This work is mostly canon compliant through episode 10 of season 2, especially in terms of the FitzSimmons rift. After that point, it diverges pretty markedly from the current story line in the show. I always thought it was a little strange that Simmons's undercover work at Hydra and the consequences of that work for her didn't have more development in the show. Something about that plot line feels unfinished to me, so this is my idea of what might have happened.

I am going to extend Simmons as a character in a way that I think could be possible but certainly isn't part of the show. You'll just have to trust me on that front. She won't be markedly OCC-just a little more developed in certain aspects. Eventually, we'll get a little romance (clearly I ship FitzSimmons and we need some serious reconciliation on that front), but it will be far later in the story.

This first chapter is just the prologue. The other chapters (9 in all) will be quite a bit longer. I hope you enjoy!

What she is about to do is exceedingly dangerous. She knows that, but it's the only option she has. She's walking a fine line between self-preservation and annihilation. One wrong move, one foolish decision and she'll fall into the chasm. She can already feel herself teetering toward it. The temptation is nearly irresistible.

It would worry them, she thinks, that she isn't more concerned about her immediate survival. What they wouldn't grasp is that it is nearly guaranteed at this point. She'll survive; he admires her capacity for acquiring and applying knowledge too much to end her life no matter the outcome of today. She just isn't sure which parts of her will be whole in the end, and that is what she fears most and what they should fear too.

They've always seen her as relatively harmless, and she can be if she wants, but what they've chosen to ignore is that she can just as easily become monstrous. Genius is often a precursor to madness after all.

As she settles her mind firmly on the task at hand, she lets those worries drift away. She can't afford to care about them now. Whatever principles she might otherwise follow don't apply here. It's so much easier to let herself go than ever before. The freedom of thought and action she has now are heady, and it takes her a moment to remember why she doesn't allow herself this level of autonomy all the time.

One glance in the mirror gives her the reminder she needs. As she stares at a face that is more foreign than familiar, her eyes narrowed and teeth bared in a feral sneer, she remembers the most important certainty of her life: her mind is a terrifying place.

I hope you enjoyed this little teaser. I'll post the next chapter soon.