapter Text

Cass woke up hugging her stuffed owl. She was indeed hugging Gabe in her dreams, not that she would admit it to anyone. Her nightmare disappeared after that and she was able to rest and have a better sleep. 

She got up from her bed, recalling the blacklight being a source for agents’ night monitoring. Seeing the dots in the corner was still not something she would be pleased with, but at least she didn’t feel as bad as the time when she was acting that she didn’t know. It was still uncomfortable to have these things in her room, but she could learn to live with it hopefully. She turned on the light. As she checked the clock, she noticed she slept much longer than usual. Her normal 3-4 hours of sleep changed to seven. That was quite good.

She was thinking a lot about her dream. Maybe her handling the nightmare was the reason she was able to sleep longer without waking up. Maybe she finally realised something from her book about sleep. It was a step forward. Even if she wouldn’t be able to do this in real life. Or not just yet. 

She liked him. She probably unconsciously knew this a long time ago, when they had their first conversations. He wasn’t pushy, didn’t try to trick her or gain anything. He was a friend from the beginning. But then, she remembered her internal block and what it meant to have a friend. She couldn’t get too emotionally tied to him just to see something screwing up in the future. She forgot how to make friends; she was never good at it. He just walked towards her and did all the work needed for them to get closer. She didn’t do anything special. He was trying, struggling to get through to her, and she on the other hand… actually didn’t do anything for them to get closer, maybe just allowed it. It was an unbalanced friendship anyways, if she could even call it that way. He was the one who was helping and she just made his work difficult. Of course, she had her own demons and traumas, but only yesterday she tried something more than just to deny. It was… something like a new relationship, just with 2 same people. She had to figure out a new way to deal with everything.

She was quiet for a while, lost in her thoughts, when she heard a knocking on her door. 9AM, as usual. Gabe just came, and as usual, waited till she called him in. It was a nice gesture she appreciated. She was more conflicted with how to speak with him now. Would it be like yesterday? After that dream, she wasn’t actually sure about their relationship. Were they unspoken friends, or just a helper and the one in need? 

Try to sound normal Cass. This is confusing but nothing bad happened, just act as alway- Oh, right, I was just acting before, so it’ll be different anyways. Soooo maybe just act as I feel… or rather not, I’m not someone who would do these feelings talks. Or a normal way of life. This is everything but normal for me. I could maybe normalise some nice parts in time, just to not feel weird or even bad about it. Okay, I should just let him in and just go ahead.

“Come,” she said, quietly. 

He walked inside and noticed Cass hesitantly standing there. “Is everything alright?” he asked. He was thinking about what she was going through during the night and even now.

She just nodded.

“You seem to be quiet today...” he stated, but he noticed just her slight shrugging. “What’s up?” he gently asked to see if she had some problem with him.

“It’s… nothing. I guess…” she struggled to explain her weird mood.

“Maybe after yesterday… you don’t want to talk that much, right? You’re maybe exhausted from talking about… everything.”

“Yeah…” He probably guessed right. “It’s just… I’m not used to being like this. Being this honest is… hard.” She had to admit that it was indeed a struggle to talk honestly. Given situation just made talking more complicated, since it all led to talking about feelings. If it was in the past and there wasn’t any pressure on this kind of conversation, she didn’t mind being honest, sometimes even too much towards some people. She knew when to stop, since her honesty and sarcasm were overlapping, but this time she didn’t feel sarcastic at all. As if she couldn’t even use her normal talking methods as before, because everything changed so much, including her.

“So that means you rather lie?” Gabe hypothetically asked.

She immediately answered: “No, it’s only that the truth can be hard to say… or admit, so avoiding it by lying is easier.  I wasn’t ready for the truth, so I believed in a lie to keep myself from falling apart…”

“I totally understand that,” Gabe reacted with understanding.

“Okayy, this is enough for now I guess,” Cass shook off the feelings topic, since she felt bad even mentioning it. How do I even express myself like this? I’m not that kind of person who would realise this one day and say it aloud right the second day. 

Gabe nodded: “As you wish.”

They took the route straight to the dining room. Without supervision, Cass felt less restricted, but there was always the need to watch the surroundings if there wasn’t any danger nearby. Now she was also focusing on all the cameras on their way, checking their positions and angles. 

Gabriel noticed her observing the area, but he started to get used to it. Even though they walked the same path for weeks and even months now, it still felt different without more agents around. Maybe in some time, sooner or later Cass would be able to eat with others and meet more people. Everything needed time though. She wasn’t in contact with many people so far and he imagined that strangers watching her during her meal could be not the nicest thing, so it wasn't a great idea just yet. Firstly, let her know some more people, then socialize her among others. He remembered there was a topic to discuss, and even though he didn’t want to break the silence she tried to keep, he had to say this news.

“Sooo, there is some news I wanna mention to you from today’s meeting,” he started.

“Okay…” She unbiasedly reacted on that, since she expected something as therapy talks going to be her new topic of the day. She wanted to avoid any new talks about feelings, since she already had enough and wanted to get over it at least for some time.

Gabe noticed her reaction; she wasn’t excited or interested at all. He expected that with this news she would be excited, but she couldn’t know what he was going to say, so he rather excluded the topic she was tired of: “Don’t worry, it won’t be about regulation and rules, monitoring or honest talks…  or anything you may find uncomfortable. It’s about new places!” He got his hype up for her, but soon realised: “Uhhh, actually place.”

“Really?” she asked.

Now she looks less unbiased than before. Interested but not hyped… or hiding the excitement. Anyways…

“Yeah, we discussed a lot yesterday, but today was a really important meeting and they introduced me to the idea for you to do something you may like in the new place,” Gabe brought the news.

Now, Cass was clearly interested as he read from her expression. From a quiet and avoiding mood, to interested and full of questions. 

“Well, you could start with this. What is it about?” she asked, having her eyes wide open even though she tried to seem less hyped. 

“About gym and training. Something you do in your free time… and yeah, before you get mad that you didn’t share this information with me and we have it from monitoring, it’s still something good and you could improve by having more space and someone new with whom you’ll train.”

She reacted to that: “I’m not mad… it's a little annoying that you know it from that source, but it served something good, so I can take it as a nice opportunity. So, you have something called a gym to train in? Some special place? I was training outside usually in my time.”

“Yeah, it’s an inside space, a big room in the basement with many different pieces of equipment. You can train there in many different ways. I wasn’t there myself yet, but from hearing it's a pretty big open space,” he described.

“Nice. So, something like a training yard but inside.” She remembered the place where guards were training and imagined it may look totally distinct since it was an inside space, probably training different stuff and techniques, maybe even modern martial arts. Then she focused on the second part of what he said. “You really haven’t been there yet? You definitely should…” she teased him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go there with you,” he answered, not fully getting her honest recommendation in starting training.

“So you’re gonna train too? That will be great for you,” she referred to her obvious note.

He got a little nervous with this question. Well, maybe with his oblique answer he caused a confusion, so he could see that coming. “Uuuh no, actually I’ll go there only as your companion.” 

“Really? So, Gabe and training aren’t big friends?” she smirked. She liked teasing him for something he didn’t know, since up to this point, Gabe was the source of the information. He had knowledge, skills over modern technology and she felt like a beginner most of the time. Now she knew something better and could maybe even show it to him. And tease him.

“Well, I’m more into technology and computers than fighting skills. I wouldn’t be a good field agent,” he explained.

“Tell me you have at least some basic training… I get you just wanna sit and do work like that, but it would be really better to have some experience with this too. I mean you’re in a spy organisation, right? Do they really take people without fight training?” 

“Not all spies have to fight. We have wider professions in organisations like this, so it’s up to us what division we choose.”

“I thought spies had to have at least basic training to not get killed. I mean, I know what a spy means, we had spies too, and they usually relied only on their ability to sneak out and run away or fight their way out, or they were killed. It was a difficult and unpopular position…”

“You seem to know a lot about spies from your time,” he stated from her statement.

“Yeah, I wanted to be in the guard, so I had to be prepared and have training to reveal some hidden spies or catch some thieves. At some point you have to think as a spy to be able to imagine where they would go or what they were up to.” 

He realised: “That sounds pretty much like the job description of a field agent… I mean they are trained to reveal some rats in the organisation or hidden enemies, some thieves stealing information and so on. It seems more like a job for one person though, not like the job of a guard. Guards are just mostly guarding and helping when they need to. Even though they know the protocols, they only take action when it’s needed to, like some visible danger near them or someone asking them for help.”

She was so absorbed into the topic that she didn’t notice it was about her now and she went on: “Yeah, that’s right… I said I wanted to be in the guard, but I actually never was... and I could help only this way.” 

“Wait, do you mean you weren’t allowed to? So you were doing it in the secret as a spy?”

“That’s a pretty big conclusion, and for some points you said it may be true, but we… I wasn’t a spy. We had only guards and I couldn’t…” she realised it was again some deep topic. 

Her dream that's shattered into pieces in the past. No, she couldn’t be the guard, for many reasons. At first, she thought her hard work and self training would be enough, she tried to prove herself so badly, so she took any opportunity, any task just to be able to get closer to her dream. All she got were just a few smaller tasks and then the big one, which kinda was the point when it all stopped. A great leader for a fight, but then she left on adventure, which was another big opportunity; and never returned back as before. She could have a future, she could have it all… if she didn’t take that stone. But she believed it was the right decision. And then, her former life fell apart. Nobody would have ever trusted her again. No future in the guard, her dreams vanishing in front of her. Even if nothing had messed up, she wouldn’t have that dream fulfilled, she wasn’t worthy.

“You couldn’t get the job because you were a woman?” he asked, concluding again, but her unfinished answer hinted it was something deeper than that. She would just say that women didn’t belong to the guard, as he historically supposed. 

She deeply inhaled, not trying to get deeper, so she returned to the surface of the topic: “It wasn’t like that… I mean I didn’t see any female guards when… I was back in my time, but they had a uniform for women, so I guess at some point there was someone. Being a guard wasn’t considered a job for women, but there were always exceptions… in one kingdom they had a whole female army for example.”

Gabe understood now more. “Oh, I see… so it was just uncommon for your kingdom.”

“How did we even get to this topic anyways?” Cass asked, not believing they went so far even though she had intrusive bad memories in front of her just a seconds ago. She managed somehow to not get deeper and get drowned in the sadness of her painful memories.

He recalled the starting point of this conversation, even though it got another direction in the meantime: “We were talking about spies and training I think.”

“Well, so I would return to training them. When would I start?” she asked, avoiding guard topic even though she remembered she brought it up unintentionally and started to open up in the corridor.

“Today in the afternoon we can start!” he happily announced.

“Nice!” 

They just arrived at the dining room and went to eat breakfast. As usual, they took their chosen breakfast from the buffet table, but then something unexpected happened. Cass took a seat opposite to Gabe at the same table. She put her bowl on the table and started to question him.

“Okay, tell me everything you know about that gym. Do all of the agents train there? Are there any windows? Do you have any female agents?”

This was some new level of excitement, even for her. Wow, I didn’t expect this, she doesn’t seem so hyped for… uuuh almost anything. This is a really nice opportunity that agents allowed us. 

“Maybe if you slow down a bit, I can answer your questions. One by one.” He smiled at her, enjoying a rare moment of her being so excited. 

She calmed down a bit, feeling weird about being so excited, but better than being depressed. “Fine, right.” 

He started: “So, first of all, yes, agents train there, but you’ll be there only with one other agent. For windows, I guess there aren’t any, but there is enough light that it doesn’t seem dark and cramped, it’s actually a huge room. And for the female agents, one of them is going to be your gym buddy. Don’t know if they call themselves like that, didn’t have any, but yea, she’s gonna be your new contact.” 

“Great, a woman and a fighter. Sounds good to me. Up to this point I met only male agents all around. Like in this future I think I haven’t seen any woman yet. Which is weird, but I guessed being in a spy organisation means that you must be male. Or a strange woman with superpowers.” 

“No, there’s nothing like that in the world anymore… or at least I think… Just some divisions or jobs are more for men or women and that’s okay. We don’t have gender roles like you had, that are still affecting everyday’s life. There are many female agents in this organisation, many great fighters. It’s just a coincidence that you haven’t met a woman yet. I was with one agent, she helped me with the books the first day… I meet many of them every day on my way through corridors, even on this mission.” He explained his point of view, but wasn’t sure if that info was fitting only the progressed countries… that would be a topic for another day or lesson.

“Interesting… that could really be a coincidence. Okay, I guess I’ll find out on my own sooner or later, now I’m just gonna eat my breakfast.” She ended the conversation for now and started to eat.

As they finished their breakfast, they moved back to Cassandra's room and had a lesson. It was definitely calmer, but still somehow weird and unexplored because of her new knowledge. She wanted to know more about technology, so Gabe adjusted the topic for the lesson. 

Mostly after her weird dream she was thinking about how to improve in understanding so many new things that may be helpful in the near future. Remembering that she was trying to control computers in her dream that were the key for the whole camera monitoring and probably to many other things; she actually didn’t have enough knowledge to operate neither of them. Yes, she could turn on her lesson laptop and understand basic things like knowing how to type or open some easy programmes, but she missed understanding how it was all possible, how extended that knowledge in reality was and how little she knew so far.

She noticed it was Gabe’s area and even though she thought he considered her slow, because she had no basics, he actually patiently explained everything to her and tried to be as helpful as he could. 

Even an expert could slow down and actually reflect on how he started and realised it was much easier for them to learn the knowledge than her. They had been educated since childhood to use technology. They used it in normal life and gradually learned everything they needed. She had to learn all of the needed knowledge at once. And not just from this area. 

Gabe though. It has to be so overwhelming for her. Now that I’m thinking about it, she is a really fast learner. I don’t know if I would be able to take in all the info from each changed area if I was in the future and all of my knowledge would be considered obsolete. Maybe from something I enjoy I’d be able to learn quicker, but otherwise I would be probably slow. She is doing great. Big achievements, both psychological and from her learning. Just in 3 months. 

He explained to her some extended knowledge of how to use a computer and its settings, how to set wallpaper, search for programmes that were hidden and started to explain to her a little bit about bowsters and basic principles of the internet. He knew he had to teach her this gradually, since even nowadays some people didn't understand the internet and he didn’t want her to be overwhelmed.

Quite after the lunch, Cass was excited about the gym she was about to visit. She would finally be able to move more freely and train in a bigger space. She tried to keep cool, since she already revealed her way too big hype during breakfast. 

Okay, this is going to be a great day, no matter the possible limitations I may face on the way, it’d still be something more than I can do at the moment. I was so far restricted only in this room, the hallway and the dining room, which wasn’t enough. Now, it’s going to change. And I’ll be able to do something I like. I mean, they still owe me for that stress and all the bad stuff that happened yesterday, even though Gabe tried to make it up. If they want to keep me here, this is the good direction. I really need to get all that frustration out in some meaningful way. Training will help. And not only here, in this room anymore.

As they finished the second lesson earlier today, Gabe recommended Cass to take some clothes for sports.

“We had our clothes for everything,” Cass raised an eyebrow at Gabe. 

If they wanted to train in the past, they just started. Just the dress wasn’t clothes for training, but it was only her choice as she saw Rapunzel doing everything in her one dress she wore everywhere. There weren’t clothes like now, for sports. They either took something that was supposed to be nice for formal things or something comfy for anything else. And if it was for some action, they always considered that it would get dirty eventually and they would need to wash it afterwards. 

Gabe tried to explain to her the purpose of having special clothes for activity: “Maybe back then, now we have many different clothes, some specifically on some activities.”

“I have my armor for fights, especially,” she looked at him, still not getting his point.

He tried to explain one more time: “I’m not saying that you don’t have, just… you may feel more comfortable in some training clothes that were made specially for movement.”

“My armor is okay, plus it’s safe and unbreakable.”

“Okay, fair point… didn’t know that unbreakable part to be honest,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “so it’s like those rocks you’re creating, right? It has the same properties.”

“Yea,” she nodded.

“Buuut…. maybe if you also tried your sports clothes, you may like it even more. I mean, there’s no danger in the gym… from what I know.”

She declined his offer: “Gabe, I’m not taking it. Maybe someday when I feel more comfortable wearing it out, but not today.” 

“Okay, okay,” he acknowledged defeat. Then he noticed her armor boots that didn’t look as steady as sneakers she had in her closet. “What about sneakers at least? It would be just boots change and you’d see special platforms supporting your movement.”

Cass knew where this was going. “Uuugh fine,” she said reluctantly. “Doing this only because you wouldn’t stop talking about it, to be clear.” 

Gabe was glad she agreed at least with this compromise. He didn’t want to annoy her, but she was so stubborn. With so many things. It was hard to convince her unless it was something she wanted. 

“Those blue ones?” she asked, taking a look into her closet. Others didn’t seem to be right for this, even though she actually didn’t care.

He nodded: “Yep, they’re great for sport and gym.”

“Great,” she stated, still unbiased. 

She took them and checked them again after those months they were just lying there. Then, she took the seat and wanted to put them on. 

When she let the armor disappear from her feet and was about to put them on, Gabe interrupted her: “You don’t want to wear socks?”

Well, that was a pretty fair suggestion, even though she didn’t realise she actually wasn’t wearing socks most of the time in the past. “Uuh,” she thought aloud. “I-”

“You didn’t wear socks before?” Gabe was surprised actually. Also, this was the first time he saw how her armor worked from close. 

“I… wore them… sometimes, I think. Just not usually,” she got weirded out by just thinking about this topic. 

“Oh, okay. I can… hand you some that I bought to you from the closet.” He felt the awkward vibe in the air. It was quite a weird topic and he didn’t want to get deeper into it.

“This is embarrassing,” Cass stated as she was just sitting there, sneakers in her hands and her being randomly barefoot. Definitely awkward.

Gabe handed her socks for training, because he had to buy even this. He wasn’t even sure if it was useful to have a special kind of socks, since he didn’t train himself. Awkward moment faded away when Cass finally got her blue sneakers on, although Cass still felt weird.

Having something like this is weird. And those are just shoes… Can’t imagine wearing a whole outfit for training, so many different modern things they have. Even these ‘sneakers’ or whatever they’re called feel different than anything I know. Got to get used to this or it can become embarrassing again. Me falling in new shoes even though they seem comfortable… I just don’t wanna think about this scenario. If they piss me off, I’ll just throw them away I guess. 

She tried to move in them again, feeling soft and comfortable while walking and small trial jumping. It was just a test but it felt okay. 

I shouldn’t fall in these, they’re good. They’re just different and new. But I need to look funny now. Whole dark armor and bright blue shoes. At least they match my hair. 

Now she had the urge to look at Gabe, her teasing eyes locking into his for a moment before she shook her head with fake annoyance and looked somewhere else.

Gabe caught a glimpse of Cass looking at him like that, but then she turned to the door and wanted to go already.

“So, you wanna take anything else?” she asked, looking at him and noticing his hesitant look as if he forgot something.

“Yea, just…” he thought for things that were usually taken to the gym, but except for gym clothes there wasn’t anything else in her room that they should take. “I guess no, we can go.”

Chapter Text

Now, when they left Cass’ room, Gabe took a different route than to the dining room. It was the opposite direction, somewhere she hadn't been before. Or maybe she had.

I think I remember this route from the first day when they escorted me here. It was so alien for me that day… no windows, lights without flames and now it became normal. Just the size of this basement seemed way too huge when I walked here for like 5 minutes and actually haven’t even seen all the rooms and upper floors or anything… Maybe the whole basement is underground since it's a secret spy fortress.

They got to the verification door where there was a delay the first day. There were guarding agents nearby, checking Gabe’s lanyard. They seemed that they already knew about Cass and were informed to let her go. It was strange anyways… first time to be in this position to get on the other side from the classified area. The gym was probably in another part of the basement.

They passed the door, leaving guards behind. One of them followed them, probably having orders to watch the transition without being too close. Gabe didn’t even notice him on the way, being too focused on the front, while Cass clearly noticed him and was doing as if he wasn’t there even though she perceived possible risk. 

They walked for two minutes until they reached a huge room. Big doors were open wide. It was a really large open space as Gabe described, even though he was there for the first time as well. 

There was one person inside, ready to welcome the new member of the gym. She was a tall blonde woman with a high braid standing in the middle of the room.

“Hey,” she started as she smiled at her guests, welcoming them with the cool pose, “Welcome to the SHIELD’s gym.”

The tall woman made an immediate first impression on Cass, which made her feel even more hyped, but she hid her excitement. Someone who looked so cool would be her new gym buddy, or how Gabe said it. As she looked at her more, she noticed also her muscles; she was nicely trained and it was visible that she was someone who enjoyed this kind of fun.

Gabe reacted first, since Cass stayed quiet. “Hello Megan,” he greeted, tipping Cass off to the gym buddy’s name since Megan did not introduce herself so formally. “This is Cassandra.” He motioned to her. Cassandra waved gently in response.

“Hope you're ready to sweat, Cass,” Megan said with a smirk, “I’ve got a pretty tough workout planned today. Hope you’re ready.”

Gabe’s heart pounded a little. “This is Cassandra’s first time in the gym, maybe we should go easy-”

“I’m very ready.” Cassandra grinned, appreciating the challenge. She didn’t mean to underrate the almost-friendship that she and Gabe had developed, but… she had always wanted a female friend she could train with like this, and back in Corona there was nobody like that… Now if she’d been born in Ingvarr, she might have had so many gym buddies… this was finally her chance to have a friend who could be her match and tease her and compete and maybe compare weapons! Maybe not that last one, but in spirit the same idea!

“Okay, well, I’ll just give you two some time to get to know each other better.” Gabe nodded, stepping aside to find somewhere to sit down and wait. He didn’t know what he should expect, but it seemed Megan and Cass actually found each other with this training stuff. Even the way they were introduced, just like made for each other… no need to be formal and right onto business. He started with a completely different approach on the other hand. At least, he was relieved that Cass reacted well and was ready for the gym.

"So, um, what is your usual training regiment?" Cassandra asked. It felt weird to say that out loud, it was so rare she had a chance to actually talk to someone else about training.

“Actually, S.H.I.E.L.D. has its own training for the field agents, so it’s pretty specific for the work you’re signing up for. For me, it was combat fighting, mostly hand to hand action fights and weapon specialization. Although you have to train a lot and keep fit, it’s pretty rewarding,” she started, explaining how it worked here. “There are many exercises I do, and I’d guess you’re probably unfamiliar with their names.”

That sounded about right to Cass. Megan probably knew some info about her, that she wasn’t familiar with modern namings of stuff or that stuff at all. 

“Okay...” she nodded but was prepared to hear more. 

Megan knew they’d be able to chat a lot in the future or during training breaks, so she didn’t want to explain the whole process just yet. “Do you want to see some basic exercises I do before I start or would you rather warm up in your way?”

Cass had a great opportunity here. She wanted to know so much about modern training, or to have any trainer at all, since her dad only teached her when she was a kid and when she grew up, she had to learn everything on her own. She could maybe learn some cool new movements soon. “Yea, sure. You can show some of your own.”

Megan started with a simple warm up and Cass followed each exercise after her. She also informed Cass about names of exercises during the process, so she’d be able to train her easier in the future.

“These are called jumping jacks, you just jump and move your hands like this,” she demonstrated the movement and Cass repeated after her.

When they were on lunges exercise, Megan casually praised Cassandra’s trainers: “Nice shoes by the way.” 

“Thanks?” she didn’t even know what to say… It was Gabe’s idea after all.

After all, Cass didn’t wear anything familiar for Megan except the shoes. 

When they finished their warm ups, Megan just had to ask: ”Do you have any clothes for training or anything practical or did agents not provide even that to you? Sorry, had to ask, since I don’t think your bodysuit is good for training like this… Don’t get me wrong, but we’ll be sweating a lot… What are you even wearing?”

Cass could see this coming, Gabe already pointed out the issue of how people perceived her clothes. “It’s my armor…” Cass started, but Megan interrupted her.

“It doesn’t look like armor,” she stated when she judgingly looked at her.

“It is the armor… it just doesn’t look like most armors.” Cass tried to explain.

“Wow, I actually imagined some medieval kind of armor when you say that word, but this… really? A black skin tight bodysuit at best,” she teased her. 

Cass noticed Megan’s smirk and understood this as teasing, but she was also annoyed. She highlighted what she’s already told before: “It is the armor, it just looked a bit different before I came here, to Shield. And I also had medieval armor in the past, just for information. I know how armor looks much better than you. I can even polish them perfectly, can you?”

Gabe, who was sitting in the corner of the room overheard their conversation and was nervous about this teasing. It could pass the border of friendly talk pretty quickly for Cass, but he didn’t interfere just yet.

Megan was actually surprised about Cass’ comeback; she was the one living in the past after all. And now she turned her teasing against her. That was kinda fun too. 

“Sorry, I don’t. You’re probably an expert for armors as I see.” She giggled a bit. “So, what exactly did your ‘armor’ look like?” She pointed out at her actual clothing.

“It had spikes…” Cass thought for a moment, but realised it was the only addition that was missing, “yeah, only spikes, like this.” 

Megan’s eyes widened as she firstly saw something so rare as someone using superpowers in front of her. 

Cass recreated her original shape of the armor she hid, because it wasn’t useful for her in the small room before. It was even an obstacle for her in her new forming routine. When she was in bed, the quilt caught on it often. But now, it was a great time to return to the roots. 

She liked how it made Megan shut up from her teasing. And she maybe even astonished her. “See? Armor.”

“Well, I gotta say…” Megan started after a long pause of appreciation, “you were right, it is the armor… just not like usual one or anything I’ve ever seen. More alien-looking or… I don’t even know. Wait, how did I just now notice the structure? It looks surreal.” 

Megan went closer to check it, since only now when she saw glowy-creating spikes she noticed also the structure that wasn’t visible before. A pattern. Cass just smiled and didn’t protest when Megan looked closely at it. 

“Yeah, it is the same as black rocks,” Cass explained but got dejavu from explaining it to Gabe just maybe half an hour ago. She lifted her left hand to show it closely. “It is mostly visible when I create rocks, since it makes it glow, but also visible if you’re wearing it.”

“Oh, wow. Didn’t know it was all made from black rocks and couldn’t even imagine that some rocks can actually be this flexible. Can I…” Megan hesitated to ask, but was too curious, “... touch it?” 

Cassandra wasn’t too fond of physical touch, but she didn’t mind it, mostly for some curious fighter and her future trainer. She hesitated with the answer: “I… guess you can.”

Megan outstretched her hand as she was about to try the substance of Cassandra’s glove. It felt solid, but not exactly rock-like when she touched it. “It’s pretty mysterious,” Megan stated, “what kind of rock is this?”

Cass tried to explain what she knew: “Well, we called it black rocks.” Then, when she felt it was enough, she dropped her hand and Megan moved back.

Megan in the meantime crossed her arms. “You just say color and then rock, but what kind?” She judged again with her look. Cass had some weird namings. (Luckily she didn’t know about Owl)

“We didn- I didn’t actually go deeper into this, the name was made exactly like that… Nobody told me what kind of rock, it just existed.” Cass was confused with these questions, she never got so deep with investigating these things, she just accepted it as a part of her life. “Actually, enough about me. We can start training now, I’m ready. Show me some good moves.”

“You’ll hide your spikes?” Megan asked, since she didn’t want either of them to cut on it while training, even though they seemed cool on her armor.

Cass simply nodded and made them disappear. Now, she wanted to see all the amazing stuff Megan could do and to learn from her. In the meantime, she checked her from close, inconspicuously. She did have some good muscles there. Cass was impressed. She had always wanted to be stronger, know more about weapons, whatever to protect herself and those she cared about... Megan seemed to know exactly how to accomplish those things well. “Sooo, what will we start with? Some cool moves? Will you show me some stuff you do and you’ll teach me?"

"You're new to this. We'll take it one step at a time," Megan replied simply, nodding, "Show me some push-ups."

Cass hesitated, but felt determined to prove herself to the stronger woman, and immediately went to her toes and had her hands on the floor and did a complete push-up, then several more. She wanted Megan to see she was no slouch too, eager for training, too.

Megan nodded, a soft smirk crossing her face. "Excellent," she said simply. Cassandra seemed pretty strong as it was, it would not be hard to teach her. Cass could maybe even keep up with Megan's kind of workout, she thought... but they should start a little easier. 

The next twenty minutes they were both exercising basic but proper training exercises. Megan noticed that Cass was well trained as well in this kind of matter, she knew how to push herself to get the best from the training. Also, she was taking this seriously, that was a good sign too.

Cass was enjoying this training. Although those were just exercises, she had at least more space. And a new gym buddy. She enjoyed meeting someone new if the person made a good impression, and Megan was really awesome so far. Even though she was questioning her a lot, she knew she was mostly curious. And she liked to tease, that was a bonus point as well.

If Gabe knew how to tease… well, then it’d be a different relationship. Maybe it was because he was handling her with kid gloves. He never wanted to oppose her, to try to challenge her like this; it felt a bit too careful. He was always cautious, and yet she felt he was too mild on her. It was his personality after all, it just missed some spark.

It all felt less tense, Megan didn’t know her that well as Gabe, and maybe that was the exact thing that made a difference. She knew just what she was supposed to. And Cass could introduce her to the rest; the real fighty Cassandra, or at least what was left of it. Somehow with this whole training, she finally felt normal again. To not hear about serious stuff, or to not worry about the past or the future. It was just this hour of complete freedom from these things that made her so nervous and under pressure. 

Sure, she noticed cameras here too, she just didn’t mind it that much as in her room. Her room was a cell of her thoughts, the place where she had to fight the hardest internal fights. Where she couldn’t have privacy… Sometimes she was still wondering why she didn't leave after all. It was probably the fear. Her uncertainty was not just about the future, but also about herself. Who was she now?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Megan, luckily, who called her to check some equipment they had there in the gym. Open space was indeed what she needed, and distraction and movement helped her a lot with dealing with all of this.

She joined to see the presentation of modern equipment of the gym.

“So, Cass. Here we have these training equipment machines. You probably don’t have any idea how they work, so I’ll show you some easier ones for the beginning. You’ll learn to use them and then you can freely train on them. I'll help you with stuff like controlling the ones that need setting and will check if you have good posture for others. When it’ll be clear to you how to use it, then we’ll move on to some more complicated ones. Is it okay for you?” Megan explained and asked. 

Cass nodded with a smile.

They were both training exercises without any equipment so far, so Megan wanted to show what the gym could offer to her as well. This was one of the two basement gyms, the bigger one, and it contained a lot of equipment and machines, mostly for more agents to use at once. And since everything was free for them, Megan could pick any of it to start with. 

“Well, starting probably with the easiest ones, I guess these were used even in the past. Dumbbells and barbells. They’re for lifting and you train your arm muscles with a good regimen. I often train with these small ones, around five sets daily.” Meg informed her, but in reality, she didn’t study to depth when everything was invented, so she was guessing if Cass knew it.

Cass was interested. In the past, she could have only the equipment for the training that guards allowed her. Mostly, she could use just a few of them, or to have her own… or to sneak into the yard and take something to train with, inconspicuously. Also, she often had her schedule full of tasks and obligations, so she didn’t have time for proper training. Now, it was different. She could finally enjoy full-time training in a spy stronghold, which was equipped so well. Filled with equipment she didn’t even recognise. 

After thinking for a moment, she replied: “I think we had these… dumbbells… we just didn’t call them like that, I guess. But it feels familiar. On the other hand, we didn’t have bigger ones, sooo I think they just made those small ones bigger in the future. -past” Cass had to correct herself. The whole concept of the future and the past was a little confusing for her, mostly while learning about modern things.

“Okay, I guess you’ll be able to lift these easily.” Megan started as she motioned her hands towards the smaller dumbbells. Then, she realised Shield actually told her Cass had superpowers and even though she used them a little, she could actually have super-strength as well. “Wait. Do you have some kind of magical strength to lift heavy things?”

Cass looked at her weirdly. Of course she had to be curious about this, but as she thought about it, it seemed like a good question. Could she use super strength? “I- I don’t actually know. I create rocks, but didn’t try that yet… or more like never focused on that aspect at all? I could carry my greatsword easily, so maybe there is some power link to that, it wasn’t heavy at all. Do you want me to try?”

Megan had to think now. It was her question after all and she was curious. Shield told her about not breaking the rule of ‘not using powers in the gym’, but it wouldn’t harm anyone if she just tried to lift a heavy barbell, it wasn’t like breaking the floor and destroying things as she was informed she could do. Maybe it wasn’t her power at all. “I’m... not saying you can’t,” she said quietly, “but no damage or anything dangerous, okay? And just for this time.”

Now Cass knew. Megan was that kind of person who would break the rules if it meant to find some important answer, even if this wasn’t that important information… but it’d be new. “Okay. Won’t they be mad?”

“C’mon, they watch cameras but nothing will happen here anyways… there is a big chance you won’t lift it at all.” Meg teased her, since she knew how to mess up with Shield for fun purposes and knowing ways to avoid problems afterwards. 

“You sure?” Cass bit her lips as she turned on the big barbell placed on the floor. She didn’t know what to expect but she was eager to find out.

Megan just watched out for any possible trouble, but she knew how to solve problems if there were any to come. On the other hand, she noticed agent Perez nervously sitting on his chair. Fun nerd, he was so nervous now.

Cass came closer and grabbed the barbell, ready to lift it. When she tried, she started with a really great struggle, but the thing was too heavy to even move. She got tired with her first try, but didn’t want to back up. She let go of the first struggle and tried a different approach. Focusing on the Moonstone and its powers, she strengthened her posture and redirected the powers to her body. Suddenly, the barbel wasn’t heavy at all, she gripped it really tightly with both hands and without great effort she lifted it up, leaving Megan speechless. 

Cass was surprised as well; she never knew she could do this before. She needed to concentrate to not lose her focus, but it was a great feeling. Suddenly, it was an effortless lift, she even dropped one hand and was holding it only with the other one. Megan started to be nervous, but still astonished, so Cass commented: “Wow, I’ve never actually tried this. It’s pretty awesome. It’s not heavy at all when I’m focusing on it. Amazing.”

Megan didn’t know what to say, but as Cass mentioned that focus, she got the idea: “Just don’t drop it on your feet and be careful.” Nevertheless, it was an amazing experience.

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Cass said with her confident voice. She wanted Gabe to see it as well when she realised he was watching them. She exclaimed: “Gabe, look at this!”

And as she lost her focus on powers, just like that, it became heavy again. She didn’t have it in the trajectory of boots, so she quickly dropped it. She actually laughed when it fell; it felt so fun to explore something unexplored about herself right here. Megan was scared for a fragment of a second till she was sure nobody was in danger and that the floor was made to handle these lifting things. She exhaled a bit and laughed with Cass for a few seconds.

Gabe almost got a heart attack on the other hand. But before that drop, his nerd self was actually amazed to see someone with super strength in real life, just like from the comic books.

Meg broke the silence after the laughter: “Okay, this was unexpected but great. Soooo, we won’t do that again, okay?” Cass just nodded with a smile on her face, still checking the barbel for any damage from the drop, but it was alright. “I guess you should train without superstrength to get in better physical form, yes? We can return to the presentation full of gym equipment if you’re ready after this…”

Cass smiled again: “Yeah, we should or we’re going to lose all of our left time for talks and laughing.”

“Right,” Megan nodded, still in a good mood. “We have this other equipment for training legs…”

Meg explained several other easy equipment to Cass, which she later tried. They enjoyed the rest of the training together. It was even longer than an hour!

Cass was excited to be able to spend her time here, it was like a new world just a few corridors further. 

Afterwards, Megan announced the end of the first training. Even though Cass didn’t have the chance to learn some fighting skills she expected, she’d probably have more time in future training. It all went too well. Meg asked Cass if she wanted to use the gym's showers, but Cass politely declined, since she had her room really close from here, and she also wasn’t ready to go to some public place like that, even if it was only with Megan. She had some trust issues and also her small secret with right hand, so it wouldn’t slip like that to anyone. Nobody could know.

As they were about to split their paths, Megan offered her a friendly nod and said: “Hopefully we’ll meet soon again and have some training.” She took the towel from her locker from the changing room and headed her way, waving.

“Yeah, see you around,” Cass answered. 

Then Cass reunited with Gabe, who still seemed to be a bit concerned about today’s event. “So, what’s up with you? Didn’t you enjoy seeing the training from up close?”

Gabe was indeed nervous about what agents were to say about this whole deal. They clearly instructed him and Megan that Cass shouldn’t use her powers, and yet they broke it. What if this was the first and also last time in the gym?

“Well, actually I’m not sure if it was clever to use powers here… let’s head back to your room, we’ll discuss this later.” He motioned that it was a good time to leave and go back. 

“Oh, so that’s what you’re nervous about. Don’t worry, it was an innocent showcase, I even found out something new today, and nobody got hurt. Everything is okay, there are no damages, just calm down. I know what I’m doing,” she explained, still having that rush of happiness and stress relief moment.

They started to walk towards the exit of the gym and Gabe still stayed quiet, probably meaning that ‘talk later’ seriously. It wasn’t that horrible from Cass’ perspective, actually this was probably one of the best moments that happened to her in this future, so she didn’t want to leave it be. She wanted to assure Gabe that it all went well: “Gabe, you don’t have to worry, you’re overreacting. You see? We both had so much fun there, isn’t this what agents want? For me to feel better? I am feeling better, so don’t worry, they’re doing this for me, I bet they’ll overlook that small showcase. It wasn’t even about using black rocks, just power, without anything to break.”

When she said it like that, Gabe actually realised that it was true. They wanted her to feel more comfortable there, so they were successful and maybe he shouldn’t overthink every security detail that wasn’t kept 100%. She even laughed full-heartedly, probably for the first time ever like this. “I guess you’re right… Hopefully they’ll be lenient about it, but yeah, it was for you, so it’s still a win if you finally feel well.”

“That’s right,” she smiled at him as they walked through the corridor towards the security checkpoint. 

“We’ll see what they’ll say about more gym visits, but it should be alright,” Gabe thought aloud as he grabbed his lanyard and handed it towards the scanner. 

Guarding agents just indirectly checked them and let them in without any delay. Nobody was following them this time on the way back. And as they reached Cass’ room, they parted their way with farewell.

“I’ll leave you some time till I return for some small evening lesson and dinner, you can also rest after your training. I should go to a meeting now, so see you in about an hour,” Gabe said as he was about to leave.

Cass answered with a smile: “Yeah, okay, thanks for giving me some time to also rest. See you soon too, you can bring some book about gym equipment when you come back.”

“Okay, bye,” he turned back to the direction of the exit.

“Bye,” Cass said before closing the door.

Chapter Text

Cass was still in a great mood. Finally having a nice and relaxing day. She could train and move without any obstacles; she met a new cool person and probably the first female agent from the Shield so far. Megan was good with approach, but also with small friendly talks that weren't just to 'fill the void'. She was interested in what she was about to say to her. Someone to train with, maybe even a future mentor for some fight training. She even allowed her to use her powers to check a theory! Just an amazing day.

After a warm shower she calmed down a bit. She felt relaxed, the training produced endorphins which improved her mood a lot. Then, she rested a bit on her bed, feeling great. 

She missed this feeling so much. So far, she couldn't train freely or do things that she wanted, but now, it would finally change. These changes would help her feel better and also help her to get through hard times easier. At least with this feeling she got from her first round of gym time. Who knew how often she'd be able to have this training?

Gabe was supposed to come soon, her rest and good mood weren't fading that quickly, but she started to think about this possible way of dealing with everything. Having a bad mood or feeling restricted? Gym and getting into a loose atmosphere could improve her mental state. If it worked, she could come to the gym anytime she wanted. Any time she needed some space and movement. Or would Shield do some restrictions even for this? She was wondering about it.

Later, she heard a knocking on the door and a familiar voice. Gabe sounded as if he had good news to bring. That was a good sign.

“Come in,” she called right away. She really wanted to hear some positive news about her gym sessions becoming frequent.

As Gabe entered the room with several books, he noticed that Cass was all curious about everything they were dealing with at the meeting. “Okay, you don’t even have to ask, I’ll tell everything right away about the conference.” He put books on the table, not focusing on them, since he already touched the main topic and continued: “...And about what agents said also on today’s topic I was a little unsure of…”

“Gabe, you were literally freaking out, I didn’t break anything,” she reacted on the last note, since she recognized what he was hinting on. 

“Yeah, you didn’t. But they didn’t react that badly, just don’t do that again. I mean, we were instructed that you shouldn’t use your powers there, and well…”

“I thought you meant not breaking the floor with rocks, honestly you didn’t say that rule aloud, so it’s not my fault. Also, as you probably noticed, Megan was okay with it, so…”

“Nevermind that, it’s in the past.”

“I actually enjoyed it a lot,” she teased him, but according to his expression, it probably wasn’t the best time for it. Superiors probably rebuked him for that one, but she didn’t want to feel bad as if she was at fault with this. “Okay,” she inhaled, but with understanding, “I won’t do that again if it’ll make them let me attend the gym.”

Gabe wasn’t that happy that it made her feel restricted once again, but it wasn’t like he could do anything with Shield rules. He got a warning at the meeting about it for this time, since Cassandra’s statement about this matter was pretty justified. After all, they could check the whole conversation between them. “Thank you,” he said quietly. 

“I guess they don’t trust me yet, that I won’t hurt anyone…” she started to think aloud of the possible reason why agents made so many restrictions. Her happy mood was dropping as well.

Gabe reacted: “No, it’s not like that. It’s more like… um, that they’re unsure about next steps, so they’re rather careful. Actually, I think the rules here are pretty good compared to Shield in the states, they’re making compromises as well. I know it may not seem too obvious, but they wanna make you feel more comfortable here, since you’re doing great. They have that hope in you, I can feel it as well… before, they were much more hesitant. You and Shield, you’re on the right track. I think you’ll be able to understand each other better soon.”

“Yeah, still not convinced about that…” Cass noted. She had mixed feelings about Shield. She wasn’t that hesitant with Gabe anymore, but they, as an organization that was restricting her, weren't persuasive enough to be trustworthy.

Gabriel understood why Cass couldn’t share his opinion towards Shield just yet and that there had to be much more done to prove they’re as willing as she was with her accepting to stay, even though she wanted to run off. She would be able to do that. Shield had to do more, that’s why he was happy he could prove some points on the conference. He should bring up what they actually discussed and not focus on the restrictions anymore. It made the atmosphere just hard to breathe, for both of them.

“Okay, let me tell you what else we discussed there. About the gym mostly, as you wanted to hear,” he started. “You’ll be able to go to the gym more often! They just need to do the schedule, so that Megan will have time, the gym will be free for you two and also they mentioned something about Megan’s missions… I think when she’ll be out, your gym time will be the other day. Not sure how often she goes on longer missions, sooo…”

“Gabe, you’re talking too quickly and a little incomprehensibly. That means how often?” she asked, because Gabe started to focus on details he didn’t fully understand.

He answered: “They said at least three times a week… for the start.”

“That’s not bad,” she considered this as a good sign. 

If they’ll be satisfied with how things will go, they'll allow me to do more. Maybe even to have more freedom. Still not a fan of the control they have, about what they allow me to do and these things around. They need to watch me, but then they’ll feel safer and let me do more things I want. Hopefully. Uncomfortable compromise. I still feel the lack of control I have here. I wanna go out already.

“And there is one more thing that I should say. Coulson has a new big mission and he’ll be leaving soon,” Gabe had to mention this. 

He knew Coulson had that special tie to people that made them feel closer, and he was convinced that after several talks they had, Cass would actually miss him. Maybe it was just a misinterpretation of his view, that they felt a little closer than any other agent with Cass. And also, for Gabe it was hard as well. 

Coulson was actually leaving the mission, since he felt they’ll be good without him. They called in Garner, so Coulson could be released, to join other important missions. Of course, Shield had its best intentions, and including Coulson to big missions was always a good decision so far. With Stark it was a kinda debatable mission, since Coulson felt like he was just wasting time there; but on this mission, he helped a lot. Gabriel really needed that trust from someone, that push that made him act differently than he used to before. He was willing to risk, also he fought and stood for his opinions and reached great results. Coulson was important for both of them.

“Will he come back?” Cass asked, since this was something new. She could expect that agents were busy not just with her and had many other tasks and missions as well. And yet, Coulson was probably the most important guy there, with the high rank, who was willing to help, to make compromises. She’d actually miss him.

Gabriel answered hesitantly: “I don’t know. I asked him if he’ll come to say goodbye if that’s okay.”

“Sure,” she nodded weakly. 

Gabe went to the door and opened. Coulson was already standing there, as if he was ready to come in for several minutes.

Cass got a little suspicious face: “Was he just standing there the whole time?”

“Not for long, don’t worry. I was released later from the meeting than agent Perez, so I came here afterwards.” Coulson explained.

Cass just shrugged: “That makes sense… I guess.” She refocused back on Gabe and noticed his sad expression, most probably from the news about Coulson. She didn’t feel exactly sad, but it was a shame that one of the better agents from the higher rank would be leaving. Coulson was one of the good agents she met so far and she felt she could trust him a bit, even though she didn’t know him that well. “So, you’re leaving…”

“Yes. I'm afraid I won't be needed here anymore, but I’m glad for the progress we made. They moved me on a mission to New Mexico, 0-8-4, so I need to leave today.” Coulson started to clear things out before leaving. 

Gabe asked, since he was a little curious about this Coulson’s new mission: “0-8-4? An object of unknown origin?”

“It’s classified,” Coulson stopped him right there before Perez could ask more.

“Like everything in SHIELD,” Cass started with an annoyed smile. Of course, everything in Shield was a secret, including her.

“Exactly,” Coulson pointed at Cass with a finger as a gesture, happy she slowly started to understand how it worked here. Working in Shield for many years made this seem like a joke, but he got all the secrecy. It was nice to get into that mood of mutual understanding, of course, he was annoyed often too by lack of information he received for some missions. Although he realized it by now, nobody could know everything. That’s how a spy organization worked.

“So, now you’re going on a new, bigger mission?” Cass started, since she wanted to know at least a bit how it worked with higher ranking agents. “How many missions do you usually drop in?”

Coulson answered, not specifically: “All I can say is that it's becoming busier as we talk. I go to different places almost every week, sometimes even several times a day. It’s not a rule though.”

“Every week, nice,” she said, envying him for the change of the environment, even though it sounded also busy. “Wait, does it mean you’ve been on other missions even while being here?”

“We have an internal network, so we can deal with more places and missions at once… Just for you to know, it’s usually classified, but this information won’t hurt anyone.” He tried to explain some basis, since Cassandra had probably no idea how missions in the modern world worked.

“So, you’ve been away while being on this mission too? Or I didn’t understand it correctly and you made all of these other missions at a distance from here?” Cass got a bit suspicious of what Coulson was hinting at.

Coulson smiled when she got confused with this. She didn’t need to know, but she was curious. Of course, his mission’s history was classified, but he’s been officially to many other missions while being one of the leading agents over this whole Index protocol. Gabriel knew he couldn’t always find him present and sometimes they had to call him in from a great distance just to clear things out. Several times, he was here for days, discussing the matter at the meetings or figuring out next steps.

Gabe got the hint and answered with the theory: “I think he’s been elsewhere from time to time and he can’t tell us where or when.”

“You read his smile or what?” Cass teased, knowing it may be true. She wasn’t the only mission in the Shield… 

“Okay, I have about 15 minutes left before the departure, so…” Coulson started as they began to do all of these theories.

“Fine, okay…” Gabe stopped to do suspicious faces while doing theories and returned his focus towards what agent Coulson wanted to say to them.

Then, Coulson slowly returned to farewell moment. “We’ve come a long way. Both of you progressed a lot, I’m really glad I could be helpful with this case. It’s really nice to see that our work has some good results, even if it’s only a start. Cassandra, I’m sure you’ll be improving more from now on, with agent Perez we’ve got some agreements made and if there’ll be any problems, doctor Garner will be coming here soon, so don’t worry. We’re in close contact, and we know each other, so I trust his judgement with this case. Your gym times will be settled soon. And I’m sure there’ll be more to explore for you too. Stay strong, both of you. I’m proud of how far you’ve come.” He made a short pause and looked directly at Cass. “Don’t give up Cassandra, you’re not alone in this fight. Shield will help - we will help. With anything you need.”

Now, Cass could feel that Coulson’s words were honest. She was focused and she would notice if he lied, but no. He was an open book towards her. Maybe it was his agent practice, but she thought that he genuinely meant it. She felt touched a bit, but not too emotional. Yet, she honestly smiled at Coulson when she heard those words. It was a motivation for the future. 

He has been so supportive, even if he was most of the time behind the curtain. If one of the higher ups could be like him, then Shield maybe deserved some chance. Even with all the secrets, misunderstandings and complications, maybe they weren’t that bad after all. 

“Thanks… for giving me a chance.” She knew they could just label her behavior as hostile, many times in their mutual past, but they decided she deserved to have a new chance. She’s been so angry, stubborn and completely in denial for the past few months, that she may’ve been seen as hopeless. They didn’t give up on her. Gabe didn’t give up on her, and his hope was probably contagious. 

“It was nice to meet you, Cassandra,” Coulson outstretched his hand as a farewell gesture. Sure, she didn’t accept it when he firstly introduced himself, but it’s been quite some time since then. 

Cass didn’t hesitate to return the greeting and firstly handshaked with Coulson. “Nice to meet you too, Coulson.” 

It was a nice sign of a new bond of deeper acceptance and understanding between them two. 

Gabe was getting emotional from this farewell; Coulson was a strong support and role model for him. Having him far away was sad, but he was happy he and Cass got this new tie and understanding. 

Of course, Coulson turned to say goodbye to Gabriel as well: “Keep doing the great work, Perez, I’m pretty sure your rank will grow as well with your personality and zeal for the cause. This organization is great mainly because we have agents like you.”

That was really encouraging and great to hear from him, Gabe handshaked with him as well, but with more emotional expression than Cass. “Thanks sir. I’ll- we will miss you.” He tried to get together, since he had to be professional to not start crying. Now he felt how embarrassed Cass had to feel from the inside when she didn’t want to cry but couldn’t hold back tears.

Cass noticed Gabe’s expressions, he was clearly experiencing it more strongly than her, which was funny, since it’s been her so far for several days. She was both happy and sad at this moment, but she didn’t have to get emotional like before… it wasn’t her thing anyways.

“Will you come back?” she had to ask when Coulson turned back and was about to leave.

Coulson answered with his mysterious smile: “One never knows. Goodbye” Then, he closed the door.

After Cass and Gabe stayed alone, Cass noted: “I’ll miss that guy.”

“Yeah, me too,” Gabe nodded and tried to get back together, with no tears to show. He didn’t want Cass to tease him for this. 

Cass wanted to point out the obvious, but noticed Gabe wasn’t in mood for teasing and since he’s been so supportive with her so far; she shouldn’t just mock him for showing emotions more deeply. He was a guy, but they were allowed to be emotional too… maybe just not visibly in her time. Since someone special leaving could make anyone emotional.  

There was a moment of silence, before Cass refocused on what Coulson said: “So, he mentioned that ‘Garner will be coming soon’, is it that therapist you mentioned before?”

“Yeah, doctor Garner will come here in several days. Him and Coulson seemed to be close. He was really helpful when he was here a few months ago. I’m pretty sure he’ll be able to help you.” Gabe remembered his helpful advice from the hardest time, when Cass was avoiding sleeping for a really long time. 

“Does it mean that I’m gonna meet him when he arrives?” she asked.

Gabe answered: “If you’re ready and feel up to it, then sure.” He didn’t want to make this meeting forceful, so he just said it casually and made it up to her whenever she felt ready, even though he wanted her to meet him as soon as she could. 

If her therapy meetings were successful, he was sure Shield would allow Cass to go maybe even out. They needed someone professional to consult with the leader, someone who would make official statements about what was the best for her and they’d probably listen to him more than to Gabe and Coulson. They’ve already denied that idea about going out a couple of times. This was the best opportunity they’ve got, even though in order to accomplish this, it needed Cass to cooperate. And he couldn’t be demanding about this sensitive topic.

“Okay,” she reacted, without any weird feeling of responsibility, since Gabe seemed to be okay if she refused. Maybe that therapy wouldn’t be so good, but maybe she just couldn’t imagine it. And one never knows if they don’t try. It’d be a new experience for her. And changing the environment would help… of course if they wouldn't have that meeting in this room. She had to ask: “We won’t have the meeting here, right?” 

The thought just made her uncomfortable. This wasn’t the best place for opening up or any shit like that, even worse when she knew how monitored this room was and that it wouldn’t be private. Even the flashback on Gabe saying to talk about it made the unpleasant feeling pop up again. It was indeed a mixture of worry and curiosity. Well, but she could always say no if it wasn’t something that would help her at all.

Gabe interrupted her thoughts: “I don’t think this was discussed yet. I feel they’ll find another room, but I’m not sure where, so it’s hard to tell. We’ll find out after Garner arrives I guess.”

“Yeah, okay.” It still feels weird to discuss my meeting with a therapist. Like… I don’t even know what to expect except Gabe’s introduction on how therapy works. What if it’ll be as bad as that meeting with my watchers? Hopefully they won’t monitor me there, I won’t open up if they will. That’s a fact… maybe I won’t even open up at all, that thing makes me shivers. It’s been a rough two days. 

Gabe noticed that her short answers and doubts probably meant that she wasn’t comfortable to discuss this. Or maybe that she was thinking whether to go or not at all. She’s been triggered by those cameras around more times in here, so it was probably better to suggest some new place for the meeting once doctor Garner arrives.

Chapter Text

A week later

Garner arrived at the French basement on an important assignment that was taking some action at last. Up till now, he couldn’t do therapy with his patient since she wasn’t ready, but now she finally was. 

When he was first contacted about this case, he actually didn’t think it would happen this soon. Mostly after much evidence that proved him that with the Shield system, Cassandra actually wouldn’t start to trust them that early. They restricted her too much, didn’t build much mutual trust except for Gabriel and his attitude. Nonetheless, it was nice to hear that their system somehow worked out even with these limitations.

Garner disliked how Shield had dealt with many people before, no matter if they had powers or not. He even decided to leave, because he saw Shield hadn't changed. 

He knew those people in need actually didn’t have much hope without some good treatment. He was the hope for them. They couldn’t have a normal therapist from the outside, because of all of the secrecy. So, no matter what limitations he faced, he still kept up with his diagnosis and therapy. Even after many failures. Then, he stopped for a while. It became too much. Failures ended sometimes badly, because Index people didn’t want any help and caused troubles that made Shield act in a cruel way. He didn’t know how many of them survived. And if they did, they couldn’t live a full-featured life, couldn’t have freedom even if they wanted to get better afterwards.

This time, Coulson actually convinced him to return. Only because of this case. It was risky, it could end up the same way as before. And yet, when he finally saw the report, saw Cassandra through the cameras, she wasn’t that lost. It was Shield who handled her quite ‘calmly’, but also the European basement wasn’t totally identical with the mindset of those in America. They seemed more open minded, more willing than what he’d seen before with all these things around. In America, people like Gabriel maybe wouldn’t get the chance; and he was the game changer who was the reason Cassandra was willing to stay.

He could make a difference now. 

Usually, powers were the stumbling point with all of these limits. Being dangerous and afraid with some kind of superpowers was a receipt for a disaster. They usually couldn’t handle some new powers, or get the golden mean while negotiating with Shield, so they were aggressive or unmanageable. Cassandra didn’t belong to either of these groups; she was special, had strong powers, but she was managing them. She wasn’t acting hostile. And she had mostly mental problems, so that was something that he could help with. At least more than just to guess how to help these individuals with problems that their powers caused.

He had notes stored in Shield from previous cases with the Index people, but working with someone completely different from their social system would have a totally different course. He decided to make new ones and to forget how people from modern society were thinking. They had different social conditions, so he had to take it into account.

He arrived at the meeting, to negotiate the conditions, since not everything was specifically addressed. He had the list of terms for this mission and the majority was approved. Otherwise he wouldn’t be here at all. Coulson assured him the leading agents would be permissive towards his proposals, since they wanted Cassandra to be on their side. To have her handled well with all of her issues. It was still not a nice thought to know their intentions behind this, but their goal was the same for this part - to help her heal. That was the only supportive thought he felt, while opening the door. Other conditions to get approved were up to him now.  

There was a full meeting room of agents, mostly unknown to him. Majority of his cases were in America after all. Agent Perez wasn’t there, that was a little odd to him. “Greetings gentlemen.”

“Welcome here, doctor Garner. It’s a pleasure to see you here,” the basement leader welcomed him.

The meeting and negotiation were harder than he thought. Sure, he expected Shield to have some objections towards his suggestions about improving things for Cassandra, but he was surprised at how reluctant they acted towards some basic things such as allowing her to go outside. She had zero options about reaching nature, not even being able to have a window.

His main concern was towards the session room - it had to be an unmonitored room with calm and light space. That included a window. That part seemed to be the most ‘risky’ from their perspective and he couldn’t figure out why. If Cassandra agreed to stay there willingly, why did they have to do such a big deal from their what if scenarios? What if she decided to run away when she sees the opportunity? -Why don’t you treat her like a person and more like a prisoner?

He noticed there was a different pattern in Shield with this case. So far, he met mainly normal people that were put into the Index. She was the first one who didn’t belong to their society. And that’s what Shield used in order to take full control. They haven’t done this before, from what he knew. They didn’t know how to treat her well, and it was way too visible. She was damaged, not only because of her past, but also by how they treated her so far. Just like some prisoner that didn’t deserve to go even outside. As if she was automatically planning an escape the moment she stepped outside. It didn’t have much logic, but people in Shield were paid to think differently.

He was glad that not all agents belonged to this group. It was nice to see some support from the higher ups, who seemed to be more and more on Cassandra's side. Shamefully, the bigger part cared mainly about protocols and the benefit of having someone so powerful under control.

He didn’t like formalities and Shield protocols, so it was hard to also make some compromises. He couldn’t officially request Shield to let her go outside until there have been some sessions already, and when he would, it would need to go through Shield’s bureaucracy.

The main conditions couldn’t be negotiated though. And he got all the things that were needed for the therapy, just as promised. The stumbling point - a window, has been addressed more times than just for therapy purposes. She NEEDED some sun. It was too much for a depressive person to stay in the dark most of the time… all of the time. He couldn’t even imagine it.

They said Shield was making some research on how Cassandra’s powers, or more like power source, has affected her. There have been theories about how she didn’t feel the lack of some basic human needs, like sleep for example. She had survived for so long just from that power. So, they presumed that the lack of the daylight wouldn’t have devastating effects on her. Garner had to correct them, since all of these were just theories, and for her mental health and health in general, they needed to find her some room with a window, where she could spend time. Most ideally move her to another room with a window. That idea was denied by the leader.

The basement leader Furlow. That guy was sparking with distrust. It was a shame that he was the one who was approving most of the important stuff for this mission. Garner wasn’t happy he had to work with someone like him, knowing it will be much more difficult. 

He had to re-suggest it more to Shield’s liking, while still meeting his initial purpose. He proposed a room or a space, where Cassandra could freely go whenever she needed to, that would have a window. Nothing like moving her from the classified monitored fortress that Shield held onto so strongly. That idea seemed to be more realistic, but some agents were still in doubt. He was annoyed by Shield again, and had to push to change this request into a demand. 

Luckily, many agents agreed when he brought more evidence on how it would make anyone feel worse if they didn’t see any daylight for weeks or months straight. Making this perspective more convincing, they decided to solve it once and for all. Mainly agents from the Monitoring room helped with the negotiation, they knew way too well the effect on their subject of observation.

He was glad that this was finally approved. And that he got the space to do his primary job - to help his new patient. He went to prepare for the session, hoping she’d finally be ready for this kind of help.

It’s been several days for Cassandra since that first gym session. She’s been there one more time, training with Megan with more complex equipment. Reading gym books helped her to understand many training techniques as well. 

She’d been feeling better and more relaxed, even though since her breakthrough she’d been generally more quiet about deep topics. She hadn’t talked with Gabe much about her issues, she wanted to process it on her own and calmly. It was hard at night anyways. It seemed like that denial phase all over again, just without all the secrecy. Everyone knew… including her, that she was messed up. She felt like she was having an identity crisis with her questioning herself and her decisions, but it was still only about the present topics. Cameras, her change, but not trying to go deeper, into the past… that was a dangerous area anyways.

She’d been nervous for a while about this whole meeting with a therapist. Of course, Gabe was trying to reassure her. After all, he didn’t want or at least didn’t seem to want her to just open up and start talking, something like a big and overwhelming expectation. This was just a trial meeting.

Getting informed about the terms for the session, Cass felt more sure and comfortable with going there. Gabe told her that Garner settled the condition with Shield about an unmonitored room. It was indeed a relief, so she decided to go. Everything was prepared, well maybe except her, since she wasn’t exactly sure on how to prepare for something like this. She rather took her hoodie, to have some comfort in an unknown situation.

Gabe accompanied her on the way to the new part of the basement, this time even further than the gym. It was a longer path, leading through at least two sections and going through something completely new for Cass - an elevator. It was actually hard to explain to her this in short, since it’s been something completely unknown for her society. 

“Yea, we’ll just go in, press the button and just wait till it lifts us up. It’s more fun than the stairs,” Gabe started.

“So, it’s just another of your modern technologies that uses electricity?” she asked.

He nodded: “Yes, briefly said.”

“I think it sounds really useful, can imagine avoiding some stairs to the high palace’s towers in the past.” Her remark made her actually realize: “Now as I think about it, I used something like that with my powers back then… I just lifted myself up in my tower, because after the first time walking all the way up there, it took pretty long. So, I made a lift of some kind… even though I didn’t use technology for it.”

Gabe was interested, it was intriguing to hear something about self-inventions she used creatively from her powers. “Fascinating. And also… you had your own tower?”

As he asked, they just arrived on the floor they were aiming for and the lift opened. It interrupted their talk, so Cass ended the topic to leave it for another time: “That’s for a longer talk.”

It was so quick, it didn’t even take a minute, Cass thought. Elevators are really interesting, I like them.

They didn’t walk long till they reached Cass’ destination. They stopped in front of the door of the session room, Gabe giving Cass a few last encouraging words, since he noticed she wasn’t feeling too comfortable and was a bit nervous.

“The therapist will tell you everything you need to know about therapy, he’ll explain it much better than me. If you ever feel unsure about anything, just ask. Everything’s gonna be okay,” Gabe reassured her.

Cass nodded, trying to hide her doubts. Before they split, Gabe wished her good luck and told he’ll be back in an hour. Then they divided their paths.

Cass unsurely knocked on the door. She heard footsteps and soon a person slowly opened the door. 

He was a tall dark man with a welcoming gesture: “Hello, my name is Doctor Andrew Garner. Cassandra, is that right?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. Her first impression on Garner was odd. His first name reminded her immediately of the person she hated in the past, but he didn’t give off any uncomfortable vibe at all… It was just that name that bothered her at first.

Not wanting to sound indecent, she greeted him: “Hello.” Even though she didn’t want to sound uncertain, there was something in her voice that didn’t sound natural with that greeting. He’d probably judge all her behavior, so she wanted to avoid this nervousness. 

“Come in,” Garner invited her inside. “Is it okay to call you Cassandra? Any preferred title?”

“No, it’s okay,” she confirmed. Walking in, she found herself in a quite big room full of natural light, and… a window? That was probably the biggest surprise.

Garner noticed that Cass suddenly lost focus on him; her attention was taken over by the window. He was glad that this little surprise he had to fight hard for was worth it. Garner didn’t see this as any big risk with giving her this completely basic privilege to be able to look outside. It was a really important step forward.

Cass was trying to keep her surprised expression inside, not trying to make it seem like a big deal, even though she was in awe. A real window with a real view on the outside. From her further position, she saw just a sky with a few clouds, but then she walked deeper into the room. She closed the door and went closer towards the window.

“Won’t you mind if I take a look?” she asked. She wasn’t sure if she could draw her attention away from her therapist right when she walked in, since she truly didn’t know if it was appropriate for the occasion.

Garner answered: “Yes, you can take a look outside. Coulson thought this may be a good idea. I think he was right.”

Cass quietly nodded. It was a really nice gesture from them, she supposed it had to be complicated to get a room like this for this session. She gazed outside, seeing part of the basement, but also some yard behind and the clear sky. That view wasn’t anything special from what she knew about the views, but this one was her first actual look on the outside after centuries of complete darkness. It was special to her. She tried to hold happiness inside, but was slowly getting emotional anyways. Even though her main focus was on appreciating basic things like fluffy white clouds, early spring trees in the distance and checking surroundings of the building; Cass couldn’t forget this was meant to be a therapy after all.

There were also multiple places to sit in the room, one near the window, but further from her therapist. “Can I stay here for a moment? It’s been… long since I’ve seen the outside.”

“Of course, you’re free to go wherever you want in this room. I can imagine that it must’ve been really long for you.” Garner said.

“Yeah…”

Garner was glad that they could build a relaxing atmosphere just by doing this therapy session in a room with a window. He left her some time, since he knew how long it’s been for her to see the outside from the report. He was just calmly watching her. From what he’s seen so far, her behavior seemed reserved and unsure, just like from the report. Maybe even a bit shy in a new situation. She wore a hoodie, so he supposed she needed some cover to feel more comfortable.

He wanted to subtly start some small conversation, since Cassandra seemed to be captured by the window completely: “So, how was your day?”

“Nothing special besides this…” she said, distracted. 

There was a small pause. Cass got curious about the settings outside, since she saw bare trees, but also few small flowers further. “It’s still winter, right?” she asked, since her perception of the settings outside was still irrelevant to reality. “Have no idea…”

“Spring is slowly coming, it’s the beginning of the march. Do you like spring?”

“Yeah, I suppose.” She didn’t care much about these small questions, but she felt as if in a trance, fully captured by the view. “Something so simple… like knowing the weather, or seeing nature change… watching the daylight, you’d say it’s so basic and yet I feel I’m seeing this for the first time.” Cass got carried away. Indeed, thanks to Shield, this moment was a rarity.

“You have to go through a lot of restrictions,” Garner started, “ Do they make sense to you?” He asked, thinking that they weren't really making any.

“To be honest, they’re overdoing it a lot. It doesn’t make much sense of not letting me out… I know I may be viewed as dangerous, but restricting something like that is a bit extreme,” she explained. Feeling frustration arising, she changed the direction of the topic, since she knew talking about that would make her annoyed. “You and Coulson, you made this happen? The window… no monitoring…?” she asked. She noticed these small gestures.

“It's a healthier environment for therapy," he replied, evading the subject. Not wanting their relationship to start on a foundation of inadequate gratitude.

“How did you even manage to negotiate something like that? It's Shield we’re talking about. Like… are you even allowed to say something against their rules? When you’re working for them?”

Garner explained: “I’m not working for Shield. I’m working with you, here... And yeah, I can say things when I don’t agree with them, and so you can. There is no monitoring or observation here.”

“Wow,” Cass had to admit, “I didn’t know you weren’t a Shield agent. You’re actually the first person I met, who ain't an agent, to be honest.”

“Is it frustrating that all the people around you are spies and agents?”

“Yeah, definitely.” While sitting near the window, this conversation actually eased Cass. Finally someone not with Shield, even if his work included being there in the basement. “You probably understand that too… So, how does it work? Are you just sent by Shield to do therapy? Or…?”

“Yes, they called me in. I made several collaborations with Shield in the past, but then I left. I agreed to come back only if they agreed to respect my conditions, and they did.”

“You left because they were annoying, right? With all of their rules and protocols…” Cass started to dive a bit deeper to get to see if they had something in common against Shield. Something nobody else seemed to understand… maybe only Gabe, since he’s been limited by rules as well. 

Garner laughed a bit and nodded. “Exactly. It’s hard to cooperate when they’re so secretive. Coulson explained to me the importance of this therapy, so I accepted it. It’s gonna be a challenge to do it in Shield’s conditions, but I believe it can still be helpful for you.” 

Cass nodded. This guy seemed like a nice person. He put some good vibe to the room, she didn’t feel it was anything like Gabe described it’d be. 

After a moment of pause, Cass felt comfortable to finally ask: “So… how exactly does this therapy work? Gabe tried to explain to me briefly something about it, but I’d like to know what it should look like in reality, not in theory.”

“That’s a good question and I’ll gladly explain to you anything you need to know before we start.” Garner started. This was the important message to deliver. He knew what was needed in order to keep her calm and comfortable, so he didn’t want to make it an official or overwhelming first meeting. To let her just try it, since she’s never seen any treatment like this before.

“Basically, I work with my patients because they want to find a space where they can feel listened to, or supported with their problems. It’s usually them who come to me, to find some answers, or to figure out what they really want to achieve by coming to the sessions. Then, we settle up the treatment and start talking. It’s also important to mention that you don’t have to answer or say anything you don’t feel comfortable sharing. This is your place and your time, whatever you say it’s strictly between us. Nobody’s judging you here. If the topic is too sensitive, or you feel we’re going in the wrong direction, we’ll just move on.”

“Okay,” Cass nodded. This description seemed much more relaxing. “That means I will decide the topics and everything?”

“Yes. You know yourself the best, so I believe you can determine what you would like to discuss or figure out. I’m here to help with anything you may need, but you have the main word.”

“And how to settle up the treatment?” she asked.

“I usually suggest that my patients start by meeting for an hour once a week. Then, if necessary, we adjust this duration and the frequency. If you need more time, we'll take more time.”

“Is it up to me? I thought it was supposed to be decided by Shield, to be told when I should be coming… “ Cass was confused, this didn’t sound like Shield at all. So far, they decided everything for her; when her meal times were, when and for how long her gym time should be… This was different. “Gabe told me he’ll come in an hour.”

“Let's say an hour for this time, and we'll adjust next time if needed?”

She quietly nodded.

“I can probably start with the question I’m asking all of my patients at the beginning: what brings you to therapy, and what do you hope to get out of it?” 

Cass was quiet for a moment. What should I answer? Gabe convinced me to go, but I have no idea what I hope to achieve… They wanted me to go and I agreed, since they didn’t try to force me, or at least didn’t seem to. Why is he even asking me this? He probably knows everything about me from Shield’s reports and monitoring…

Garner noticed her hesitation; she was deeply thinking on what to reply. She didn’t seem to know the real reason and he supposed Shield forced her to go there. 

After a while, Cass unsurely answered deflectively: “Didn’t Shield tell you everything? Before you got here? They know how messed up I am, so I suppose they had to tell you everything about me and my problems. So, why to ask?”

She started to get defensive really quickly. Garner’s concerns confirmed what he expected. He had to explain that what Shield told him was irrelevant for this meeting. “Cassandra, I’m not focusing on what they said, it doesn’t matter. This is your safe space. Your reasons and goals may be different and that’s what matters to me.”

Cassandra was a little surprised, this wasn’t like anything she’s encountered, well, maybe expect Gabe’s behavior. She expected this therapy to be something else, something she’d hate. Her therapist seemed much different from what she’d imagined, he wanted to listen to her. Maybe she understood the whole concept of therapy wrong before. 

Since Cass didn’t seem to say anything as a reaction, Garner had to ask his question differently: “Okay, let me ask you this way: Why did you agree to go on this session?” 

She was once again quietly thinking, and Garner had to make sure force wasn’t the case. “Did they force you to go here?”

Cass shook her head, this wasn’t forced. “No, I decided to go on my own. They convinced me… but it was my call to make. Otherwise I wouldn’t come.”

“Good.” Garner was glad he was wrong with this assumption; he knew Shield enough for his worries to be completely valid and possible. This new information made him calmer, but Cassandra still seemed to be a pretty closed person. It’d probably take him a while to create a comfortable mood for her to open up.

Suddenly, Cass decided to talk: “I agreed to go, because I didn’t know what to do. I tried to figure things out on my own and it didn’t exactly work well… I think I’m not able to fix anything… on my own.”

Garner was surprised that she got the courage to start talking like that, so he wanted to encourage her to continue. “What would you like to fix?”

“Me,” Cass immediately reacted. She started to feel emotional, not too much, but she got the vibe of those emotional talks she had with Gabe. This time though, it was up to her. She could decide what to say, without needing to be careful about what other people could hear. It was only them two in the room, this time, for real. Even after she checked the room the first time after that initial window awe, she was still carefully looking around for any possible signs of monitoring. More importantly, Garner was a new person for her, so opening up to a stranger made her struggle a lot… even with talking concretely about anything important.

 “What part of you do you think needs fixing?”

Cass’ expression was sad, well, this is what she expected when Gabe said about ‘talking about it’ while explaining therapy. But yeah, since she needed some help, nobody could help her when they didn't know what was wrong. “It’s… complicated.” She inhaled and paused for a moment, but Garner left her as much time as she needed to continue. “I feel different, and I don’t like this change. I have no idea what would be able to make it better. That’s why I’m here.”

“And what do you expect by coming here?”

“I don’t know, maybe to improve…”

“To improve?”

“Yeah. There’s a lot…” Cass started, but got stuck. She didn’t want to open up, she didn’t feel ready yet, even though she knew what her problems were. Probably the most important ones were those, which didn’t allow her to trust and feel safe. Or her huge issue with these emotional talks, she’s never been good at it. Gabe was trying to keep her motivated and calm when they were talking, but yeah, cameras destroyed that feeling as well. “I’m not good at this…” she shook her head but continued, “I can’t do these talks about feelings… It makes me feel queasy. And the thought that it seems to be the only way to overcome this mess makes it even worse.”

“Why does talking about your feelings make you feel uncomfortable?”

“I don’t know, maybe because I think it’s just a waste of time… There are more important things to deal with. And also, it doesn’t feel natural… most of the time.”

Garner understood her attitude now. She was a highly practical person who didn’t seem to care about this aspect of life at all. Which now built an obstacle for her. “Do you think you’ll be able to at least try to consider it not a waste-of-time if it may help you?

“I don’t know…” Cass had to think. Yeah, it’s been her weakness for a long time, to be able to solve things by talking and to be honest and not just hide all that pain that caused even more pain afterwards. Many people were trying to help her by talking, but she’s been so bad at even trying that she destroyed all the chances of calm solving, even reconciling in a few key cases. Her life maybe could improve, if she tried to destroy her weakness, instead of her weakness destroying her. She was already successful once, even though it was pretty hard afterwards. She didn’t fight Shield, that was her first real effort. Even though they messed up so badly and caused so much pain to her. “I may try it… but if it won’t work out, or I’ll feel just worse, I’ll stop right away.”

“I understand.” Garner nodded. He wanted to return back to the topic about fixing, and to see if she could be able to describe her problems now. “So, you wanted to improve. Do you have anything specific in mind?”

Cass inhaled and tried again. “I…” she stopped again, being annoyed by herself. She shook her head, explaining her annoyance towards her attempt: “You see? I get stuck, and we both know what’s wrong with me… I just can’t explain it, or even… I don’t know. Shield knows it anyways… I know it… I know Shield knows and you probably know it from Shield too… Damn, it’s so annoying.”

“Are you more annoyed by the fact that Shield knows it or by your struggle to express it?”

“By Shield, definitely. It doesn’t matter what I said or… revealed to them, or to Gabe. They basically cheated to know more about me.”

“Do you feel betrayed?” Garner rephrased what she said into a question.

“Yes, totally. I felt so mad, I almost exploded from anger. They had no right to do this to me.” Cass felt that Garner understood her, that she could actually get all of that frustration out here, in the safe space. Away from monitoring, away from people that actually caused all that pain. With someone that seemed to understand that Shield was wrong, who didn’t agree with them.

“You’re right, they didn’t inform you about their protocols and you had no way of knowing.”

“It wasn’t fair.” Cass felt that all of her anger she was still holding inside against them was finally getting out the right way… not with growing frustration, because of the aftermath and other stressful conversations. “Even after they tried to explain to me why they did it, it still didn’t sound right. They wanted to force me to accept it. I still feel that suffocating feeling in that room, I cannot accept it.”

“I understand.” He felt really bad for her. He understood it must’ve been so hard for her before, but hearing it directly from her, about how bad she felt and how helpless this situation with monitoring in Shield was, made him really sorry for her. Garner knew the only way he could help were these sessions, and yet it felt like it wasn’t enough. “And yet, you decided to stay.” 

He wondered what actually made her stay in Shield. He had this feeling of compassion and empathy, so he could see there was this other option to actually stand against Shield. She was powerful enough to make her way out, he’s seen the recording of that little explosion of hers. He’d think about this option deeply as well if he’s been in her place, since his aversion against Shield’s rules was the same as hers.

Cass nodded. It was her decision, after all.

“Why?” Garner asked, trying to dive a bit deeper.

Cass felt that painful flashback from her deciding moment as he asked that question. He understood her motives from that day, that there were more options which would have different outcomes. Yet, now she didn’t want to avoid the answer. She knew the reason really well. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone.” She stopped, but maybe there was more to say… to open up, and maybe, just maybe… it’d make her feel better to let it out. “I’ve been in this situation before, and I’ve seen…” she inhaled, “what could happen if I picked the other choice. They wouldn’t leave me be, and I would hurt so many people… It wasn’t worth it. You’ve seen what I can do… If I lost control, I’d destroy everything around… and it’d be on me, because I’m responsible.”

She had mixed feelings on letting this out. Getting emotional, she crossed her arms and crouched a bit in her sitting position, hiding more in the hoodie. Some compensation for telling something like this aloud.

It was deeper, now he knew. She wasn’t describing just the possible outcome; he recognized it was something that actually happened to her. Something that affected her choice. If I lost control - again, he deduced. It happened before, she felt guilty. He started to connect dots, but wanted to also react to her courageous answer. “I see. So, does it mean if you got too angry, you’d lose control over your powers?”

“No…” Cass shook her head, “not like that.” She had to think how to explain this for a moment, since it wasn’t completely off, her issues were really wide and part of the problem could be also the anger itself. “I can control my powers, that wasn’t the problem. I am the problem. If I took action, then… it’d be bad. Really bad.”

“And you didn’t want it to end like that… anymore,” he said, hinting on the possible issue again.

“Of course not. I didn’t want to destroy their lives. The fact that my life sucks doesn’t mean I can just ruin everyone else’s… to ruin everything again. I didn’t want it to happen.” These answers overwhelmed her. She realized she went too far, tears forming on the edges. She was shaking, holding herself tightly… She could make it stop… she should make it stop. “I’m sorry, this is too much. I don’t know what I’m doing…”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to go deeper into it if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah, you see… this is why I hate opening up.”

Garner nodded. “I understand.”

“I feel even worse than before…”

“Do you usually keep everything inside?” he asked.

Cass answered: “To be honest, I do… I prefer that. At least I don’t have to go through that pain so intensively.”

“But if you keep it inside, nothing would change. I suppose it’ll get on the surface the other way, no matter what you do. Because it’s still inside you.”

There was a pause. Cass sadly smiled, realizing how this will look like. From normal talk to emotional breakdowns… to feel that pain all over again. Nightmares. Breakdowns. Panic attacks. Those were the ways it got out if I tried to suppress how I felt. But sharing it with someone else? Even with some kind of control? I don’t know…

“I gotta say, I finally understand what therapy is about now. You want me to get that pain out. Like this… with a supportive and encouraging tone, but… it doesn’t feel right. I don’t feel much better, it doesn’t seem natural to me… to just open up, let that pain out and then get emotional like that. Even if I’m in control, I don’t feel I can control these feelings… If I get too far, who can assure me it won’t end up like in those nightmares? If I won’t go beyond that dangerous line and get into a breakdown?”

“No one will force you to go further than you feel you can. If things get too painful, you can take a break, or talk about something else. It doesn’t have to be quick; we can gradually get from some easier stuff and when you feel ready, we may discuss even harder topics.” Garner explained.

“You want me to feel in control.” Cass stated, still feeling it was some kind of manipulation rather than anything else.

“You are in control, here. That's what this space is for.”

She gazed to the window, wanting some small distraction. Yeah, her brain couldn’t fully comprehend this information. This was a bit overwhelming. The treatment was unknown for her, a modern way of helping mental issues… It just felt surreal. As if only here, in this future, her issues were concretely classified as mental illness… and as if in the past, it didn’t exist at all. Even though she felt anxious and bad in the past as well… just not in that huge magnitude.

After some time, she asked: “So, do you have some advice? On anything that might be useful? Or do you want me to figure it out myself?”

“It all depends on what you want to achieve.”

“I guess you’ve seen the reports and camera recordings… Anything about how to go through a nightmare calmly, for example? Maybe some modern tricks?”

“Nightmares can have many origins. A nightmare is often an expression of feelings that don't find room to be expressed during the day. Identifying these feelings, their origin, and giving them room to express themselves is a very good way to help against nightmares. Talking about them may help, but if you need immediate relief, you may want to consider a relaxing medication. I’m sure Shield would assign you also a psychiatrist, so you can have more support also from these pills.”

“Can’t you just… prescribe me some pills?” she asked.

“I can’t do that, but I can arrange with SHIELD to get a psychiatrist's prescription.”

“Well, I have no idea how this stuff works.” Cass got confused but suspected it’d be more complicated.

“Psychology deals with the soul, but medication still needs the advice of a body doctor.” 

Garner explained to Cassandra the difference between a psychologist, which he was, and a psychiatrist, who could prescribe medication. He wasn’t sure what kind of doctors Cassandra knew, but he hoped she’d be doing fine with them since she wanted some help.

Cass listened carefully; it was a good thing that Garner explained all of this to her. She was ill after all, she needed some pills and a doctor, just like old times. Just this time, it was not a normal illness that she knew, so it was a new thing. She had to get accustomed to what they called an illness, which included her mental issues. She couldn’t be healthy if things like that happened to her. Maybe she needed this kind of treatment much sooner… if she just didn’t have to be so much against it.

They were talking for a while about this information for Cass. The more she learned about therapy and the treatment, the less it felt uncomfortable. 

She didn’t try to open up like before again, since she knew what would continue, but knowing that avoiding was not the way made her realize she should at least try. To not go too deep, to try it, just like Gabe said. Focusing more on topics and issues that were already revealed by monitoring, which Cass knew Garner was aware of. Those weren’t that hard to get out. That was her starting point. Her present issues. 

It was still a step forward, she could tell. It eased her up to get some things out of her system… all of her frustration, maybe even anger, everything that annoyed her; because she knew Garner didn’t like Shield’s protocols as well. 

Suddenly, the meeting didn’t seem as long as the start of it. Of course, she stayed most of the time sitting near the window, to enjoy her newfound view, thanks to Garner and Coulson. She didn’t tend to trust strangers, but she got the feeling they actually wanted to help. 

An hour was an ideal time for the meeting, as she figured out. It was still an overwhelming hour, but it made her feel better in a way. At the end, she agreed to come again, since it made her realize stuff she would probably never be able to do on her own. And getting some rest from the monitoring was a welcomed change as well. Plus, the outside view was something that touched her deeply, so even if she didn’t feel up to talking the next time, she could just gaze from the window.

Chapter Text

There were more new changes for her to come. After the therapy, she got one more surprise, this time from Monitoring agents. They delivered her the positive news. 

“Wait, I’ll get my own window?” Cass was confused, but also surprised. She had no idea what it actually meant, since she realized they probably wouldn’t be able to install a window to her underground room.

“It won’t be your window, but higher ups agreed to grant you an access to a window in the other section of the basement. You’ll get your own lanyard with access to more parts of the basement,” Collins explained.

“Alright… I see,” Cass was shocked that all of the sudden, she gained so much new space access in the basement. It was probably because of doctor Garner. Ever since he came, many things started to change. “Which parts will I be able to access if I may ask?”

“The discussions are still present, but from the information we received, you’ll gain new access to section B, which has the window spot, and you’ll be able to use your lanyard also to reach the gym without the need of an escort agent,” agent Armand replied.

Collins tried to lighten the situation: “Don’t worry, we’ll explain all we know about these changes and all the process of getting your lanyard.”

“The trick is,” Armand interrupted, knowing Collins left a big wondering spot, “it’s just an official photo that we’ll need from your side and then we’ll create a card with this chip that will allow you to get through specific security doors.” 

“Alright…” Cassandra nodded, still a bit confused, but these two complemented each other well.

“If you want, we can start even now if that’s okay.” Collins suggested, being actually pleased with this new opportunity for her.

Even though Cass was nicely surprised and all, she needed her space right now. Mainly, after this whole new unknown therapy thing she just underwent. She had to get herself calm and mentally rest for a moment. 

They understood she wanted some time alone, even Gabe was told to let her be for a moment. She had so much to process, and she stayed quiet for most of the time. Thinking.

After a few hours, she went to the Monitoring room, ready to get over with that lanyard stuff. They took a photo of her… better than Gabe’s shot that depicted her confused self. Now, she was indeed in her default mode, having her first official photo for something important. It looked more natural when she held it in her hands, since the physical photo was much closer to her. Even though they didn’t have photos back in her time.

She was looking at her photograph for a moment. It was weird that it reminded, but also didn’t remind her of the paintings that Rapunzel made for many people as portraits. It wasn’t subjective. It depicted reality, the rawest way possible. No positive filter, no small artistic edits… it was a photo. Just not a digital one this time. Her first printed photograph.

Sounds of printers in the background made her refocus to see what else they had to offer. They held a card, and asked her to return the photo, so they could put it all together. She was observing them closely. It really didn’t take long, and soon she held her finished lanyard.

Cassandra

Special clearance

Access code: 31_084

There wasn’t much information written, but she understood that the code inside held much more power than the card itself… Maybe also that chip, even though she didn’t quite understand it. 

After she put it on, agents explained the system of security doors and showed her how it worked. Since it was her first time, they let her try to go through the security door more times. Cass saw it wasn’t that hard, and they moved on. 

It was her time to see the window they picked for her. She was wondering if she’d get some private room, or if it’ll be on a busy hallway… or something small, barely noticeable. 

To her surprise, the window was actually quite big. Not in a private spot though. It was on a not-so-crowded hallway, supposedly on the 2nd floor from the height of the view. The view from the session room was nicer shamefully, this one included more buildings and less nature. She supposed the doctor picked the nice view, while agents just took a random window on some strategic spot. There was a space on the hallway near the window, where she could stand without obscuring the passage, so that was good. 

It was her time to get familiar with the view, so Collins and Armand left her some time alone. Well, not completely, since there were passing agents going around from time to time. Nobody was focusing on her, luckily. 

Yeah, buildings were obscuring the view the most. She was in a different part of the basement section now, so this view faced a different angle. She mentally made a map of places she’s already been in, but trying to orient in the outside zone was still hard. At least, her new view included a tiny bit of a distant nature and enough of the sky, so it was sufficient.

Now, she wondered about how often she could spend time here and if she could go on her own. Knowing there were most probably some hidden limits as well, she asked Collins, who was at the end of the hallway, talking with Armand.

“You can go anytime, you’ll just need to let us know first. And one of us, or agent Dawson, will accompany you on the way.” Collins explained.

Sure. Good old escort thing. At least I’ll have a view on the outside… After all, it’s still just the first day for me to see the outside of a modern world…

A couple of weeks later

Her life started to look different, at least in some important ways. The window access made her finally be able to know the outside better. Looking at the sky, seeing the sun and stars. That kind of refreshing feeling she lacked so far. Only one bigger step was missing - being outside. It was getting close, she could feel it.

She started to attend gym regularly. Getting to know Megan better there and also more people. She’s been going on her therapy sessions at least once a week for a while, still not going into too deep topics, but gradually getting from the surface at least. 

Even though she still spent most of her time in her room, she wasn’t locked in her ‘cell’ anymore. She could go and watch from the window. She was there often, sometimes with Gabe, sometimes alone, sometimes even at night. It was advantageous that there were always monitoring agents accessible, to be able to escort her if she needed to go. They didn’t mind it from what she noticed. She loved to do some stargazing, they even turned off the main light on the hallway, so she could get a better view. It wasn’t as good as if she was outside, the lights from other buildings and lamps didn’t allow her to see many stars. At least she could appreciate the moon, and clouds that reflected its light.

Shield was slowly becoming more bearable. Her room was her safehouse, even though it was monitored. Getting used to monitoring was still annoying as hell, there were several arguments about it. 

Things started to feel more natural, mainly modern ones, she was indeed adjusting. Finally understanding the expression adjusting period. 

Gabe was really helpful, but of course, it was sometimes annoying to see him on a daily basis. Luckily, she could freely move to the dining room, window spot and to the gym. Which was awesome. Shield was finally doing some visible changes and was giving her more freedom, even though it was complicated in the beginning. 

Meal times didn’t have to be fixed anymore, since Cass started to have her meal with the other agents from the basement section… her classified section. So, everyone knew about her anyways, there was no secret to break or whatever they were so careful about. It was weird from the start, since agents seemed to be curious about her, but didn’t try to start a conversation with her from the beginning. Probably another rule they received, to not bother her. She got used to the agents' interested gazes, of course she was the most interesting person in the room. Still different, but they allowed her to be there, with them, which was nice. She didn’t feel as isolated as before. 

She was observing agents around her as well. It was nice to see that Gabe was right about more female agents being around. Yet, she didn’t try to make contact with either of the agents… she knew she wasn’t one of them. There have been small talks at most between them, but nothing important. They were careful, she noticed they behaved differently near her than in other situations.

Hoodie became a part of her new uncertain identity. Knowing the issue of her clothing, she didn’t want everyone to question her weird looking armor. She was even thinking whether to adapt to their modern clothing, or at least to try. 

She started to wear some of the clothes Gabe brought her in her room, slowly getting comfortable to wear a few comfy pieces, but outside, she still wore her armor underneath… She knew she couldn’t take the whole armor down anyways, since Gabe didn’t bring any long gloves… and he’d probably question her if she asked for them. She noticed he was already suspicious about her wearing gloves all the time. It was another problem she was avoiding… mentioning that something was off or even hinting at it would take their attention, and she didn’t want it. She didn’t want them to know about her injury at all. It was her personal thing… just like her past. Nobody was allowed to ask on that topic, if they did, she made it clear.

Gym was another welcomed change. After a few weeks, it became frequent on a daily basis. Even though the security detail on this one was more complicated than the dining room. She used her lanyard to get through passage from the classified zone to reach the gym, without the escort. And yet, everytime someone from the security followed her to the gym and kept her in sight… It wasn’t her area, so she probably couldn’t be alone or something, but it was annoying… She didn’t care as long as they didn’t come close.

At first, she started to exercise with Megan, just like the first time. She learned about the majority of useful tools and equipment in the gym. Then, she finally asked about what she’s been so hyped about - fighting. She wanted to practice fighting so much. Meg seemed like the right person for this kind of fun. It was an interesting experience.

“So, I see you wanna fight.” Meg stated.

“Yeah, I wasn't sure whether to ask, but I’d love to train this way… just didn’t know if I was allowed to even consider this, since it may seem…”

“Combative? Training includes fighting, don’t worry Cass. Modern way of training doesn’t include just all of the exercises. You could ask sooner.”

Cass felt embarrassed a bit… Of course a friendly fight wouldn’t be considered as hostile behavior, she just wasn’t sure. At least here, in Shield, where they were watching her every step. “Yeah, right. So, what are the rules for modern fighting training?”

Meg explained: “We can start with this thing called sparring. We just fight without weapons, without any goal of hurting each other or killing, just to train, practice and learn moves. Fighter, who puts down their opponent on the ground for a moment wins, just needing to keep the opponent unable to stand up or fight anymore. Then it’s a win… You can also give up by slamming several times on the opponent's leg… I’ll show you more during the process if you need.”

That sounded good to Cass. “Okay.” 

“By the way, no superpowers, superstrength or anything you may take as an advantage in a fight.” Megan added.

“Right, just a fair game. Agreed.” Cass smiled. It was an excitement to have an opportunity to fight with a worthy opponent. She had no idea what Megan was actually capable of, she supposed she had a good training to know how to take her down. Yet, Cass knew some good moves herself and had strong fighting skills. It was an unknown area in this modern world, but the one Cass was interested in.

They were standing in the middle of the gym, having enough space around, ready for the fight. Megan saw how this made Cass more excited than doing all those exercises before. She hinted with a sign that they could start.

Cass was pretty confident with her skills, even though it’s been a while since she fought. She made the first move, Meg was already ready for an answer. There was a counter attack from her and even though Cass dodged the first one, Meg knew a move to throw her off. Cass found herself falling further from Megan, but she was quick enough to stand up to not hit the ground completely. 

“So, I see you know some moves, but it’s been a while for you, is it right?” Meg asked.

Meg seemed to give her some time, as if she was some kind of beginner, which made Cass pissed. Yet, Cass enjoyed it and smirked, giving Meg a message that this was nothing extra. Cass didn’t want to chat, focusing completely on fighting. Preparing another attack, Cass used a better move she learned from her fights on travel, which seemed to be more effective. Yet, it still didn’t move Megan on the ground. She had some strategic fighting knowledge. Preparing for another attack, Meg was suddenly quicker to strike with a leg to get Cass off balance, even though it seemed at first that Meg had a hard time to answer her move. 

“It needs practice to get quicker, but it ain’t that bad.”

As an answer to her previous smirk, Meg didn’t wait on Cass to get ready and used her moment to strike Cass and get her down. Cass’ counter moves weren’t successful and she found herself falling on the ground, with Megan locking her movement and pinning her to the ground. 

Cass was astounded. Whoa, what was that?! I already had her and suddenly I’m the one on the ground. She used some moves I’ve never seen and completely got me, damn. That was unexpected.

“You have a potential, I can tell,” Megan stated, releasing Cass.

“I have to admit, I didn’t see that coming,” Cass remarked, slowly standing up.

Meg offered her a helping hand for standing up and got Cass back up. Then, she continued: “With the right training, you can be a pretty cool fighter.”

“I get it, you have the knowledge of modern fighting moves that are far better from what I know…” Cass got annoyed, but in a good way. 

“Yea, but I can teach you most of them, just you know… gradually. I didn’t even show you the best ones yet, but those would hurt much more if I used them now.” 

“Try me,” Cass boldly challenged her, knowing some of her own good moves that could be used. Just to remember them correctly and use them at the right time.

“Really?” Megan didn’t know if Cass was out of her mind, but she seemed to be serious. If she wanted harder landings, it could be more fun for Meg. “It could hurt…”

Cass reacted: “I’m familiar with the pain.”

That was a mistake.

*Several seconds later*

“How the hell did you- What did you even do?” Cass asked, still in awe. Again on the ground, just this time, Meg actually jumped on her, spinned and suddenly Cass found herself in the air and hit the ground. She didn’t even have time to react with some dodge or counter attack.

Meg smirked: “I said it may hurt more.”

“I need to learn that move, this was awesome.”

“I think you’re actually enjoying getting beat down,” Meg smiled.

Cass answered with the annoyed fake smile. It was all good to fight with a skilled fighter, but it could be even better if she could actually win once. This was her fault anyways, a challenge into the unknown while knowing Megan had a different knowledge and fighting style. She was that much into fighting that it didn’t matter who was winning though. 

She missed this so much during her lock up time. Now, she had her chance to enjoy her time in Shield. Although this was all fun to her, she wanted to have more fighting skills and knowledge. To learn more… and more importantly, to get Megan to teach her those cool moves. She already imagined herself doing awesome modern martial arts, but reading books about gym or fighting didn’t help her much. She wanted to be better.

“Do you think you can show me the first move again? In slow motion?” Cass asked, wanting to make mental notes and most importantly to master the moves.

During her observation time, Cass was in heavy focus. It was hard to even mimic a few parts of the move, but she was patient. During their break, she tried to imitate the move again, without Megan, randomly near the boxing bag. Maybe she was acting silly, it was in her own good to become better.

If you were better before, maybe they could still be alive. 

She stopped. This intrusive thought caught her off guard. Suddenly, all the training she did in her break time didn’t matter. She wanted to get that thought off her mind as fast as she could, but it was there. She was feeling hurt, anxious… It was stupid to think she could just stop this on command. It was in her. The reason why she wanted to get better, and it was somehow traumatic just to think about it. 

She closed her arms to her body, wanting to just get back into her hoodie and disappear. 

This wasn’t happening that often, but sometimes, some intrusive thoughts slipped to her gym time. This one was one of those stronger ones. She was successful in hiding these shifts of moods quite well so far. Pretending it didn’t happen. 

Her happy mood faded, well, maybe she wasn’t really happy but mainly distracted. Was this gym time serving only as a distraction? While her real life and problems were scaring her in the back of her mind, waiting to strike? No, that wasn’t it… her life now included training. It was what improved her life in Shield… her mind was just playing games with her, probably.

When Megan came, she could see the difference in Cassandra's mood. This time, she couldn’t pretend as if nothing happened, but also didn’t want to talk about it.

“Cass, are you alright?” Meg asked, being surprised to suddenly see her so concerned. “Did the boxing bag win when I wasn’t watching?” She tried to lighten up the situation with a small joke, since she didn’t know the reason.

Cassandra replied with a lie: “I’m fine.”

When she didn’t react in a way Meg expected, like giggling a bit or sighing at her with annoyance, she knew it was something bad. She was trained well enough to detect a lie, and Cass wasn’t even trying that hard. PTSD was probably kicking in, and Meg was aware of mental issues Cass had even though she never manifested that knowledge towards her. So, as a reaction, it was better to distract her with something else.

“Do you wanna try some yoga? Maybe that could be better for relaxing a bit and later we can return to sparring.”

“Sure.” Cass nodded, still having her neutral fake face, just to not show the hurt.

She noticed Cass didn’t like breaks, but Meg knew their importance. Teaching her some yoga stuff could help her to get some rest while still being considered as a sort of practice. Getting her mind calm with just two of them in the room, Meg explained how to relax while practicing a few positions on the mat. 

It served well as a distraction for Cass, and later she could return to the sparring mood. This time calmer, without that much excitement as well. Still a good feeling from it.

Even though her new forming routine was improving a lot, there was always that one downside of all of this. Therapy did its thing a bit, but since Cass didn’t want to go deeper, her important issues stayed under the surface. And nightmares and panic attacks didn’t go away. It was still inside her… like it would ever leave at all. All the pain and guilt she had, every day she reminded herself that this life was a consequence, and her past would never disappear. Even if she wanted to hide it, to make it vanish, to not reveal it to anyone… deep down she knew the truth. And she couldn’t bear it.

Staying willingly in Shield, in their weirdly looking custody was her choice, because she knew she was dangerous. Not wanting to hurt anyone ever again. She knew they would make sure she wouldn't harm anyone outside. 

She was probably going crazy with thoughts about how she deserved a much worse ending, to not actually get any help. Even though she accepted it, her progress started to be much and much slower. She was getting more depressed. 

At least she had her pills now. They helped a lot too… getting from the worst at least. Red rocks appeared from time to time, during her strongest panic attacks. Mostly when they came suddenly. She tried to hold it together, to not let that fear spread away from her, so she kept them on herself. Her armor… just like old times. But it wasn’t helping her, feeling it may even make it worse. Since she never let that fear truly get released, it was just increasing, with a new panic attack days later, it became stronger. Luckily for her, she managed to get through it, slowly, by learning how to control it. One by one. Sometimes getting help from Gabe, who she trusted now. Even though she didn’t say it aloud just yet. 

She was aware of what agents saw, which made it worse. Cass would much prefer if she had her desired privacy, at least in her own space. They never even considered turning off cameras… only respected her private bathroom mental breaks (she liked to stay there for a while just to quietly sit on the floor without any unwanted gazes) and her therapy time. Which wasn’t enough. 

Nightmares were still a thing. Sometimes even the same ones several times. She wasn’t able to deal with her other nightmares like with that nightmare about being seen. 

That one was a nice nightmare, but it represented her lighter fear, the one that didn’t go too deep. It was about fear of the intention of Shield, about some backstabbing and manipulation. It wasn’t confirmed though, just those cameras were a bad omen she never felt comfortable with. Yes, they were watching her to be able to help her, and no, they didn’t use any of her private info to hurt her or use it against her. Yet. Maybe it was a stupid fear, that’s why it was easier to deal with.

She had much worse demons in her closet. In her head. The worst thing was that one demon was indeed in her head, and she kept reappearing in many nightmares. Cass couldn’t tell if it was a real demon playing with her again, or if it was all just made up from her horrors of mind. That’s why those nightmares were so hard to bear. She avoided sleep for a longer time again.

“How long has it been since your last sleep?” Gabe asked, since he saw hints of Cass being tired and forming circles under her eyes. Not too eye catching yet, but he could say those were days already.

Cass was annoyed that he noticed, but being four days awake was leaving a mark on her… of course he’d notice. If he wanted, he could even check monitoring or ask Collins, who already mentioned several times that it was pretty unhealthy for her to stay awake for so long. “It’s none of your business.”

“Are you sure? Because the last time, it was pretty much my business to have to teach you everything again. Are you alright?” he asked.

“It’s fine. I’ll deal with this. I know what could happen after more days like this, but I’m okay. Just leave me be.” 

Trying to push him away. Again. Everything just keeps repeating. They’re so annoying with their help sometimes.

“Cass,” Gabe said with his concerned tone, “are your nightmares stronger again? Is there anything…”

“I said it’s fine!” she felt guilty raising her voice, but it was indeed annoying. “I’ll go to sleep today, you don’t have to worry about this. Or I’ll go see my doc, and get another pill… It’s just that you don’t have to know everything. I really don’t wanna talk about this anyways. Not in front of them,” she gazed at the nearest camera, knowing they were probably already writing down her behavior. It was frustrating, to just spin in the circle of never-ending help offering. She had more people to help her now anyways.

He asked, getting some hint: “In privacy?”

Cass looked depressed, but it was clear she shook her head, probably not wanting to talk at all. She stayed quiet and looked to the ground. It was hard to react while knowing she’d get emotional anyways, no matter what. 

“Cass, I see you’re getting overwhelmed, and it’s okay to feel that way. You should rest in any way you prefer. And get some sleep afterwards, it’s okay.”

Those were actually nice supporting words. And yet, she didn’t feel okay. “It’s not okay… none of this is. I’m overreacting, getting angry and for what? I guess I’m just tired, but…”

Gabe knew what open sentences like that meant in her case. He couldn’t ask ‘but what?’, because she would deflect from the main topic anyways.

Cass suddenly continued: “... it’s not getting better. You see? I’m progressing slower, as if I was stagnating instead. I don’t feel that I’m improving with this…”

“No, you’re actually improving… you’re just getting depressed and that affects you to see it’s getting better.”

“It gets harder… I think I see everything negatively now.”

“That’s not true. I’ve seen you look happy a few times. Mainly in the gym… while training. You seem to really enjoy it. Maybe you could even improve your mood by some workout, and to get more tired to fall asleep easier later. If you have energy for it.”

“I don’t feel up to it,” Cass admitted. It was mainly because when being depressed, feeling down like this, she tended to have panic attacks more often. Or intrusive thoughts, random fear moments, and she didn’t wish to expose others to any danger. Gym times were private for her only when she went on training lessons with Megan, otherwise there were training agents all around. 

“I understand… If you change your mind, I can go with you… and even assist you with your training if you want. Wanna be supportive in any way needed, even if it includes some gym movement,” Gabe smiled with his supportive attitude.

The way he did it was indeed genuine. Not only that Cass felt bad for raising her voice before and trying to drive him away; but also didn’t want him gone after all. He was too good for her. Too good for Shield, too honest and supportive, but in the right way. Mainly not forceful like his co-workers. “Thanks, but it’s okay.”

They stayed quiet for a moment, Cass having a sad smile, since she appreciated Gabe even while being depressed, and Gabe accepting that she didn’t have a mood to do anything. 

“Maybe I can turn on the radio,” he suggested. He brought many things, including a small radio which they connected to Cass’ laptop to listen to internet radio; since normal ones included unwanted moments like ads or news which would confuse her. “Or we can watch something today… Heard they may be bringing a TV here soon, so we won’t have to watch things on your laptop anymore. I can introduce you to some of my favorite movies then.”

Cass reacted tranquilly: “That could be fine.”

They really moved further with laptop lessons… from learning how to control it, some courses of typescript to learning about the internet and to search the information, see what it could offer, including videos. They have been watching documentaries, and easier-to-understand movies for Cass, excluding special effects movies. It couldn’t be hard to process. Gabe even showed her some easy computer games that were installed on laptop, just for her to have fun. Getting her a gaming addiction was on the other hand something he was avoiding. Cass was interested most of the time, in better cases even forgetting about some issues she was having at the moment.

Together, they watched a nice documentary about animals which fit Cass’ calm mood before heading to bed. After Gabe left, Cass watched one more part of the documentary, since it was also increasing her tiredness. Her eyes started to get heavy… much heavier than those days without any technology or useful distraction. Getting tired by doing something was much better than staying awake for days doing almost nothing, maybe only regretting the decision.

She finally decided to get some sleep, taking her pills before bed. She also made her usual night ritual before sleep, when she tried to get focused and ready for possible nightmares. Ever since she got that book about sleep, she was trying to calm herself down the best she could and relax before heading to bed… otherwise she'd end up being stressed and struggling through the night. Better to be prepared, she hated when she wasn’t. It didn’t drive nightmares away, but it made her feel less scared when heading to sleep.

Chapter Text

“Cass, I need to tell you something,” Gabe started one morning after breakfast. “I’ll go home for the weekend. We have a family gathering twice every year, and I kinda haven’t seen them for months now. I know I’m here really often and may even annoy you with my presence, so you can take a break from me as well. Already discussed everything with my superiors, just need to know if it’s okay also for you.”

“Yeah, no problem,” she nodded, realizing she was actually meeting him daily for several months now and she still hasn’t got completely crazy. She would certainly have if she was with someone like Eugene for example, but now on the other hand, she wasn’t forced to be with only one person and could meet other people as well… Except the first month of total isolation. That time, it was annoying to see him everyday, but she got used to him.

It was a nice idea to have some spare time without his lessons though, she didn’t have to feel as if she was in some private Shield school after all. With all the adjusting lessons, books every day.

“You sure?” he checked again since he was hesitating.

“Gabe,” Cass got into her explaining tone, “you’ve been with me for months now, of course I’m okay with a break. You don’t have to be with me everyday just to check on me or have lessons every day in a week. I can be on my own, even in this modern world. I got pretty used to this place, even though it still has big limits…” 

He started, sensing the annoyed vibe from the long answer: “O-kayy… I’m sure Shield will keep you busy even when I’m gone. Just for one weekend, don’t worry.”

“I don’t have to be the centre of your world. Go, you have your own life.”

Now Gabe realized. Probably Cass didn’t even notice when she said that… he had a life outside of Shield. Family. Home. And he didn’t sacrifice all of this for work… he could always come back home, and yet…

“Thanks for understanding,” he replied. 

Later that day at night, after they said each other short goodbye, Gabe started to pack a few things to visit his family. And started to think about all of the conversations they had that day. He wondered why it was so hard to actually leave Cass’ side, even though Shield had more trustworthy and capable agents around. And it was only for the weekend. But what if they didn’t need him anymore?

From what I’ve seen, Cass seemed as if I was really getting on her nerves sometimes. Sure, we were together for a longer time period… who am I kidding? Several months daily. Probably I shouldn’t be there for so long. Shield could also take in other colleagues to be with Cass, to give her more space. She has more people around now, but nobody she talks to. Much… Maybe only Megan. Other agents are distant. She is distant. She is emotionally vulnerable lately and I get the feeling that only I’m allowed to be close to her when she’s feeling badly. Me and Garner. I don’t know if we made the right choice with Shield, I’m afraid she’ll be isolated again when I’m gone.

It wasn’t just about the weekend. It could also be for the future months, if not weeks. She didn’t have anyone to trust around her, nobody close. It was hard to get close to her after all. And with depression combined, she could decide one day that she wants some change… someone else, or nobody. And then, what would be his job? 

He got too comfortable as well. He never realized how far this went that he got used to spending every day inside the basement. Sometimes getting out in the backyard, somewhere near the woods, but he became used to living there. 

Sometimes even feeling Cass’ disappointment of superiors not letting her go out, so he stayed inside as well for a week, for compassion or something. Then, he got overwhelmed and had to go out… She, on the other hand, couldn’t.

Unlike his past days, when he woke up in his small apartment in the town, riding half an hour to work and doing some boring programming. Or small missions. Nothing interesting anyways. Now, this wasn’t only his work. It became something more, something worth leaving the old ways behind. He put his flat sublease till he knew he’d come back. Gabe supposed this couldn’t take forever, to have a job like this, a dream job with a hard mission to help someone. And yet, now he realized it’s been really months since he hasn't moved from that place.

“I don’t have to be the centre of your world.” Wasn’t she? His main mission, his person in need, who needed a lot of attention and care. But she didn’t stand for it for so long. She wasn't the kind of person who would accept every form of help to get better. Or to be stuck and just accept that because she couldn’t help herself. It was breaking his heart anyways, to see her in pain. Cass really grew on him. He considered her a really close friend by now, while she hasn’t even mentioned the word ‘friend’ just yet. Maybe he was indeed mainly annoying to her after all.

“Go, you have your own life.” As if she wanted me to go… or leave her more time without me being present. I know this mission won’t last forever, but I kinda feel the vibe. Maybe this mission, this way of dealing with Cass, will be soon over.

Gabe was contemplating over everything he’s been through. He cared so much and they could replace him soon, or give him another mission. Maybe it would be better for Cass to have someone else spending time with her and Gabe would be there just from time to time. His mind always gets back to the fact that she improved mainly because of his encouragement.

I’m afraid that she may lose interest, or even will to improve when it changes. We’d go separate ways, maybe I won’t even see her again for months then… 

He arrived at the garage section of the basement to take his Shield car and ride back to his town. First time in a while to take a ride… the last time it was probably to buy some clothes for Cass. 

Maybe he could bring her something again, to cheer her up in her depressive state. And yet, he brought her many things already. Wouldn’t she think he wanted to buy her attention and happiness? Well, many things he bought didn’t interest her anyways, probably only hoodie and camera were her favorites. And she couldn’t use camera for almost anything. Taking photos of the basement? It was an interesting gift for the lesson, but something that wasn’t practical for Cass’ way of life.

Way of life. What life? I’m riding home and she’s still inside that basement. She can’t get anywhere… yet. What’s worse is that she doesn’t have her own life. Shield controls it. We’re doing this to help her, but the way we’re doing it is probably not right. She would be already outside, at least. If it wasn’t for Shield. 

The other thing to take into consideration is the fact she’s a total outsider. She doesn’t know anything outside of her safe bubble we’ve made, so letting her go early could cause confusion and maybe even chaos, considering her powers and trauma. It’s too complicated. I don’t know what could’ve been if, for example, I was in charge. Maybe she would be persecuted by another organization which would notice her outside. Maybe it’d have made a mess… and most probably, she wouldn’t be getting help if she was completely free. Sometimes the best for people is to not give them what they want, but what they need. And that’s what Shield does. Even though it could’ve been handled better, mainly not by force or that stupid monitoring.

Gabe was thinking a lot during his ride about possibilities and what-ifs. It made his head hurt, so he reconsidered the decision to think nonstop about it and to just let go. Enjoy some time out of Shield, to relax and get refreshed. He wished Cass could have this opportunity too…

Damn, again. I still need to think about this… How Cass can’t go out and feeling bad about it. Maybe when I’m back in Shield, I could make up some plan… or to make a good argument against the leader's order to not let Cass go outside. Maybe if we settled this, they would see it was a good idea and not a risk at all… and afterwards, they may still need me in the future.

He realized. It wasn’t just him being afraid for Cass’ sake, her fate and all that was in her future in Shield… maybe without him at all. He wanted to be there, as a close friend, someone needed. Who was he without this mission? A programmer, easily replaceable. Would he even have a future in Shield after this? He wouldn’t get the same opportunity, this was a one-time offer, plus also time limited. Then maybe, after he got memorized in other’s minds, they could give him a meaningful mission in the future. But would that mission give him the meaning? The importance he felt now? 

It was an unknown area. Probably for both Gabe and Cass… maybe they’d go their separate ways, Gabe as a basement agent with programming missions, Cass as a trainee from Index file… for Shield. 

He didn’t know if it was a good goal. Maybe they’d fit their possible new positions, maybe it’d suck. Maybe something unexpected would take a turn and they both would end up completely somewhere else.

He arrived at the town and let go. Possibilities about the future were endless and so unclear. He wanted to rest, knowing most of his worries were probably unnecessary. 

As he saw his house, he parked and went to greet his family. To let them know he’s doing okay, tell them something that wasn’t classified about his job… And to just enjoy time together with them.

Chapter Text

Cass in the meantime had changed the day schedule. Instead of having a morning lesson, she had some time alone. There would surely be someone coming soon, because leaving her alone for more hours of the daytime didn’t seem like Shield. They had to keep her occupied somehow, or it’d end up like those sleepless days… Company during the day, loneliness and depression at night. Nothing to do, nobody around, only folks from the monitoring room still awake. That was the difference between daytime and night, so Shield wouldn’t want to break this routine. 

After an hour of reading, someone knocked on the door. 

“Hey there, is anyone home?”

She recognized the voice. It was Megan. That was a nice surprise. 

Cass went to open the door to greet her new guest. “Hey, didn’t know you’d be coming,” she remarked as she opened the door.

“And yet here I am,” Megan smiled. She looked around, for the first time seeing the place where Cass was living. “Whoa, this feels cramped. Just like a bigger cellar packed into a modern vibe with furniture.”

Cass agreed with the statement to some point, but added: “Plus it’s dark, windowless and underground… But it ain’t that small. At least.”

She's seen much smaller rooms, even though castle rooms were actually pretty big back then. Normal people had small houses with small rooms, a caravan room was even smaller and it was a shared tiny space. This was all her own space. Just that privacy was needed to add. 

Megan asked: “Sooo, this is the place you’ve been living in all this time, right? It seems pretty empty.” She hinted on the empty walls and only basic furniture without anything to get the feeling someone was living there. Just like with most of the Shield’s rooms that weren’t occupied or cells in the detention sector. It seemed impersonal and cold, nothing that would welcome you when you’re entering. Only Cassandra herself, with her favorite hoodie.

“I don’t have many things myself… here,” she admitted. Personal belongings were almost non-existent. Except for the satchel and what Gabe bought her. She indicated Megan to come in, then she closed the door.

“I get that.” Meg understood. Cass was new to this world, so she had to adjust and gradually get her own things to make places more cozy or warm at least. She got an idea about what to do as an activity with Cass for these two days.

Cass realized the only place she was meeting Meg was in the gym and places nearby. “You’ve never been in my room; the gym is much bigger and more interesting.”

“Nah, we can go there later anyways… Nobody’s blocking you from that opportunity anymore.”

“Yeah, it’s been a lot better since I can go further and to bigger places, where I can move.” Cass got a pleasing feeling thinking about how big the gym was, and all those exercises she could do there.

Meg was walking around, viewing the room. Her room was a bit smaller, but with a window, so this was not that bad. She had enough space to do whatever she wanted… even small exercises. Just that concept of being stuck here, only in this room was making her feel bad for Cassandra. She knew what happened, at least the basics from the Shield’s report. She approached the closet and asked: “May I take a look?”

“Sure,” Cass nodded, since she didn’t realize her bag was actually hidden there, alongside with her black rock dagger about which monitoring agents probably knew all along.

Meg opened it, checking mostly clothes. “You don’t have many things to wear… did they give you only some basic Shield clothe-” She suddenly noticed something that wasn’t basic for Shield. “Nevermind… they wouldn’t buy you this kind of jacket. Did Perez bring you these?”

“Yeah, Gabe brought most of the clothes. I don’t wear many of them anyways.” Cass answered.

“They’re not bad, it’s just that there are not many to choose from. He brought you just one tracksuit? Hmm….” As a gym attendee, she knew one wasn't enough. Although she noticed Cass wasn’t wearing those to the gym anyways. She saw Cass weakly nodding, not fully getting her. “Also, he didn’t bring you any shorts? There are holes in your wardrobe with missing pieces that are needed for normal use… Luckily, I can help you. He is a nerd anyways; he doesn’t know what a sporty type like you may need.”

Yeah, she was indeed a sporty type… Cass knew it ever since she was a kid… nothing too feminine from clothes and interests in learning sports, training and dream of getting to the royal guard post. Megan could read her well. “Maybe it won’t be a bad idea.”

“Just one thing Cass,” Megan started, “you kinda need to start wearing more of those clothes afterwards… you still have something to pick from and you end up just wearing that hoodie all the time. For real, you should put it into the laundry.”

Cass sighted. “That hurt… but okay, I admit I wear it maybe too often.”

“Why don’t you wanna wear other things when you’re out there? For the sport you have appropriate clothing here. The only thing you wear from here which I can praise are sneakers, those are great for movement.”

Cass realized she never discussed a bit deeper topic with Megan, nor shared her depression or worries with her. “I guess the armor is a safe choice for me. I wore it all the time in the past and never had any problem with it.”

“So, that means you have some insecurities or something when you’re going out there? I’ve noticed you never put it off outside… Like in the basement. And you still wear it even here.”

“It’s nothing… I just don’t like to put it down,” Cass didn’t want to admit the real reason in a direct way. 

Now, it was clear for Megan that Cass had some big trust issues. Was she even wearing anything besides that hoodie? Did she not feel safe even inside her room when she had her unbreakable armor everywhere? “You don’t feel comfortable here,” she deduced.

“They know it anyway… like I could do something with it” Truly, it was mainly about that monitoring. Yet, she sometimes remembered that day when she got extremely pissed and a small commando broke into her room with weapons. Technically, they weren’t inside, but that didn’t mean she was safe in here. They could be somewhere close, hidden and ready for her to make another mistake.

Meg diverted from Cass’ thoughts. “I could help. To make it at least a nicer, bit cozier place. Fill it with something you may like.”

“That could be great,” Cass was glad she didn’t go deeper into that trauma area. Still, it was just a matter of time till Megan would figure out her depression. There were times when nothing happened for days, and then it’d come back again.

Megan returned to gazing into the closed and as going deeper, she exclaimed: “Ooh, an interesting old bag!”

Cass’ blood almost froze when she realized what was happening. Her eyes were wide open as a reaction. She had to do something quickly, so, as Megan grabbed it to look closer, she snatched the satchel out of her hands. “Not this one… please.” 

“Okay, okay…” Meg noticed suspicious behavior. “I just wanted to take a closer look, jeez.”

“This one’s personal, I’d rather not to…” Cass tried to explain, not knowing what to say to not make Meg even more interested the same way as Gabe. He already had suspicions; she didn’t want Megan to show interest as well. “...It’s boring.”

“If it was boring you would have no reason to snatch it so quickly out of my hands. Really…” Megan noticed Cass didn’t trust her with personal things. Nothing like gym buddying time, this was her private space and she was careful with her. She was definitely hiding something inside that bag. Cass looked upset, so it was no use to ask her about anything related to the content of the bag, she would investigate it some other time. “I’d say it’s a nice old fashion satchel. Is it yours? From the past?” she asked friendly about something a bit less deep, but still observing a reaction from Cass.

Cassandra’s senses were still on alert, but she released some tension, since this was Megan after all… Not some agent that would question her. “Yeah, I don’t like to share something so personal… It’s the only thing I have left.” She knew not all of that was true, since not even the satchel was her actual property. It wasn’t as important as she hinted, plus she would love to get rid of the content of the bag somehow. To not accidentally show agents her mind trap rock or that weapon potion which she wasn’t even sure what it consisted of.

“Okay, personal value as I see,” Meg concluded. This topic was a dead end, so she started a new one: “Did Gabe bring you anything else besides books and clothes?” She gazed back to the wardrobe.

Cass answered: “He also brought me a puzzle.”

“Hilarious. I’d die from boredom.” Classical nerd. She probably had more nerdy things around because of him.

Cass remembered that one time when she was so bored, she even built that stupid puzzle once. “Yeah, I almost did too… By the way, what does hilarious mean?”

Oh no, Cassandra actually didn’t know many modern words. Including this one. “I’ll explain later, will probably bring a dictionary of modern words tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Cass nodded, but had no idea how many new words were out there and how out of time she truly was even with language.

As Megan was looking further, she noticed something dark and weirdly shaped: “What’s this?”

Cass went into cautious mode again hearing that question, but she noticed Megan actually found her weird black rock sculpture. It wasn’t that small to just hide it under something like many other things. “Rather don’t ask,” she said embarrassedly. 

“It’s made from those black rocks, isn’t it? Did you make this? It looks a bit like a crouched person” 

“Yeah, I made it, I confess. Just to know - I don’t usually do things like that. It was a one-time thing.”

“It’s actually nice,” Meg praised it. It was interesting to see Cassandra creating something so small… her abilities were extraordinary. She would probably be able to create anything small and sharp. Sculpture was weird though, for someone like her. She didn’t seem to be an artsy type at all.

Cass embarrassedly gazed to the void of the room, away from Meg, apparently not being proud of that one much.

Megan still liked the idea of her knowing how to create these things. Maybe she would be able to create some cool unbreakable katana, who knew? “Can you do anything this small and sharp? It’s still fascinating to see your powers from up close, I have to admit.”

“I guess… I usually don’t do that often to be honest. Creating rocks from the ground seems more natural for me. I can make them disappear when I want to, while with these small rocks it’s harder. I can destroy them max, but they can’t just vanish.” Cass tried to explain how it worked, since Meg seemed to be absorbed into this topic. “I can also create them from my armor, that’s how I usually make independent rocks…” 

It did sound weird to analyze her own powers to someone else. While it was all automatic for her, most Shield folks probably had no idea how it worked. She wanted to make a small showcase, creating small jagged rocks from her gloves and then make them disappear back into the armor. “... that’s how my armor also works, you know? Remember our armor argument?”

“Yeah, you created those spikes, I remember!” Megan smiled. It was nice that Cass shared this unique topic with her. Maybe Gabe didn’t even know that much about rocks as she did now. “So, just to sum it up: you can create rocks from the ground, those can vanish; armor rocks can disappear, but once it’s separated, it can be only destroyed.”

Cass had to think for a second, since she didn’t even realize how complicated it suddenly sounded. “I think that’s right.” It was time to change topic, or she’d overthink everything: “Maybe we can discuss something simpler, this debate is getting too complex. You wanted to do something for today?”

“Actually yes,” Meg understood that a small opening up moment was over. Anyways, that was good new information. Time to bring up a shopping topic again, or more like redecorating and helping to make this place nicer: “As you heard, I’m up to help you to change this place to be cozier and more comfortable. Maybe to redecorate, to fill up the empty space, to have more nice things in here… It would be a new activity instead of lessons.”

“Good!” Cass was interested and even a bit hyped… but then realized: “How will we do it?”

Gabe was usually the one who picked everything. He brought clothes, he went shopping for small things, bringing books and activities, but always, it was up to him. She couldn’t choose herself.

Meg explained: “I can bring you some flyers, magazines or find you some online shop, so you can pick some things you’d like to have here.”

“Oh, so this is how you shop now? You don’t even need to go to the actual shop yourself?”

“No, and that’s a good thing nowadays. You can choose whether you wanna go there yourself, or if you wanna order. I’ll officially go to buy things myself, but you’ll pick and I’ll get it. Isn’t it cool?”

“Yeah!” Cass had to admit, it was cool to know they could pick which way they preferred, and even better to have the option to choose some things herself.

“First thing first: what’s the thing you need here the most? Like something that’s missing and you never asked for it, but it’d improve this space a lot.”

Cass looked around and realized she had barely any good place to sit in the room. “I’d say some comfortable sitting place. I mean, these chairs are okay, but after sitting there for too long they’re pretty uncomfortable, and then I just sit on my bed, which ain’t comfortable either.”

“Okay, I’m starting a checklist. Would you rather have some armchair or some good quality chair and pillows?”

“Hmmm…” Cass had to think about it for a moment. While thinking, she was also puzzled with the suggestion: “Wait, can you bring here a big armchair, just like that?”

“Okay, maybe I exaggerated it a bit. Armchair would need to be smaller to fit into the door… I’m not sure how big budget we’ll have from Shield, but probably it can’t be too fancy.”

“Do I look fancy?” Cass raised her eyebrow, but in a teasing way. “I’m okay with anything as long as it’s comfortable. Just look at me.”

It was indeed fun how Cass started to tease her after she mentioned the word fancy. She was anything but fancy. “You like comfy stuff… I would also pick you one more hoodie then, some big socks and big pajamas. Do you even wear pajamas?”

“Not much,” Cass had to admit.

“Let me guess, you sleep in your armor?”

Cass just didn’t comment on that, because that’s exactly what she was doing, but dodging the answer just made Meg sure that silence meant she was right.

“You’re starting to be boring, Cass. Okay, then let me try another approach. Can I borrow your lesson laptop? Gabe told me you have one.” Meg wanted to see if Cass would be able to pick some stuff from an online shop and then to actually wear it.

“Okayyy… I have it in that cabinet with drawers.” She pointed at the cabinet near the door and went to take it.

“You have your laptop in a drawer? You know what, nevermind.” Meg stopped since Cass probably didn’t know that drawers were usually for other things to store. “We’re gonna google some online shops and pick you some comfy and good clothes you’d like to have. And I can also search for some room accessories. Mainly some TV.”

“Gabe told me they’d be bringing TV next week…” Cass explained. Well, so far, the TV for her was a screen on her laptop. And they weren’t watching that often.

Meg corrected herself: “Fine, no TV, but it’s still not everything I’d add here. Only chair, pillows and clothes? I think there is room for bigger improvement. What else is missing here?”

“A window,” Cass smirked, since she was so used to hate that fact that she started to make fun out of it.

Megan had to admit, Cass was actually pretty funny and also moved on in a matter of perception of her own space. She remembered how she used to complain about her room a lot during their training. She got used to it now. “More lights, that’s it! Some lamp or small light that makes dark space cozier.”

Cass actually praised the idea; she wouldn’t have many suggestions herself. “Good idea. I actually don’t know what else, so it’s great that you know what should be in rooms like this.”

“Yeah… anything but plants.”

“It’s still a shame, but I understand they wouldn’t survive here.”

“There are also fake plants, like plastic ones that look just like real ones, but they aren’t.” Meg threw a random interesting fact that sounded way more boring after she said it aloud.

Cass didn’t seem to consider it boring though. “They really made that? A lifeless plant?”

“Probably for boring or lazy people or to spaces where normal plants wouldn’t be able to survive. Like here.”

“It sounds useless,” Cass stated.

They gathered around the table and turned on the laptop in the meantime. Meg sat down in front of it, while Cass was standing behind her, watching her doing the googling thing.

Meg started: “So, have you ever seen an eshop?”

“Umm… No,” she answered, simply.

It was obvious that Cassandra probably didn’t know anything about this side of the internet. “Sit down, we’re gonna have some fun.”

As Meg started to browse, she discovered many sites of the shops that were in nearby towns and cities. She knew she could probably use flyers to make it easier for Cass, but she wanted to teach her something modern as well. So, it was nice to make this activity interesting and to teach Cass how to use it.

They started with the furniture and Cass picked a nice armchair-like chair. They added it to the basket and browsed nice lights. Megan offered to find a nice decorative weaker light for the evenings, while Cass also picked a basic table lamp. They finished with a few more small decorations on the walls and Meg took photos of all items placed in the basket. 

Cass, on the other hand, had no clue how to navigate through new prices in new currency that she was unfamiliar with. She didn’t know if the items were expensive, or, on the other hand, cheap. Cool was she didn’t have that concern just yet, thanks to Shield. They would probably pay for it as long as she stayed where they wanted her to be. To make her more comfortable by adding something more into her room, so it wouldn’t feel as lifeless as it was now.

Then, they headed towards clothes. Something that Cass didn’t want to waste time on. Meg took the lead now, and searched for clothes that Cass might like, just to see her style. They didn’t put many things into the basket though.

“I just don’t care about clothes that much,” Cass explained, “we didn’t have many things back then because we didn’t need them.”

Meg was a bit annoyed now. Okay, again that stubbornness. I need to find her something that will enthrall her or else we won’t pick a thing. I need to use my estimation skills much better to interest her with anything.

“Well, I’m sure I’ll change your mind somehow, let me try again. Not short things, gotcha.”

She picked a nice dark blue hoodie that was her size. Cass wasn’t convinced, but didn’t say no at least, so she added it. The next thing were dark leggings for the training. She stayed neutral though. 

Meg repeated this with a few other things when Cass interrupted her: “If you’re trying to find something that would make me say wow, I’m sorry to disappoint you. I don’t care about clothes, as long as they’re comfy, they’ll serve its purpose, but that’s about it and my interest.”

“I’m just gonna buy you random things then, you’ll see you’ll wear those sporty ones in a few months without remembering this moment.” That was almost the end of the conversation, but then she remembered she forgot to ask: “Anything particular you’re missing and would like to have? From clothes I mean.”

Cass was thinking for a moment. If I want to adapt fully, I’ll need to wear their clothes anyways, at least to seem to fit in, even if I won’t. That’s part of the adjustment, I guess. It wouldn’t kill me to start slowly and to wear something outside of my comfort zone, which is a hoodie right now. What do I miss? Let’s check the closet again to see what would be my choice and what I would miss. 

“Give me a second,” she said, looking to the closet while still sitting, combining clothes in her head.

Okay, so… comfy outfit number one: a tracksuit, socks, boots or sneakers, that one dark long shirt, maybe a hoodi- nope. Not a hoodie this time. Let’s try a jacket. And that hat… Now, if I put my armor off, then I’m all good, except- Gloves. Can’t be out there without gloves when I want to limit having my armor on.

“Find me some gloves, please.”

That was a bit of a weird suggestion, but okay. “Like the ones for the winter?”

“No, normal gloves. I don’t know, maybe some leather ones?” Cass tried to direct Meg to the right direction. She didn’t want to act suspicious though.

Meg searched, still hesitating while typing, since it was odd. The results showed multiple choices, so Meg asked, since she had no idea what Cass imagined: “Something like this?”

Cass looked through the offer, but hesitated as well. She wanted long gloves, just like old times… mainly to hide her hands completely, but these didn’t seem to be long enough. “Hmmm...”

“I think these are mainly used during winter as well, maybe for your century people were wearing different gloves, but they ain’t used now for example… These are the best results from what you said. I can search you for some modern ones if you don’t mind, some that are popular at the moment.”

“Can you find something longer?” Cass carefully asked, since she didn’t think she’d be able to find some that she used to wear in the past.

“Sure. Do you need some sporty gloves? Or any…?” Meg was lost with Cass’ intention, why would she need gloves anyways?

She just said plainly: “Just show me what you’ve got.”

Meg pressed the enter after searching some trending gloves, but searched mainly neutral and black colors. “These look nice. I think I have these, sport ones with holes for fingers, I use it when boxing.”

They indeed looked handy, but she couldn’t have naked fingers… well maybe on the left hand surely, but that would still puzzle agents, so she couldn’t accept the offer. “Show me these, please,” Cass pointed with finger on another pair next to them. Long plus closed gloves, that seemed about right.

“They’re…” Meg didn’t know what to say, since this looked way too fancy for Cass, and those were just long gloves, “interesting, if you want, I’ll add them.” She imagined these kinds of gloves usually used on balls and fancy parties, these just weren’t that luxurious, but still. She noticed while scrolling that there were similar ones that looked way more modern and cooler, so she notified Cass: “And what about these?”

It didn’t even look like a glove for Cass, just a weird forearm sleeve, but as she checked the product picture on models, she understood how it was viewed. Still, it was a no, since there was no cover for hands and mainly fingers.

…

Megan felt much more exhausted after searching clothes for Cass, it was indeed a fight. Cass didn’t seem to have a style. 

There was another topic to discuss, and Meg supposed Cass wouldn’t be pleased with that one either - hygiene. It took her a while to get comfortable with it, but it was necessary. She had no idea what Gabriel told her, but she knew it wasn’t enough. Dental hygiene was luckily not that big of a problem, she couldn’t imagine Cassandra going to visit a dentist yet. There were some areas where Cass had big gaps, and she stumbled upon even some historically passé issues. It took her a while to explain everything to Cass. Good thing was a private talk in the bathroom, otherwise it’d be uncomfortable.

After the lunch break, Meg wanted to chill before heading into the gym with Cass. She offered to play her a film on the laptop. She searched some available ones and picked some easy-to-understand but also interesting ones for Cass.

“With Gabe we often watch documentaries,” Cassandra explained.

“I saw your folder, he’s like a grandpa with his movie taste,” Meg teased, knowing Gabriel was that kind of boring nerd.

Cass advocated his choice: “Documentaries aren’t bad.”

“That’s because you’ve never seen anything else. Let me show you some great cinema right here. Nothing too confusing, just an old goodie action movie. Where they have many fight scenes.” She winked at Cass, knowing this may boost her gym interest even more after she finishes the movie.

They watched together, and Meg realized even more how uncomfortable this place was for two people watching something… Iron chairs, one table, them being sprawled out on the bed with one pillow. She would return here after the training only with new items already bought freshly from the shop. She had no idea how agent Perez didn’t notice this or felt comfortable here in these conditions. Mainly she felt bad for Cass again, knowing this was her main room for living. 

Cass was absorbed into the movie. It was a new experience, definitely something else. With Gabe, it felt calm and static, while with Meg it was dynamic and fun. She showed her all of these cool action things, in real life and also in films. It was much more exciting, Megan could really bring her into an interesting part of the future, when she felt carefree and somehow better. 

After the movie, she had so many things to think about. Mainly those movie effects, which Meg explained, but also that feeling she had with Megan. Maybe she was too often with Gabe which made it less comfortable for both of them. Maybe some changes would bring her more happiness in life, even though she didn’t want him gone. He was a friend, someone she trusted; Meg on the other hand already behaved like a friend, but she didn’t trust her so deeply just yet. She had a different approach to people, which was a welcomed change.

There was a possibility to get to know more people in Shield, but Cass avoided that option. They were all agents, even Megan. They weren’t like her and she had no idea how to even start a conversation with a random agent if she had to make her own connections. So far, she spent most of the time with people who were assigned to her in some way. It was weird.

Together, they went to the gym. Cass learned again some new moves, mainly those interesting ones she saw in the movie. She mastered at least two new, while starting to learn also more complex ones. It was fun for her.

Then, Meg left to do the shopping. Interesting was that she took one more agent with her, probably to help her with the furniture. “I won’t be dragging all those things myself.”

…

Cass waited patiently and when Meg returned, she brought a lot of bags. She was interested to see what Meg picked, since she wasn’t quite sure what Megan put into the basket. More importantly, she wanted to see how those things looked in reality, since pictures weren’t always reliable from what she’s heard.

A lot of clothes, expected. That wasn’t too exciting, but she checked what they were. Mainly she inspected the length of the gloves and she noticed Meg took also one short pair. Well, in this case, she could just take a longer t-shirt or jacket and it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. She felt stupid that she didn’t realize it sooner. Nobody would know she still wore her armor gloves then. At least the right one.

She liked the new lights and lamp Meg brought. Megan soon realized Cass probably has never seen Christmas lights, neither their full-year versions, but she liked the cozy effect it made when they put them on the walls. 

A basic table lamp was a need that was overlooked for so long. Imagining that Cass had to read all those months' books without some small lamp made her eyes hurt. Shield was blind with these deficiencies. 

More pillows were a welcomed change and few more decorations, something sporty and small gym equipment filled the room nicely. Cass got dumbbells, one training motivation poster, gloves for boxing as a decoration on a wall and a few more things. Suddenly, it looked nicer. Megan read her well as a person.

Soon, someone knocked on the door and Megan went to open it. “It’s the chair delivery.”

When the agent came in, he brought a big box though. Cass was confused. Is that chair inside of that narrow box?

It hit her a moment later. They were here to build it from more parts, just like what Gabe said in the early lessons. In the future they had more parts, so when something got broken, it could be repaired… and also it could be easily moved. New old lesson learned. The chair looked good and comfortable when finished. 

Overall, it was a nice break from the routine for Cass. She appreciated that Megan took her personal time to spend a weekend with her, and to teach her new things Gabe didn’t. Mainly she had fun with the gym and her new room decorations she could pick. She felt positive for a longer moment.

Even then, she knew if she got closer with Megan, she'd eventually figure out all of that depression Cass was going through. Meg was an active field agent, unlike Gabriel who had nothing else to do. She could read people well, that’s what she was probably trained for… maybe she even knew about her depression all along without Cass even talking about it.

After the weekend ended, Cass was filled with a nice and cozy feeling that didn’t allow depression to hit strongly. Doing something like this more often seemed like a good idea. Breaking the routine. Doing other things. Explore and learn all the interesting stuff. And mainly tell Gabe to bring more action movies.