Chapter 26: Vacation RequestNotes:
All rights go to Marvel
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Skye's POV
"Don't get me wrong!" Coulson yelled at Jemma as she and I were at his office after being picked up from the middle of the Atlantic. "I'm happy you're both alive… truly. And I realise you were trying to save the team, but what you did today" he shook his head, "that was not your call. Just getting you out of the water, do you have any idea what a pain it is dealing with the Moroccan office? Don't you ever pull a stunt like that again!" And then his eyes and voice softened, as Jemma has taken to keeping her eyes on the floor. "We'd hate to lose you, Jemma"
Still hesitant, she lifted her head. "Thank you, sir"
Satisfied with that, Coulson moved behind his desk and sat heavily on his chair. I tugged at her arm, which I hadn't let go since we were picked up from the ocean. Better yet, since I grabbed her midair. Thankfully she took the cue and we left the office and made our way downstairs to the main area.
We were just standing there, next to each other, neither of us saying anything. My thumb was absentmindedly rubbing the back of her hand. "Wanna talk about it?" I asked tentatively. When she still said nothing I continued, more lighthearted trying to ease the tension in her shoulders. "You know, if you wanted to go skydiving so much all you had to do was ask and I would have taken you"
She smiled, though it was strained. "Honestly, I would rather not think about it anymore".
"Please don't do anything so stupid again? Brave, but utterly stupid" I said as I wrapped my arms around her and pressed her hard on my chest.
I felt her grab a handful of my shirt and holding it tight. Her head leaning on my shoulder. I felt her, more than heard her, whisper something and I released her to see what was happening. Only she was looking over my shoulder and I turned to see where her attention was. I saw Fitz standing there who, as soon as I had a minimal distance from Jemma, rushed and gathered her in his arms. His embrace just as powerful as mine had been.
He needed her right now more than I did. So I smiled gently at the scene in front of me and walked down to the cargo hold where I put up the punching back.
The events of the last few hours replaying in my head as I let my fists and kicks connect to the material, taking extra care not to release any of my vibrations, in fear of breaking the equipment.
"Wouldn't you prefer to try and punch something that can fight back?" Ward was heard from the ramp over the Lab.
I stopped my assault just for a second before resuming. "As tempting as this offer sounds, I'll pass". Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to take up on his suggestion. But I didn't trust myself to not beat him to a pulp and hold back like I normally did. And that would be without even using my powers.
"Come on, it will make you feel better," he said and made his way downstairs.
That made me stop and he took that as an indication that I agreed with him. I saw him make his way to where the rest of the equipment was. Quickly I made my way to him and grabbed his wrist, hard, before he reached the training gloves. I put more force than necessary in my grip, but I couldn't care less.
"Don't you dare tell me what will make me feel better, Ward," I say in a low, deadly serious voice.
His initial shock was quickly replaced with a nervous laughter. "Oh, come on Sk—"
"No" I interrupted him. "I'm tired of your know-it-all ass always talking to me like I don't know what I'm doing" I released his wrist and he rubbed it with his other hand. "I've been trying to be on good terms with you but you make it harder and harder every time you talk. You hold grudges against me every time I say something that doesn't agree with you, or when I call you out on your bullshit. You treat me like I am not an Agent just as much as you are. Like I don't know protocol, procedures. Like, for some freaking reason, you are on a higher ground looking down on me. You act like you know what's best for me all the damn time. You tell me to 'get ready'when one of the few friends that I have has contracted an alien virus and is about to die!" I pointed my finger at his chest, pushing him back with it and making him stumble. "I've been trying almost since the beginning with you but I'm done. I'm done, Ward. You better get your head out of your ass, it's not a hat" I finished and with one last push, that dropped him on the floor, I made my way upstairs.
I made my way to Coulson's office and saw May exit it. She threw me a look and I knew that she would want to talk later, but for now, she retreated to her cockpit and would probably stay there until we reached the Sandbox.
I knocked on the door and pushed it open when I got the okay from Coulson.
"What can I do for you, Skye?", he asked from behind his desk.
"I want to request some days off when we reach US soil again, sir". The title escaping my lips without me realising it. I had only used it a couple of times when I wanted to make a point.
I noticed his brow furrowing but he didn't comment on it. "I would address the whole team when I had it confirmed, but I'm still waiting for confirmation from the H.Q. for a week off for the whole team. I understand that the last couple of days have been hard on all of us and you all deserve a break"
"Thank you" I honestly replied and made a move to leave.
Coulson, however, called my name and I stopped short, turning to look at him. "Ever since you came in this team, it's been clear that you and Simons are… close. And I can understand that what happened couldn't have been easy on you. Just know that if you need to talk to someone, you can always find me" he genuinely said.
All I could do was nod before exiting and heading to my bunk. As soon as I laid my head on my pillow, I took my phone out and sent a message to a few different people.
- I'm coming home
I knocked on the door of the cockpit and looked at the camera overhead, knowing that May would look to see who it was. When her voice was heard from inside I opened the door and shut it behind me, before taking my normal seat next to the pilot.
We were already at the Sandbox, so all I saw in front of us was desert. There was something calming about this vast, empty landscape and I, once again, understood why she prefers to stay there.
"Did Coulson tell you about the week off?" I asked, neither of us looking at each other, gazes trained up front.
"He did" I could see her turning in my direction. "I am guessing you'll go to New York?"
I nodded absentmindedly. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about" I eased even more on the seat, feeling comfortable around her. "I texted the others and Clint and Nat are gonna make it there as well. Natasha might stay less because of her missions with Captain in Washington, but she and Steve will come even for a bit. I was wondering if you'd like to spend that week with us? I can only guess they will be happy to see you. When was the last time you met?"
"Back when I was in Admin. They sometimes visited, but it's been a while and I wasn't the most pleasant company to begin with" she said. "We don't keep as much in touch anymore"
That had me intrigued. "For some reason, I find that hard to believe" I challenged. "They're not the kind of people to lose contact, especially if they care about someone". We both knew that what she really meant was that she had withdrawn from them. Just like she did with everyone after Bahrain. "I haven't told them, if you were wondering. That we're working together again, or that you know I'm back"
"I know you haven't" she replied and at the question written on my face, she explained. "If they knew my phone wouldn't have stopped ringing"
I shook my head as I chuckled. That was so true. Then I sobered up as a thought passed my mind. "Are you not talking with them because they didn't tell you I was back?"
May wasn't expecting such a question, the fact that her non-expression flattered for less than a second before resuming was indicative enough. I would have missed it, had I not known her so well. "I can't say that I wasn't hurt when you first told me, but after a while, I understood why they did it" was all she was going to give me and I was content with it.
"Great, then it's settled" I smiled brightly at her. The first time I had smiled for the past few days. "You're gonna meet the Avengers"
Notes:I didn't forget to post today!
So, remember a few chapters back where I said that I'd try with Ward? Yeah... well, this was as far as I went. I genuinely tried, but I just couldn't help it. I am sorry for everyone who really likes him, but he doesn't have the best attitude in my story.
Chapter 27: Family MeetingNotes:
All rights go to Marvel
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
May's POV
Because of the long distances we covered in a small period of time for the last two missions, that happened back to back, it took us 2 days to touch American soil again. We needed to refuel and run diagnostics, fixing a couple of things before taking off again. We landed in New York, where everyone would go anywhere they wanted for a week before we gathered back here to take off for our next mission.
Those two days were quite different from how the team interacted in the past and it was quite easy to spot. Nothing changed from my or Coulson's usual behaviours. The only thing nagging my brain about Phil was his confession of feeling different ever since they brought him back, which I had already reported to Director Fury and needed to let Skye know.
Skye… we hadn't really talked in these past two days, but more often than not I would find her in the cockpit. And if she wasn't there, she was possibly in her bunk. After all, she had disabled the camera there, so I couldn't be sure, but I couldn't spot her in any other part of the Bus. There were things we needed to discuss, but I let them be for the time being because of everything that happened with the alien virus. I hadn't seen her, ever, break so much. She was properly unresponsive for the better part of half an hour. And the fact that she mentioned she had experience with this and it had happened in the past… I couldn't help but wonder when those times were, though something told me that a majority of them would have occurred after the Battle of New York had wrapped up and she had time to unwind and her adrenaline to drop. Still, I needed to ask Natasha and Clint about it.
Speaking of which. I hadn't talked to the two of them in a while. True, we exchanged messages, making sure that we were all safe and sound. But that was as much as our interactions had been in the past two years. They tried very hard after Bahrain, but after a few years, they accepted that that was how much I was willing to give back.
That didn't stop us from trusting each other, of course. After all, I was one of the first people to learn that they were part of the Avengers Initiative. Still, a lot of things had happened and there was some catching up that needed to be done.
When we landed, Skye and I took our bags and headed out. A car was already waiting for us and a guy made sure we arrived safely and then handed Skye the keys before heading off. As soon as we sat in, she explained. "Some of the perks of having Tony Stark as a friend" she smiled and started the engine.
"Why are you driving, again?" I asked. I really liked doing something with my hands and I was used to be the Bus' pilot.
"Because…" she started as we exited the airport. "I know where we are going, for starters"
I gave her a side glance. "Everyone knows where the Avengers Tower is," I said matter-of-factly.
"Indeed. But not everyone has the clearance to actually enter. And to go into the parking you pass through a facial recognition check. Jar always makes sure only people allowed to are actually able to go in"
"Jar?" I had never heard that name again.
"Oh, right. I completely forgot about it, with everything happening. Remember when you picked me up and Coulson had picked up Miles to take us to the Cage? And I explained to you who T.A.D.A.S.H.I. was?" She waited for me to nod before continuing. "Yeah, well, I had also mentioned J.A.R.V.I.S., whose algorithm was used to create Tee. I just like to call him Jar, because it pissed Tony off" she chuckled. "Jar is actually an A.I. and he's great, I work with him all the time when in the Tower" she started rambling about the differences between Jar and Τee, and I let her. I hadn't heard her talk so much recently and it was nice.
Not too long later we found ourselves in the Stark Tower underground parking lot. We picked our bags and headed to the elevator. She placed a black case that she was carrying on the floor and scanned her hand on the elevator doors before they pulled apart.
As soon as we stepped in and the doors closed behind us a British accented voice spoke from the speakers. "It's good to have you back, Ms. Skye. I register an unregistered person in the elevator with you?"
I saw Skye smile to herself. As soon as the voice rang out she was instantly more comfortable. Her pose relaxing greatly and I realised that I hadn't seen her like that in years. Before she even left to go to the Academy.
"She's a friend Jar. Please, make an update to your records. May, Melinda. Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. She also knows Natasha and Clint. She is to have access to the Tower if she needs to. I will update the security protocols after we settle in" she said with such an ease that I wondered how many times she had done so.
"Already done," said J.A.R.V.I.S.
"Great! Take us to my floor, please""Already doing so" he answered.
"Your floor?" I asked and she had a mischievous smile on.
She didn't answer my question, asking the A.I. instead. "Who else is in, Jar?"
"Everyone from the team other than Thor is gathered in the common area, waiting for your arrival. Shall I let them know you and Ms. May are here?"
At the same time, the elevator arrived on her floor and we walked on her floor. "Damn, I really wanted to see Thor. I never really interacted much with him during or since the Battle. He must be off-world. And no, Jar, please do inform them I'm here and I'll be down shortly. Also don't mention May. She's a surprise" she smiled at one corner of the room and saw a camera there.
"As you wish," he said and then stopped altogether.
I looked around the room at the open-space design of the kitchen and a whole living room. She moved around the room like she owned the place. "I don't think there's much need for a tour, it's only a floor, after all, I will have to give you one of the whole Tower though, you will love it. Especially the gym". She pointed to a couple of doors to the side. "These are both guest rooms, toilet and bathroom en-suite. Put your stuff in either one of them" she then pointed to another door. "That's my room, I'm gonna drop my things really quickly, change and meet you here to go and see the others? I would suggest changing to something comfortable as well, everyone is very friendly if you exclude Tony's comments. You'll get used to them really quickly"
I nodded and she disappeared into her room. "I followed her example and walked through the first door. The room was much more spacious than I expected. It definitely was a major upgrade from the small bunks in the Bus.
I quickly changed clothes, deciding against keeping my S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform on. Instead, I wore some, similarly black, shirt and tights.
By the time I left the room, Skye was already waiting for me, doing something on her phone. No sooner had I stepped in the living room, had she lifted her head and her phone was tucked away. But she didn't make any moves to go to the door, so I waited for her to say whatever it was she wanted to tell me before we met the others.
"Just a note before we go," she said and only then did she move towards the elevator, but refrained from actually going in, despite the open doors. "The others don't know. About Coulson or what we're doing with the pirate"
"I know," I said and made my way in, waiting for her to join. "You told me before, you think I'd forget?"
She kept her gaze on the metal in front of us as she took a deep breath and let it out. "I didn't. Thank you" and before I got any time to ask what she was thanking me for, said metal door parted. "Hey guys!" She called out and every head in the room turned to look at her, all of them wearing different kinds of smiles when they saw her.
So, these are her people, I thought when the room radiated a warmth directed at her. This, or at least most of them, was the family she had made for herself after leaving the Academy. No smile was replaced by a frown when they noticed me. Other than the socked expression that Natasha and Clint wore but who continued smiling like nothing had happened. Had I not known them for so long I would have missed it.
"We didn't know you were bringing company, Skye" a lady stepped in front of the group and from pictures I had seen I knew that it was Pepper Potts, the CEO of Stark Industries. She went to hug Skye, who returned the gesture tenfold.
As they parted Skye looked at her and then her siblings. "I wanted it to be a surprise"
"A surpr—" she started again but followed Skye's eyes and saw Natasha and Clint both moving towards me. "Ah…" she nodded understandingly and stepped away to give the three of us some space.
Both of them were a little bit reserved, probably for a number of reasons. So I made the first step and hugged Clint first and then Natasha, briefly. "Hey guys"
"Melinda," Natasha said, her voice showing how unexpected my presence was. I could see the questions in her eyes. When did I meet Skye again, how was I there, what had happened that she didn't know, to name a few. But our silent discussion was enough to let her, both of them, know I would tell them later. So, Clint turned to the others. "This is Melinda May. She's an agent with S.H.I.E.L.D." was all he said, not mentioning how they knew me.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Stark asked, suddenly radiating less comfort.
"Stop it Stark. You are already surrounded by 4 people working for them" Captain America walked from the back of the group and extended his hand for me to shake. "You must mean a lot to Skye to bring you here. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I'm Steve Rogers"
After pleasantries were exchanged we moved to the sofas. "Would you like anything to drink? It's never too early for a glass of wine with this lot. We have a whole bar if you feel like wanting something else" Potts said.
"I would take some whiskey if you have it, please," I said. I felt like I would need it.
"You sure you can handle it?" Stark asked, taking a seat opposite me. "What with you being so short and all".
I smirked at that looking straight at him. "Oh no," the three other people I knew from before voiced together.
"What?" Stark asked them, startled by their reaction.
Skye passed from in front of him and ruffled his hair, annoying him in the process. "Other than the fact that she can drink you under the table, easily…" she told him and sat on the other end of his sofa.
Natasha and Clint sat at either side of me, with the latter resuming where Skye left of. "She's not someone you wanna piss off"
Stark huffed. Actually huffed. "And why is that?" He asked and that was when Potts handed me a drink, before going to sit between Stark and Skye.
"Because I don't wanna piss her off. Ever" Natasha said, enjoying it way too much when Stark gulped and his face paled. I slowly sipped at my drink and winked at him, making him squeal and everyone around laughing hard.
"So tell us," Potts said and I noticed how Skye had shifted to be closer to her. The older woman easily hugged Skye with one arm, who calmly rested her head on her shoulder. The nonchalant way that this happened made it clear that this was normal, especially with how no one around showed any signs it was not. Neither did Clint and Natasha. "How did you two meet?", the woman asked with a smile, looking down at Skye with so much love.
And Skye was looking back at her with a similar expression. "Well, you know how Nat and Clint were part of a team that found me all those years back? Before the Academy?" She asked and Potts nodded. "Mel was part of that team as well"
Potts' eyes travelled to mine and the gratefulness there was clear as day. "Thank you"
The talk from there on out was easy and comfortable. No one was going out of their way to show off, other than Stark but that was expected. They didn't really pressure me to speak too much and so I sat quietly noticing everyone's interactions instead.
It still took me by surprise how Skye was around this group of people. She would joke around with Stark, talk with Dr. Banner in a way that showed me that they've known each other for a long time, and while she and Captain Rogers didn't say too much to each other it was clear that they had formed a proper kind of friendship.
But it was clear that the person she was bonded with more in the room, outside of Natasha and Clint, was Potts. They were glued to the hip, wrapped around each other. Skye had such a genuine smile on her face and more often than not she would look either at mine, Natasha's and Clint's direction, or Potts's. She just seemed so happy to be in this setting.
I noticed Natasha looking at me out of the corner of her eye quite a few times, especially when my eyes lingered on Skye and Potts. But, what could I say? I felt the corners of my lips title upwards at the display in front of me.
Notes:Made it in time! Phew... Sorry for the later-than-usual update.
As for this chapter, well, they had to meet up again at some point, right? More of the 'reunion' tomorrow!
Thank you all for the support!
Chapter 28: In The TowerNotes:
All rights go to Marvel
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Natasha's POV
To say that Clint and I were surprised that we saw Skye walk in with May would be an understatement. Since when did she know that Skye was back? Why had Skye not said anything? But the look she gave me after our brief hug was enough to let me know we would talk about all of those things later on. This same night in fact, if I had anything to do with it.
We spent the rest of the afternoon and on to early evening catching up before we all headed for an early night in. Despite all the smiles, everyone could see how tired Skye was. And while everyone wanted to remain seated and continue talking, they still understood that this was the first few days off that she got in a while and it would probably be just as long, if not longer before something similar happened.
After most people had retreated to their respective floor, it was just Clint, May, Skye, Pepper and I left. And despite how they had spent the whole night next to each other, Pepper always walked Skye to her floor after having not seen her for a while. And May's presence prohibited her from knowing exactly what to do.
"Skye, would you mind if May came with us for a while? We really want to catch up" I offered.
Skye visibly relaxed, and then checked in with May who just nodded. "Of course," she told me before turning to the Asian woman. "When you're done just tell Jar to bring you to my floor". And so we exchanged good-nights and parted ways, stepping into separate elevators.
As soon as we stepped out I heard May speak. "So, you two share a floor?"
We both turned around to her smirking. "Can I properly hug you now?", I asked for permission and instead of a reply she just stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. I didn't lose a second before mimicking her moves. We stayed like that for a while before Clint did the same and then we all headed to the living room area of the floor. "You look good Melinda," I said.
"It's getting better" she replied, sitting on the sofa across from us. "Being around Skye helped a lot. I saw myself in her after Bahrain. And I understand why that is, especially after Phil…" at that both Clint and I took a sharp breath in.
"What do you know?", he dared ask.
"Everything" she simply replied.
Clint and I exchanged looks before turning back towards her. "And you don't blame her". I didn't ask, I knew. But the shake of her head verified it. I brought a hand on my face. This whole day turned an unexpected turn. "Can you start from the beginning?"
She arched a brow challengingly. "I will if you do as well. I know you knew she was back way before I did". We both shifted in our seats. "Look, I understand, okay? I just want to know what happened" she supplied.
"I guess we have a lot to talk about then"
Skye's POV
While I was on the Bus, after the last mission, I couldn't get much sleep. Usually memories of the Battle waking me up. But as I was in the familiar environment, surrounded by people that I trusted and cared for allowed me to sleep peacefully. Still, I was not used to getting much sleep and I woke up at 5 AM like I normally did while on missions. I was hoping that I would sleep in, but that didn't seem to be the case.
I soon got ready and stepped into the kitchen to make some light breakfast before heading down to the gym.
I wasn't really surprised to see that May had gotten up before me. A mug of tea sat in front go her, while a steaming mug of coffee was pushed towards me as soon as I sat by the kitchen island. "Thank you" I quietly said and took a sip. "Did you sleep okay?" At the questioning look that I received, I shrugged. "I'm not gonna ask how the talk with Nat and Clint went. That's between the three of you unless there's something you wanna tell me". The small grateful smile that I got in return was enough of an answer, a thank you from her. "Wanna do some Tai Chi? We can finally have a proper sparring match afterwards where neither of us has to hold back". The sparkle that shone in her eyes showed me all I wanted to know. "Awesome. Meet you back here in 10?", and after a nod, I retreated to my room to change into more appropriate clothes.
"Good morning, Jar" I called out as we both stepped into the elevator. I was carrying my black case as well, in case I decided that I had spare energy to burn.
"Good morning, Skye, Ms. May. Would you like to head to the gym? Ms. Romanoff is already waiting for you there"
I chuckled at that. "Of course she is. Yes, J.A.R.V.I.S., if you would be so kind"
As soon as we reached the proper floor, I had spotted Natasha, vibrationally, standing on the other side of the gym, knifes at hand and facing our direction. As soon as the elevator doors pulled apart, I pushed May to the side, ducked to the side as I let the blade travel where my head used to be and I twisted my body grabbing the knife from its handle. No sooner had I had a firm grab on it than I blocked with it the second blade that my sister had thrown at me.
"Sorry, May," I said as I grabbed the fallen knife and motioned for her to follow as I exited. "Satisfied?" I asked Natasha as I headed to the side to let my black case there.
Natasha, who had made her way to us took back her knives. "A bit slow for my taste, but you haven't let yourself slack"
"It's hard when I'm with the team. I can't keep up my training at the same level. And I could have gone faster if I had used my powers but I thought you didn't want me to, and I quote, 'depend on them too much'" I threw back at her, earning a smile. "Ready for some warm-up?" I asked the two women and we all stopped in the middle of the spacious room.
After May learned everything that happened in the Helicarrier before the Battle and she was also brought in on the investigation for the holes in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s firewalls, we had started practising Tai Chi together again every morning unless something happened and it wasn't possible. She was getting more and more comfortable with me having powers and just being around me in general, so I had managed to keep up this morning ritual.
As we reached the end of our forms, I could sense an audience starting to gather to the sidelines of the room. I caught an approving look from Natasha, pleased that I hadn't let myself go. "I promised May here that we would spar. Want to join in?" I asked her.
"No powers, right? It wouldn't be fair otherwise". When I nodded, she paused for a second to think about it before answering. "Wouldn't want to take the pleasure off May to see how far you've come. But if it's not too challenging I can join in later on", she patted May on the shoulder and headed towards the others who were waiting by the entrance. As soon as Natasha reached them, I heard Clint make a bet with her as to which one of us would win. Tony quickly joined in.
I shook my head and went to grab two pairs of MMA gloves. I threw one to May as I tightened mine around the wrists. "You owe me a sparring match for about a week now," I told her as we went to the centre of the training mat, each taking our positions.
"Remember, I told you before," she said getting ready. "I've seen you spar with Ward. I don't want you to hold back, it will just be too easy"
I didn't say anything at that, I just waited for her to attack. We were both moving in an invisible circle, sizing each other up. I was waiting patiently. We agreed to not use my powers, but I would still pick up on her vibrations to anticipate her next move.
Everyone's movements sent vibrations back to me and I could 'see' their move before they did it. A foot changing position when someone got ready to attack, or even the vibration moving in the air when a punch came my way.
So, when I detected May's heart skip a bit, it was enough to know that she was about to come to me and I braced myself.
A jab came my way, before a cross, both aimed at my face. As I dodged them both, she quickly spun around, using the momentum from her cross to send an elbow in rapid succession. And when I ducked I found her knee already lifted and a kick coming my way. Deciding to stop with the defensive, I deflected the round kick with my forearm and tackled her around the waist, sending us both to the ground.
I momentarily lost my grip on her and that was enough for her to slip away and take a few steps back. I got up and started pacing around her like we did before. I could feel Natasha tapping her leg, not satisfied with how I was fighting. "I told you not to hold back," May said across from me.
Fine, I thought. You want me not to hold back, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes in concentration, focusing all of my energy on the person in front of me. I had gathered all the information I knew about May and all the time I had seen her fight. Her movements, her quirks, everything. I won't hold back, and I opened my eyes, my shoulders much more relaxed than they were before. I immediately noticed how May shifted under my intense gaze and radiation of confidence, while Natasha's tapping stopped altogether.
I knew her stance, she was going in for a kick. As soon as I picked up on the slightest change in her heartbeat I moved quickly and swiftly. She made a move to kick, but before her leg was even fully extended I was behind her, kicking her other leg behind the knee and making her fall to the ground.
I felt the vibrations in the air as she shifted her stance to use her fall to bring an elbow in my direction so that I would back off and she would have a chance to get up. But I let the elbow come my way, moving away just as much so that I wouldn't get hit. I grabbed her hand as soon as it passed me and twisted it painfully behind her back, throwing her to the ground and pinning her there. I could feel her trying to break away, so while I kept the hold on her arm with one of my hands, I used the other to grab the back of her neck and squeeze. Not enough to harm in any way. But enough to pain her to the point of submission, which she did a second later.
Immediately I stepped away and offered her my hand, which she took and she stood up. The talks happening from the other side of the room were not happening anymore. "I wouldn't want to be the person you'll fight with your powers" she supplied with a small nod and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
The rest of our stay there was quiet, not that either of us was complaining about it. We managed to have a few talks that we needed to regarding the latest mission and everything including Coulson, we trained together with Natasha and Clint, which we hadn't done in years. My old S.O. took me for some one-on-one training, wanting to spend some more time with me and assess me as he wanted to. I managed to let out my quakes at least every day in the specialised gym we had for whenever we wanted to work with our powers.
Natasha and Steve managed to stay only for three days before they were called back in Washington. We promised to keep in touch, like we did before, and stay safe. Or at least as safe as we could be in this line of work.
I spent a lot of time with Pepper, having missed her terribly. We might still have exchanged messages when I was with the team, but it didn't compare in the least to be in the same room with her.
It was also nice to see May and Pepper interact. Or, at least Pepper interact more with May. She wanted to learn everything she could from the time I was a kid and she grasped every and any information May provided like a plant to water.
I also managed to properly catch up with Bruce, who wasn't the biggest fan of using a cellphone and hadn't kept in contact much as a result.
Tony, as always, was excited to have me there. We were playing around in his lab, him creating stuff while I was working with J.A.R.V.I.S. on updating a lot of his software and helping him every way I could. I might not still work for him or the Stark Industries, but I'd be damned if I let his systems undefended and hackable.
On the last day that we were due to go back to the Bus, we had to leave pretty early on. May said her goodbyes to Pepper, Tony and Bruce as she and Clint made their way to the parking lot where I'd meet them to head off.
"Are you sure you have everything you need? Did you pack enough snacks?" Pepper had to ask.
I laughed and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry. I have everything I need" I pulled back and smiled at her. "Plus, I think May would make sure I eat enough. She's not gonna let anything happen to me"
"I can tell" she replied, smiling back at me. "I'm gonna miss you. Do you have any idea when we'll be able to see you next?"
I shrugged at that. "Absolutely no idea. It kinda depends on the missions we get. But if it is anything similar to what's been going on since I joined the team, not anytime soon".
"Oh!" I heard Tony exclaim from where he was and he ran off.
I shook my head looking back a Pepper. "Is he okay?" But she just gave me a look that said that she knew something that I didn't. Oh, Tony. What did you do this time?
I felt him run to his lab and then back here. He was slightly out of breath but smiling brightly. "I almost forgot!", he said and extended his hand, a small box resting on his palm. "This is for you"
My eyebrows knitted together looking at the black box. I opened it to find a pair of very simple, black, flat earrings. "You got me… earrings?" I asked, not sure what was happening. Sure, I had pierced ears, but I never really wore jewellery. I had them in case of any undercover missions. I looked over at Pepper who just kept smiling at me. "What am I missing here?"
"Well…" Tony started as Pepper moved forward to help me put them on. "You know there wasn't really a huge amount of videos from what happened during the Battle of New York. But still, there were a few cameras here and there and you and One-Eye had to scrabble every single one with your face on. Protecting your identity and all". At that Pepper stepped back. "Press one of the earrings"
Still not understanding what was happening, I did as I was told. As soon as my fingers pressed on it, a black material, like metal, started unwrapping from both earrings before it covered my whole face. Where my eyes were, there was a red material from which I was able to see through. There were several indications within the mask, from face recognition to the people around me to a lot of other things that I didn't know what they meant at the time.
"Hello, Skye" I heard a very familiar American scented U.I.
"T.A.D.A.S.H.I.?" I asked and then turned back to Tony.
"Press it again," he said almost giggling, like a schoolgirl.
My hand found its way to where the earring should be, and press the black metal there. As quickly as it came to life, the mask disappeared. "A mask?" I asked.
"A mask!" Tony exclaimed, hands flying in the air. "Bruce and I thought it would make your life so much easier if you had one, and you couldn't have just a mask. Not if we had anything to do with it. We've been working on this beauty for a while now, combining both of our knowledge"
I looked at both of them, mouth almost hanging open. "The earrings have a recognition system and will only activate with your thumbprint. Either earring is fine to active or de-activate the mask. We also installed T.A.D.A.S.H.I. and gave him some more features that will help you out. Kind of like how J.A.R.V.I.S. is in Tony's Iron Man mask" Bruce provided.
Tony then handed me another box. "I made some spares just in case. Not that I think you will lose them, but if anything happens to them you have a second pair. Oh, and I have many more here and I'll keep working on the design and capabilities. If you need anything or have any problems with it just let me know and we'll work on them" he said.
Instead of taking the second pair, I pushed his hand away and took him in my arms. He was startled at the beginning, not expecting the physical contact but then relaxed into the hug. "Thank you," I said as I moved back, kissing him on the cheek before pulling properly away. "Both of you" I then went to hug Bruce who accepted it willingly. "This is amazing"
"We thought so too!" Tony said, his humble personality shining bright.
"You guys are amazing," I said as I felt happy tears gathering in my eyes. I took a deep breath, trying to hold them back My watch beeped and I looked down. "Shit, I really need to go" I looked back up and saw everyone looking at me gently, smiling. "I will keep in touch, the same applies to you. If anything happens and I don't hear it from you… consider yourselves warned" I directed the last part mainly to Tony who just shrugged me off. "Bye," I said and waved at them as I stepped into the elevator.
As I reached the parking lot I saw Clint and May silently talk. They both turned to me as I approached.
"About time!" Clint said. "I started wondering if I needed to send a rescue team up there" he joked and head locked me, ruffling my hair with his other hand.
"Haha," I sarcastically said. "Very funny" I managed to pull away, or he let me pull away was more like it. "Tony and Bruce gave me a present," I said and then I pressed the earring activating the mask.
There was complete silence from the two of them when they saw it. And then May spoke.
"About time you got a mask" and with a shake of her head, she went in the car, from the driver's side.
Clint was holding his stomach from all the laughter. "Stop it!"
Notes:So, first things first. The mask is based on one mask used in the comics. It's from the coming called The Man Called D.E.A.T.H. and specifically from '7. Active Mission: The strange case of Daisy Johnson and Mr. Hyde' if any of you wanna look it up.
For the fight with May, I understand that Skye managed to incapacitate her fairly quickly. Just wanted to clear something up at this point. Skye is, indeed, a great fighter, as she has been trained by Clint, Natasha and Maria at times. But the circumstances that this specific sparring took place were very particular. That is as she knew her opponent very well (as it was May), and it was in a very controlled and isolated room. There weren't too many variables at play and she didn't really have any distractions or the need to split her attention for any reason. Had this same fight happened during a mission, with multiple assailants, in an unknown environment, the end results would probably be very different. Just wanted to put that out there to keep in mind :)
Sorry, that was a lot longer than usually ^^' I hope you all enjoyed the bits of shenanigans in the Tower. See you all tomorrow!
Chapter 29: The HubNotes:
All rights go to Marvel
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Skye's POV
After we went back on the Bus everything was running smoothly. If running smoothly meant that Ward and I were practically not talking to each other except when it was needed for a mission. But after everything that the robot told me before Jemma jumped off the plane, and how I called him out on his behaviour it was understandable.
And that was how we found ourselves, 3-4 missions later on our way to the Hub. We had just acquired some intel from a covered operative in Siberia. We were all waiting in the main area until Jemma finished with the paranasal extraction where agent Shaw had hidden the information he had gathered.
As soon as Coulson walked up in the main area Fitz jumped up from his seat. "Great. Now that that is done, do you need me to analyse the data?", he hopefully asked.
Coulson just shook his head. "That won't be necessary"
"If it's encrypted, I can always work on it" I supplied but I had a feeling he was going to turn me down as well.
He gently smiled, but it was the kind of smile that was intended to turn someone down. "I'm afraid this mission's classified. Clearance Level 8"
Several 'ah's' and 'uh's' were heard from everyone and everyone scattered. Coulson going to the holocom, FitzSimmons down to their lab and Ward probably to train or just get ready for the Hub. My eyes caught May's and I smirked mischievously. "Level 8" I mouthed to her and lifted my eyebrows. May just rolled her eyes and retreated to the cockpit.
Oh, I was so gonna find out what this mission was about.
Almost no one at S.H.I.E.L.D. had any information on me or my status as a Level 9 agent. The only people who knew were Natasha, Clint, May, Maria and Nick.
My information had been shield away as soon as I was found again after the events in the Stark Expo, and then they were practically erased when I became an Avenger. Especially after the Battle and how certain people wanted to know who we were and everything. Which is one more reason why Tony's and Bruce's present was a blessing.
But yeah, almost no one in the organisation knew who I was. Which was why I couldn't just walk in with Coulson and flash my Level 9 Clearance card to him. No. I had a badge that just indicated that I was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and a separate Clearance Card for that specific reason. When Coulson and Ward picked me up, all I had to do was show them my badge. But when I had to redirect the plane to Triskelion after the Amador mission, the use of both a code that Fury had provided me and my Clearance Card was required to show that I was actually outranking May.
Also, there were people in the Hub that I didn't really want to show my face to, and even if I had to, I didn't want them to learn anything about me. Two of them being agent Hand and agent Sitwell. The main reason is that both of them were Level 8 and were under investigation, among several other agents, for the holes in the agency's firewalls. Especially the former.
So, when we went there and everyone got their little badge with their name and Level, mine just said 'Skye'. I noticed Ward check out my card, but I didn't call him out on it, instead storing that little bit of information for later.
While agent Sitwell came to pick up Coulson and said that his Level 7's could join them in the briefing, I looked at Coulson waiting to see if he'd say that I should be going with Ward and May. He caught me looking at him and titled his head. His eyes landed on the badge hanging around my neck and noticed that it only had my name. It was clear that he was intrigued but he refrained from saying anything. "I'm gonna go and play with a computer," I said and he nodded. For some reason, I knew that he'd want to discuss this later. But at the same time, I was really glad that he didn't say anything.
Actually, instead of going to the computer lab in the Hub, I went back to the Bus. It was completely empty and I had never seen it and felt it so quiet, with always picking up people moving around. I could still sense people moving about around the aeroplane, but none of them actually walked in. So I just laid on my bunk, laptop open on my lap relaxing. I minimised how much I could sense around me so that I would only pick up movement should someone board the plane, and I relaxed back on my mat. It might be nothing coppered to the bed that I have on the Avengers Tower, but it was growing on me.
I logged into my account through the Hub's servers and went digging. And by digging, I meant that I accessed the cameras in the situation room that Coulson and Hand were in to see what was happening there.
After a small introduction between Coulson and Hand, Ward and May walked in and were in turn introduced to the senior agent. And Hand being Hand, or at least from what I had heard about her, she dived right into it, no beating around the bush. "Well, now that we've gotten that over with, here's what you can know". She turned around to the massive computer screen that was previously on her back and changed the file there. I pressed a few keyboards on my laptop and pulled up the same file so that I could have a better look at it, not through the CCTV. "The intel that you recovered from agent Shaw tells us that a separatist group from South Ossetia had built a weapon called "ezbiitomet".
I chuckled at the name and Ward actually spoke my thoughts. "The overkill device?"
"A little dramatic for my taste. I imagine something was lost in translation," Hand said offhandedly. "We've intercepted chatter that tells us they plan to use the weapon in the next 24 hours to declare their independence from Russia and Georgia" and she pulled up a new file with a photograph of the weapon, but no schematics. Hmm, that was interesting. "We believe it creates sonic vibrations powerful enough to trigger weapons from a great distance. Anything from the missiles on a helicopter to a nuclear warhead sitting in its silo"
Coulson caught up on the meaning really quickly, still very sharp. "So if we move on them, they could use our own weapons against us".
Hand nodded. "Exactly". Now that explained why it was a Level 8 mission. "That's why I need a two-man team to sneak across the disputed border undetected, break into the separatist stronghold, and disable the weapon in the next 24 hours. And you have two people who fit my bill"
Well, that made sense. May and Ward could go in and deal with it all. But then Hand continued. "And you'll have to use them," speaking of Ward's contacts in South Ossetia border. "But we don't have specs on the device, so I need someone on the team who can identify and dismantle it on-site". To say that her statement took me by surprise would be an understatement.
They weren't seriously thinking of… No. There must have been a mistake. There was no way they were gonna send Fitz on the field, alone with Ward. Right?
When I zoned in back on the screen they had left the situation room and I flicked through the cameras to find them and soon I did. They were all gathered around Fitz, who was struggling with one of the doors. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, gathering strength.
My phone chimed and I saw that May had messaged me asking me where I was and that they were heading back on the Bus for the mission briefing. I let her know I was already there and logged out, waiting for them to return.
After they all came back to the Bus, I headed to the lab to grab him a full-sized mag pouch, which Fitz very specifically requested for some reason and after that, I went to the command centre (see: briefing room), where everyone apart from Jemma and Fitz had gathered.
I stood on the sidelines as the three other agents were discussing the plans for their infiltration.
"You need to disable the device by 0600 tomorrow to prevent the separatists' attack" May provided, looking at the information in front of her at the holo-table.
Coulson continued straight where she left off. "Once you've signalled S.H.I.E.L.D., the extraction team will get you both out" Coulson then lifted his face and looked at Ward very seriously. "Take care of him"
Ward didn't miss a bit. "Of course, sir"
At that moment Fitz walked in, Jemma on his heels. The silence that was created when he stepped in was broken by him after a few seconds. "More moving, less talking, agent Ward. Time's not on our side" he patted the taller agent on the shoulder and they both left.
After the duo left, everyone else started going to their respective places. It was just Coulson and I left in the command centre. I really wanted to speak up, tell him how this wasn't right. But I knew better. For starters, a two-man team would be able to go in easier and stealthier than if the whole team was assigned this mission. And then there was another thing that I would like to avoid and so I started making my way out when Coulson spoke up.
"Skye" he just called and I stopped dead, turning to look at him. There were small hints of command in his voice. A tone that I had associated with him wanting answers.
Here we go, I thought and folded my hands behind my back. "Yes?"
"I've been thinking about something" he started, probably trying to ease into the topic. "When we 'collected' you from the van and after, you just showed me your badge, which made you an agent. And only today did I realise that I had no idea what your clearance was. But the fact that you didn't say anything when I mentioned the Level 8 documents, and then left when the Level 7 agents were to join in the briefing, makes me think you are a lower Level agent" he paused and slowly started walking aroid the table. "And yet, you were in deep cover with the Rising Tide, with only Fury and Hill knowing of your position, while Maria called you 'her agent'. Yet, you had said that you knew me and it makes me think that it was more than just meeting me in the Helicarrier before the Battle of New York. And I think that if I knew you before, I wouldn't forget you. Apart from the fact that I remember every agent I have interacted with, something I picked up as Deputy Director, you are pretty unforgettable". He stood right in front of me, towering me ever so slightly. Not too intimidating, however with a very strong presence. "I think you know where I'm heading with this"
I lifted my head to meet his gaze straight on, not backing out. I had met Nick head-on, Coulson was not phasing me in the slightest. At least not without his memories. Phil would be another story, but Coulson… no. He did nothing to me. "I do" I answered truthfully.
The lift of his eyebrow was the only indication that he was expecting more. "It's classified, I'm sorry" I continued. It was clear that he was irritated by this so I continued. "Look," I said softly. "You can take this up to the Director, but his answer would be the same. You've said you trust me and you've said you trust the system. I can't say I trust the system as much as you, some of my… experiences, making it hard. But the Director knows of this. I've been with you for a while now. Would it make such a difference if you knew my Level? Have I done anything to make you question my loyalty to you and this team?"
This question seemed to give him a pause. He thought over my words for a while and then nodded his head. "You're right" he concluded and took a step back. "I apologise" he sincerely continued. "I shouldn't have asked. I should have trusted you and the system"
"That's okay" I reassured him. "As I said, I don't really trust the system, but I trust people within it. I don't think it's safe to put all of your faith in one place, you can get stabbed in the back if you're not careful"
He tilted his head as he processed my words. "How did S.H.I.E.L.D. stab you in the back?" He asked. Him using that phrase made my eyes travel to where I knew the hole in his chest had been. But I caught myself really quickly before my slip was noticed. When I remained quiet for a long time he chuckled. "Let me guess… classified?" The smile that I gave him in return was enough of an answer and he shook his head.
I took that as my cue to leave and went to the lab to see what Jemma was up to.
I was sitting with her, as she was sorting out some documents, while other agents were moving stuff in and out of the Lab, probably refilling supplies that we needed and such. At a small commotion, I saw one guy accidentally push Fitz's treasured pistol off the table.
Jemma quickly stopped everything to grab it before it fell on the floor. "Oh, no. No no no. Please be careful" she started and then proceeded to safely tuck it in a bag. "Can you imagine what Fitz would do if the Night-Night pistol was broken when he came back? Surely he'll be okay out there… right?" She asked looking in my direction. The concern on her face… it was heartbreaking.
I was about to answer, but May shut me with a sharp look. "We know what we're supposed to. When we have more information, we react" she made it pretty clear that I wasn't to say anything. Satisfied that I wasn't going to open my mouth again, she looked down at her tablet and then said with an authoritative voice, "Alright, clear out. I need to run some diagnostics and reboot". When all the other agents left, but Jemma and I were still inside continued, never lifting her head from what she was reading. "That means you two. Off"
Jemma jumped a little bit and made her way out. "What, you don't want me here with you? You wound me" I joked and placed one hand over my heart as I followed the biochemist out and into the Hub.
She was fidgety ever since Fitz had left, I hadn't seen her so nervous since during and right after the mission in Hong Kong. Which reminded me. "Hey" I spoke and she jumped once again. I forced myself not to laugh and gently touched her shoulder, trying to ground her. "Wanna grab a coffee? Or tea, in your case? I'm sure the café must make something decent to have" I smiled.
I saw her eyes dart towards the situation room, but then she relented and smiled back. "That's a great idea" and so, without thinking I grabbed her hand and pushed her towards the crowded place.
It was weird to see how many people were having a coffee at the Hub of all places. I was half expecting it to be empty. But thankfully we found a table for two in a corner and Jemma went to keep the table while I ordered our drinks.
I picked up the tray with the beverages and walked towards Jemma. Out of habit I took two spoonfuls of sugar and put them in the tea before handing it to her. "Darjeeling?" She asked with a spark in her eyes.
"Of course," I said as if it was a stupid question. "It's the only tea that you drink—"
"When I'm stressed" she finished for me and took a sip. Her shoulders instantly dropped, relaxing and she let out a heavy sigh. "Thank you"
Silence engulfed our table, but it was not an uncomfortable one. We were just taking in each other's company and that was enough. "I'm sorry we didn't have much time to talk since our week off" I was the first one to speak.
She did something in between a scoff and a chuckle. "There's nothing to apologise for, Skye. It was out of your control" she placed the tea on the table. "And to be fair, I haven't really sought you out either"
I let my coffee on the hard wood table as well, my fingers playing around with the mug. "How are you doing? After everything?"
She held a breath a bit longer than necessary, probably gathering herself. "I'm dealing. It's not too bad, as long as I don't find myself somewhere relatively high. I try to avoid looking out of the windows of the Bus while we travel, but it's getting better". She smiled, clearly proud of herself for admitting all that.
Instinctively I took her hand in mine, combing my fingers with hers. "I'm here to talk, or listen, if you need anything. God knows you've been there for me so many times"
Her fingers wrapped more tightly around mine. It was almost as if she wanted me to lend her some strength, which I would do on any given day. She didn't say anything in reply, instead taking another sip of her tea. Our hands never parting. I gulped looking at our hands. I knew what I wanted to say and yet just the simple thought of forming my words seemed so hard. I lifted my eyes and saw that Jemma was looking at me, and I felt bare under her gaze. As if she could see me, really see me, and everything I was thinking.
She shook her head ever so slightly but enough for me to catch. "Not now" she whispered and I knew. I retracted my hand, grabbed the colder-now mug and sat back on my seat. "I'm just—" she started explaining and I cut her off.
"Really worried about Fitz. I get it" I provided a smile to show that I wasn't mad. "Soon?" I asked with a small voice and she nodded. I smiled at that. After a while, I pushed my chair back and stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm just gonna go and check in the mission. I think it will ease your mind if you knew what was happening with Fitz" I replied and made a move to leave but her hand on my wrist stopped me.
"Skye," she said with meaning. "What are you gonna do? Do you even have the Clearance?"
I smirked at her and with no harsh movement, removed her hand from mine. "Even if I don't I can always hack my way in" I supplied with playfulness, neither denying nor confirming anything and then left the cafe before she had the chance to follow me.
Notes:A few things happened here.
- Coulson and Skye talked some more. More on the two of them in the next chapter.
- And Jemma and Skye almosttalked. It will happen soon, don't worry :)
Take care, everyone! See you tomorrow
Chapter 30: Trust The SystemNotes:
All rights go to Marvel
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Coulson's POV
After our discussion with Skye, I headed back to the Hub. I went into the situation room once or twice in order to see what was happening, but something about this mission was still rubbing me wrong. Eventually, I found myself going on the Bus. It was quieter than I expected but when I saw May doing Tai Chi in the middle of the main room, right outside the command centre, I realised that she must have thrown everyone else outside to have some peace of mind. It did strike me as weird that Skye wasn't there as well, but given that Fitz was the one on the mission, she was probably with Simmons.
I sat on a stool and looked at May as she was flowing through her motions. "Sorry, am I disturbing you?" She said nothing, not that I was expecting to hear anything in return. I just missed her sometimes, it was so easy to talk with her. From her, my gaze travelled to the rest of the room and I started speaking my thoughts. "You know, I love this plane. I like the way we do things here. Everyone's on the same page, no red tape… so far it's working for us"
As I voiced my thoughts I realised what was bothering me so much about this mission. Ever since I got this gift from Director Fury and had this team we were all working together. No Levels, no need-to-know information that was withheld from some members because they weren't allowed to know. "Maybe I'm getting soft… but I don't like keeping things from our team" I voiced looking at May, but she still said nothing. "If you knew—"
I was cut short by a sharp look from the Asian woman. It told plenty. "No, you're right… Level 8" I let out a breath. "But—" another sharp turn of her head in my direction was enough to shut me up once more. "I know. 'Trust the system'" I recalled the words that were spoken to me so many times and that I said to Skye only a few hours ago. I looked at May as she continued gently moving around as if I wasn't even there. I smiled at her, not even caring if she would see me. "May, thanks," I told her and got up.
As I was walking in the Hub, I felt a bit more at peace than I had before. I was making my way once more to the situation room, to check in on how the mission was going when I noticed Skye, sitting alone in a dark corner with her laptop on her knees.
I started making my way towards her. I thought I was being quiet, or at least that my movement would be drawn out by the rest of the agents moving back and forth in the same room as me. But, as if she sensed me, she lifted her head, closed the computer and stood up abruptly. The closer I got and the more I could see of her, I noticed how her eyes were slightly glazed over, a silent fury burning underneath the surface. I had never seen that look on her face. It worried me.
I didn't even have time to ask before she hissed at me. "Did you know?"
I took a step back at that. "What are you talking about?" I asked, my muscled tensing on their own. My eyes flew to the laptop and then back at her. "What did you do?" I asked, still not sure what was happening.
Even with no other explanation on my part, she seemed to reach her own conclusion and let out a very heavy sigh. Her hand travelled to her hair and she combed them, then it fell on her temples where she rubbed the skin there for a good few seconds. "What's going on, Skye?"
"The mission," she said and we both knew what she was talking about. "It's a suicide mission. There-There's no extraction team for them"
"No," I said shaking my head. "Hand told me that—"
"I know you trust the system, okay? When I told you that I don't trust it because it had stabbed me in the back?", she quickly interrupted me. "This," she harshly pointed to the ground, "this is one of the reasons why I can't trust the system" I was at loss for words. We just stayed there looking at each other. "Do you trust me?" She finally questioned when no one spoke for a while.
"I do" I found myself replying quickly.
A weight seemed to leave her shoulders at that. "Then trust me when I tell you, there's no extraction team"
Something seemed to snap in my mind. The decision of what to do came almost naturally. But first, "Come with me," I said and moved back where I come from and towards where I was headed before. Skye was right behind me.
I went to scan my badge to go towards the situation room and then stopped short only a few metres away. I turned around to see the younger agent, remembering that she didn't follow us there the first time around and her Clearance was classified. I didn't even need to say anything before she spoke. "I can" and I didn't question her.
I strode all the way to the situation room, still composed, but with my blood starting to boil. I saw Hand and Sitwell there, just where I left therm. Sitwell was the first one to notice us and he fully turned towards us, indicating Hand to do the same.
"Agent Coulson" Hand said looking at me and the agent with me. "Who is she? Is she allowed in here?" She turned to Skye and took a step in her direction but I intercepted her and stepped between them.
"Yes," I said with the voice that I had practised from my years as a Deputy Director. "I was just informed that while I was told that there was an extraction team, there actually isn't any. I'm Level 8. I'm entitled regarding information about the welfare of my team. You should have told me" I told her, not leaving her any space to reply until I was finished.
She grasped the chance, as her eyes narrowed and flew between Skye and me. "You're right. And what would that have changed, agent Coulson?", she raised an eyebrow. "You yourself designed dozens of operations like this. You know how it works" she said matter-of-factly.
And it was true. All of it. But there was a major difference between those missions and this one. Other than the fact that these agents were part of my team. "Usually with an extraction plan and even if there isn't one, they know that going in. And yes, Fitz may not be cleared and he may have lost focus, but this should have still been my call"
She all but scoffed. "Barton, Romanoff, they never have an extraction plan". I noticed Skye tensing at the mention of my former two pupils. I made a mental note of that, but there were more pressing matters, especially since Hand hadn't finished. "And, honestly, I wasn't sure if you'd comply. Your team includes an agent who I couldn't find anything about," she said pointedly looking at Skye. "Which reminds me, how did you get this information?" Her eyes were still trained on Skye who hadn't backed up in the slightest under the cold eyes of Hand, which made some of the bravest men recoil.
I saw Skye looking at me, asking permission to speak, but I lifted my hand and she looked back at Hand. "I know what the safety of a thousand men is worth. I know the importance of taking the overkill device out of place. But I also know my men. And what they're worth. And the decision to go in should have been theirs to make"
Her gaze turned back to me, no warmth in those eyes whatsoever. "Perhaps" she stated as if it was the most insignificant thing. "But you need to trust the system, agent Coulson"
That was when my blood started boiling for good. Because if I heard that phrase one more time… I didn't know if I would be able to handle it.
I took a deep breath and recomposed myself. I stood up, a mask of apathy washed over my face. "Okay," I stated. Then I turned and looked at Skye. "Let's go"
"You are not going anywhere," Sitwell said. "We need some answers," he said like we owed it to them.
However, I just kept walking and Skye followed me. "I don't believe you do" I heard Skye speak for the first time as we made our way back to the Bus.
Skye's POV
As I did after every mission, but especially after what happened in the Hub, I erased any trace of me from the S.H.I.E.L.D.'s servers. If, at some point, any part of the CCTV caught me, that footage was erased. If I had left any digital trace of my presence somewhere in the Hub's systems, it was deleted. In order to protect my identity, one of the first things that I asked the pirate and was granted permission to do was create a system that helped me out with that.
And after I got T.A.D.A.S.H.I., and with the help of Stark, the software that I had developed was fast enough that after I appeared in a camera somewhere, this photograph or this minute of a video was instantly deleted. Usually, as long as I had Tee online he could do the work for me. But after the encounter that I had with Hand and Sitwell, I needed to double-check.
I had to restrain myself not to say anything when Hand brought up my siblings, but I managed to not say anything.
I had focused most of my time there assessing the two senior agents that I was avoiding meeting. From the rumours that I had heard, I wasn't expecting any different treatment from Hand. Sitwell was quieter than I was expecting but given that Hand and Coulson were basically at each other's throats, it made sense.
As my powers were directed at the agents I was picking up any and every movement they made. It was an interesting interaction, that was for sure. And I would also need to update Nick on things.
But the good thing that came out of this whole ordeal was that the boys came back safely as we ended up being their extraction team. I was really glad when I saw Fitz walk up to Jemma, relief clearly written all over her face. I even managed a small smile towards Ward. Because despite us bumping heads, I didn't want him dead.
I left the people reuniting downstairs and headed to my bunk. It was quite early, but given that I hadn't managed to get any sleep until we rescued the duo, I was quite tired. Just as I was about to get ready, I realised that May was still at the cockpit and she had spent the whole time there from the Hub to where we were. I would probably regret it if she said yes, but I would offer to drive the Bus while she got some shut-eye. Even if it was just to doze off in the co-pilot's seat.
I exited my bunk with that direction in mind but noticed how Coulson was going upstairs in his office. Our eyes met and he nodded towards the upper floor and I followed him.
I sat across from him, too tired to even think of even standing up until he dismissed me. He noticed that especially given that it was the first time that I had done that. Without saying anything he took a plastic bottle from a mini-fridge under his desk and offered me the water. "Sorry," I apologised as I took the offering.
"I understand" he replied with his soft smile. "It's been a long day". He waited patiently until I took a few sips and placed the bottle back on the desk. Either giving me time or trying to think of how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Thank you," he said at the end.
That was not what I was expecting. "Excuse me?" I said before I even thought of filtering my words.
He didn't repeat his words, instead started with different ones. "I've been with the organisation for a very long time. Director Fury was my old S.O., I made my way up the ranks, created ops like today's one, I trained other agents and some of them ended in the Avengers… I did a lot of things. And then, then I died". He started rubbing a spot on his chest, subconsciously. I was almost positive he wasn't aware he was doing it. It was a spot I knew all too well. "And since I've come back, I've been different". My mind flashed back to a conversation we had with May back at the Tower, about something that she and Coulson discussed after the Virus mission. His gaze was trained somewhere on my left, over my shoulder, his mind probably millions of miles away. Then he seemed to return to today and he looked at me. "'Trust the system'. It was the first thing integrated into my head since my days in the Academy. I never questioned them. Thank you for doing that for me"
Notes:I do quite like this chapter, hope you did too :)
Thanks for the support! Take care everyone.