What If? Episode 907

Super Secret Agent

It was still a solid hour after they'd gone through the scans before Coulson showed up with that irritatingly sedate expression on his face. "If you'd be so kind as to follow me," he said, his hands at his sides, and only pausing for a moment before he started to move again.

Logan was on his trail in an instant, his claws itching for a fight with every single set of doors that they passed through. Scott was striding fast to keep up, and neither of them missed the fact that security seemed to get more and more eerie and impressive the further they got into the sublevels of the building until finally Coulson stopped in front of a plain looking door.

"We haven't finished our security clearances," Coulson told them. "But I assure you, I'm pulling every favor I have to get her out of here faster. Until then though ... you can see her for yourself." He held their gazes one by one before he opened the door for them and held it open as they passed by. Coulson stepped in after them and it was apparent right away that they were in a hidden room behind one way glass - and K was on the other side simply sitting on a cot with her knees drawn up to her chest.

Logan looked as if he was holding his breath when he saw the setup. "I want in," he said, but Coulson gestured to the chair nearest Logan, and it was apparent that for the immediate future, all was able to do was pull out a chair and take a seat.

"I can't let you in yet," Coulson said. "But as you can see - she is at the very least safe." He set a small device on the table near Logan, one red light glowing on it. "And between just us? I want her out as much as you do. I just have to find a way to do it in the protocols since so many bells were triggered between the department's raid, the damage done at the attempted abduction site, and then of course - in such close conjunction to the panic button - basically, all of the flags were thrown up at once."

"None of that was her," Scott said quickly. "That - that was all my fault."

But Coulson shook his head. "No, you don't seem to understand," Coulson said. "I put her there. I had her hidden. She's not showing any records within SHIELD because I made sure that they don't exist. If something happened, she was supposed to disappear with her contact. But that didn't happen."

"That was also my fault," Scott insisted.

"I can assure you, Mr. Summers, the chances of all of this being an accident - you two going to that area to hide so close to where I had her hidden off record? Next to nothing. Fury suspects. And so you know, if she didn't want to get you out of there, she would not have. If she wanted to shrug off her contact, that was going to happen too."

"Then it sounds like you already know her. So you're holding yourself up," Scott pointed out.

"There is a lot in play here - and most of it doesn't have a thing to do with me personally," Coulson said. "But I can promise you that there is no way that I'm going to stand by and allow her to be locked up by SHIELD or anyone else."

Logan had dropped his gaze to the floor partway through Coulson's explanation, and though Scott looked as if he wasn't sure how to take that, Logan was positive he knew exactly what that meant. "It's not entirely a compliment," Logan said. "If SHIELD has her, then she's in the system and that means the Department can find her."

"That ... also is true," Coulson said with a nod. "I've already rerouted Stark's search protocols. I don't want them fishing for her. Particularly when the call to arms was specifically for just the two of you." Coulson let out a breath and leaned against the table. "Against all reason, her cover was intact, and as far as I can see the only thing that's keeping it like that is Victor Creed keeping his mouth shut."

"That won't last," Logan said flatly.

"You might just be surprised," Coulson replied. He reached over to pick up the device, turning it off before he stuck it back in his suit pocket and then he gestured to the glass. "You have a little time. The glass will absorb vibrations, so ... I'm afraid this is as close as we can get right now."