Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

2007

To most, she was just part of the background. She rarely stuck her hand up in class, though when called on, hand up or not, she always seemed unsure so it didn't matter if she answered questions right or not. To everyone else in her classes, she was just... there... good listener, sometimes a shoulder to cry on when being bullied, or a fist in the face if they tried to bully her, but... unremarkable beyond that.

To the teachers, however... she was a "problem student". Substitutes, oddly, never had a problem with her, compared to the permanent teachers at the... many... schools that she had attended. Maybe because some of those substitutes had seen her at more than just one school through her time in the system, by system, both education and foster. They knew she was a foster kid. They knew she rarely stayed more than a month in one home, and every home change resulted in a school change along with it. But to those Subs, she was a kid who knew she'd not be there long, so wouldn't blame her for not wanting to put more effort than what would get noted in whatever part of her files that got sent to the next school, if they even did. And they'd encountered an absolute dearth of information in several schools' files when a few checked through the years.

Fact is, it had been several substitutes who'd had enough classes with her - through several schools - who fought to make sure she wasn't held back because oops, her records went missing again. And again. And AGAIN.

For the Foster homes, it was... another story.

Frankly, the girl hadn't expected to get to move up to fifth grade for this year, she hadn't had a good foster home in over a year. But they had all been close enough that the schools all used the same source for substitutes, and several substitutes had talked, noticed, and made sure that it wasn't on the foster system to have her files transferred.

But still. Even in her first week, fifth grade of the kinda weird Middle School, weird because most places had fifth grade as an elementary year... she didn't know anyone, not even the 'kinda familiar faces' of students that came over from various Elementary schools that she had attended for all of two, three, a few four weeks, the rare more-than-one less-than-two months... And the kids all had their friend groups already.

She was surprised (not really) when one of her seemingly-regular teachers from several elementary schools had actually up and decided to sub teach in Middle School (but not really because do the state even see it as a Middle School grade?), and during recess instead of spending time in the teachers lounge gossiping about... whatever teachers gossip about, she'd spent time with her slowly (well, over a week if that's quick or slow?) figuring out the holes in her education.

Second week (halfway if usual timeline) instead had her with study sessions instead of some of the classes. She didn't get it - she wasn't special, why was this teacher, lovely as she was, spending time with her?

Third week, she'd gotten interested in computers. Only in part because now she had an email that bad foster parents couldn't take away. Only in part because it was to keep in touch with her teacher. Her. Teacher. No, it was because she was... good at it, without really trying. She seemed to, in her teachers words, parse the code better than even written English.

Then... Then it was time to move again.

The next home was... bad. A week. No school.

Two weeks here. Three there. And before she knew it, it was approaching Christmas and she was being returned again.

It wasn't all that odd, at first. Social worker. Car ride. Orphanage.

Then a week after that and no access to computers unable to keep up with her spotty education unable to hack the F.B.I. for funsies or talk to her special teacher, because nuns, heathen technology bullsh- rubbish... And then a car ride to a new foster home.

...

It was her.

...

She was wanted

...

She thought she was happy, elated, excited, she'd actually get to stay (so they said).

Sure, the dad was weird with the occasional bits of accents but apparently he's an immigrant from somewhere but whatever, this woman, who'd spent months helping her during fourth grade, and even switched to middle schools and now... Now she had a home and even a big sister... Sure the big sister was a little strange but had this wicked scar around her left eye and was cool and helped her with homework...

Then it was Christmas and she was confused as she watched her foster dad throw things around, directing big sis too in some of it then foster mom lit a cigarette (where did that come from they don't smoke)

rage
pain
confusion
hurt
anger
why
anger
pain
words
why
pain
words
why
pain
why
pain
pain
sorry
no... pain...
obey
no
pain
obey
okay
no pain
obey
no pain

no pain

words

[ hello mary ]

confusion

[ I see all you see ]

anger confusion

[ we have much to teach you ]

Chapter Text

2008

Six? Eight? Ten? Months. If it was six, they were looong months.

That's how long I was in that damn... basement thing.

All hint of a tan I had was gone. I'm pale. Gaunt, they don't... feed me enough.

... Or it's just the load of exercises they made me do, like... all the damn time.

And even in the dark, there was always this feeling, that I was being watched.

I... I hadn't know how long, or anything. They... They'd just forced to... run or pump iron or hit a bag or read book after book after book of all kinds of subjects or listen to instructions and try to copy for some things and only even let me sleep once I was dile- delei- messed up. a fesurus was not part of the teachings. No matter how tired I got...

ASSHOLES! YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES!

And... I was being let out onto the street with two warnings: they'll always be watching and will kill anyone I tell.

They'll kill not just me if I refused to do what they said.

They tried... tried to break me of just... caring about people and the right thing because they wanted a puppet soldier I think.

... Downside to being so... to having already suffered what I had in the system... Nothing they did would really break me.

... It just meant they had that to use, blackmail instead of brainwashed loyalty, I guess.

I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't go back to the system even if I wanted to which I sooo don't.

I don't even know why they're letting me out.

Maybe they don't want to be around a kid when she starts puberty?

Ugh. I'm not looking forward to that.

... But I have spent time on the streets when I was... Seven? Eight? I don't really remember how old any of the times I ran away and managed to actually stay away for days or weeks or something but... it was educational enough for now, now I... still don't know what to do in general...

... But I can find a place out of the way to sleep.

And start to steal food. Wouldn't be the first time I had to feed myself, and I'm not even referring to those bastards in the basement. They at least gave me minimal food...

Two weeks, not a peep so far.

Hard, but... well...

They'd left me in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. Apparently I'm in Ohio. Trying to avoid notice of Cops or anyone that look like they'd report me and send me back into the system is both easier and harder. I don't know what to look for here, unlike say, New York. But there's fewer people, so...

As for where to sleep... I... I don't seem to need as much.

It... It feels like, if I wake on a Monday morning, It's Tuesday afternoon before I even feel a little tired, but... but I can't even... I can't even get to sleep intentionally until I'm exhausted! And I hit that stage after a full sixty hours or so!

It. Sucks!

Cold... Cold nights, can't sleep even when I managed to stay warm, and... damn it I'm too used to doing things!

... No. No I don't miss the basement.

I won't miss it.

I won't.

At least it's easy to pickpocket.

Twenty, Thirty dollars seem about the normal for these guys here to carry

I just... I don't want to be noticed, so pickpocketing people of only a few bucks at a time - a hundred bucks a day, max.

I even accidentally swiped a few hundred dollar bills from one guy... but it felt dangerous so I reverse-pickpocketed that guy to put it back mentally marked him for 'dnpp'

Enough, though... Just enough that I can feed myself.

... Once I'm used to food again for real.

God I'm so bored.

but I still don't miss it

A month. It's been... a month. A... nice month. Ish.

I mean sure I'm living on the streets... But I'm out of that... basement.

I can live on my own schedule now. I think some people are starting to recognize me though, other than the librarian though.

Dammit I like reading now. Used to love just running around or playing on a computer... but with the last one still rare here, books it is.

... And fuck, not even fiction! ... I... Ugh. I'm reading from the education section!

At least it gave ccr- creed- credence... to my excuse, that I'm being 'homeschooled'.

... Thesaurus. Dammit I'm even reading dictionaries and thesauruses!

This is such BULLSHIT!

Its funny, I never had to think of money before but, now...

Self-teaching myself budgeting.

Not that I need it so far... but... well I AM living on the streets, using my mad pickpocket skillz nearly every day that I've got like, five hundred bucks a week of 'income'. Some people don't even make that Legally in FULL TIME!

And the cops say 'Crime Doesn't Pay'. PAH! PAH I TELL YOU!

Sure, what expenses do I have? Breakfast, Lunch Dinner, that there takes... well... about thirty bucks. Snacks (because Yay Snacks) is another ten. So really, sixty bucks to spend as needed and save the rest...

Clothes, though. There's no thrift store here. I had to buy new, and the first thing I thought of was a bag, because of course I'd need one to carry my personal things in, and who knew bags cost so much? So, made sure it was a decent one.

Then there's the clothes themselves... underwear, shirt, pants (I'm not wearing skirts! I'm ON THE STREETS!) even shoes that fit, which the ones I was kicked out with didn't and gave me sores.

And... bathroom stuff. Toothbrush, shower gel, as much as I could without hitting into my 'next meal money'.

Thankfully I found a place I could use to clean up easy with a laundromat next door like, first week, so once I had three sets of clothes (not counting the ones I threw. Ew.) I had settled on a plan.

It was a gym - so I could wear one set and exercise whilst my a second set of clothes are being washed, then after a shower switch to the third sets of normal clothes.

Kinda became a routine for every 'just woke up' day.

The second day of what became a third-day per sleep cycle went to a mix of reading and exploring, with the third day of the cycle just whatever hit my fancy.

I knew I was being watched. They'd gotten me in the habit of exercising my body and mind.

I... worried they'd do something If I even just tried to go back into the system and act like a normal runaway who just got caught.

That they'd do something if, even on the streets, I just didn't... well... didn't.

Avoiding the nice people though... that was... getting kinda hard.

I guess they were watching, because they've told me to go somewhere, with a deadline to be there by.

Somewhere not close.

A HUNDRED MILES. And there's no taxi's that'll take me, and no busses going that way.

... FUCKING BULLSHIT!

Looks like I'm walking. And spending my funds on filling my bag with food for the trip.

...

A hundred Miles... I figure, two hours at a time, six to eight hours of walking per day before I need rest. I'll be carrying my supplies with me, so It'll slow me down. Bah. I've got a deadline, two weeks so that gives me room for about eight miles per day if I leave now, with room to spare there, and I might be able to do ten, if I can keep light and don't overtire myself.

First stop, camping store.

Day One. I, Skylar, Messenger of the Elven Armies of Rivieradale, have been tasked with reaching the shores of the Dwarven Ilse of Bullshittus to pass along a message. A Message, of Hope. A Message Of-

... This is going to take awhile.

Day Two. I'm beginning to feel the exhaustion. At least at this pace I'll be there a few days before deadline, Tonight, I shall sleep. Yay for bringing a tent. Though, boo, packing it on my own is a pain.

Day eight, and I, Skylar of the Elven Armies of Rivieradale, can just see on the horizon my destination. The journey has been long, and difficult with much unexpected terrain. My feet have ached since Day three yet I, Skylar, a trained messenger, as before and as I always shall, have pers- persiv- I have done well...

I know not why the Princess of Eragon wishes me to pass a message to... to...

Pfft... Bad movie. Bad bad movie... Grr. What a waste of money to watch it at the theater, no one turned up for the repeat.

... Ow my feet.

I CAME ALL THIS WAY... TO PICK POCKET SOMEONE?! WTF?!?!?!

THEY WERE ON THE THIRD FLOOR YOU NITWIT! THAT WAS THE SECOND. YOU SAID SECOND SO I WENT SECOND

NO YOU IDIOT, FIRST EQUALS GROUND!

... BRITISH?! Ugh.

Next you'll be saying that I'm wearing a cardigan and I should be drinking TEA! THIS IS BULLSHIT

Fuck it. FUCKING FUCK THIS FUCKING CRAP

I wrote a note: I'm getting a gun because I fucking hate being shot at, and if its going to happen again I want to be able to SHOOT BACK. Got a problem with that?

... TWO DAYS and they responded with 'we do not have issue with that'...

And a day later gave me a bit of help at getting a gun because SERIOUSLY it's FUCKING HARD getting one at my age!

Le Sigh. Protip to underage gun users: If its not Texas, you'll have problems.

Even practice shooting in the middle of neverheardofit nowhere gets attention!

And I think my current handler - different style of writing now - is a damn troll. More talkative.

... Like bitch please shut up I'm trying to git gud with a gun!

I didn't git gud. No amount would let my small hands get a proper grip to control recoil. Not for a .45, according to the one guy who took pity when watching me trying to shoot cans at the edge of his farmland...

'On The Road Again'... Ugh. Stupid song. Can't enjoy it anymore.

Next place I'm going to get some wheels.

... Even If I have to steal it.

I'm gonna have to steal it, aren't I?

SHINY VAN

SHINY VAN SO GOOOD

LOVE MY NEW VAN

... I can't reach the pedals AND see over the wheel. FUCK.

Well, pedals are... wonky, but they'll do until I can get a better mounting position.

Lets hit the road!

... Without hitting anything! WITHOUT! FUCK PLEASE TELL ME THATS NOT A COP!

Le Sigh. Not a cop. Thanks for small flavours. Iknowthatsnottheword

Ah, the benefit of wheels. I can start pickpocketing worthy targets of more pilfered cash...

I need a computer. Sooo looong since the humm of a fan spinning, the whirring of the hard drive, and the thrill of having something with more computing power than the spaceshuttle at my fingertips.

Maybe if I can figure out how to pretend to be asleep, cover one eye and...

Moderate success.

Just freaking weird to be one-eyed for awhile... even though that's what I am. A one-eyed ... Ten year old? Twelve? ... Damn I don't even remember my age now. What was my listed birthday again?

Fuckit I don't give a fuck. Lets see what I can one-eyed hack into. Been awhile since I tested any systems.

Even though that was basically just the school... and the CPS and maybe the cops to tell about that last bad foster home...

Another pickpocket job?

... Whatever lets also rob them too whilst I'm at it, shall I? I mean I just saw them SHOOT a kid!

... CIA THEYRE CIA? WHERES THE HANDLER WITH INSTRUCTIONS THEY-

ASSHOLE YOU WERENT LOOKING ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?

You want me to what

...

This is what I get for showing interest in learning to shoot isn't it.

Don't answer that. Faaah.

Creepy dude being creepy - put the knife away mate before an Australian shows up to tell you it's not one. Aand that's a Russian dude... and that one there's like hollywood stereotype of-

... They're eyeing me in a way that's really not good.

... One-eyed hacking, here we go. Lets see... Yup, yup... cps fi- ELEVEN? I'M ELEVEN?! Well... it has been, uh... damn really wasn't tracking time here.

... Yadda yadda... Lets see what was for that fake-fos-DEAD?!

Dead? I was reported dead? no ones... even looking for me? dead bodies... who... did they kill others to fake mine?

YOU BASTARDS YOU FUCKERS FUCKING BUL-

Wake up. Run. Eat. Run. Shower and Clean. Eat. Read. Eat. Test. Pretend sleep but be hacking. 'Wake Up'. Run. Eat. Read. Eat. Read. Eat. Sleep.

It's just so...

... Merry Christmas to me.

SERIOUSLY A MISSION ON NEW YEARS ARE YOU FREAKING-

2009

It was the usual bullshit.

Act 'normal'... Not that a eleven (or twelve?) year old living on her own, in a van she could barely drive herself even with the modifications so she could actually press the pedals... not that any of her life in the last year and a bit was normal. Her being me. Fuck my life.

I followed the directions I was given.

[ park int he alley between Joes Pizza and Lizys landry ]

I held in the sigh at the bad spelling, typos and what I'm is sure is an English person. As I drove up the road, looking left and right, I spotted the places in question... too close together for a proper alley. Damn. Though annoyingly, since it would be a tight fit if I tried to drive in, so annoying to back in.

I pulled past and stopped, looking in the mirror.

[ youve past it ]

Idiot.

I waved a hand as best I could in sight to indicate reversing in, and even looked at the gearshift very pointedly, and backed in.

Honestly, I'm not sure which is worse. This guy, because he keeps doing this trying to micromanage, or...

[ your target ist he flat on the second floor to the ]

I frowned.

... To the what?

[ one moment ]

... Is he/she going to the toilet?

I quickly got my laptop out, already switched on thankfully and brought up notepad.

Nothing. No response.

Fucking...

This was just going to be the CIA Agents pickpocket job all over again. But I kept sight on the laptop, my query at the delay clear despite the way I put it

[ security alarm had just glitched out on me, third time this week ]

[ if i didnt do this my family would be killed and my son framed for it ]

I pause, but then... well... in for a penny, as the British say...

I paused, and corrected the typo of out to our. Just because his seem to be like a text message - type the full thing then hit send, he (or she) was seeing mine as I type, and typos are a little nitpick I have become OCD about because of this whole thing.

[ you and a previous handler confused those? ]

... Were they really going to...?

[ how did you know I'm from uk ]

It wasn't going to be like the CIA agents pickpocket mission.

... I'm not sure if this is worse.

I sighed as slowly, mission details came out, but...

But then I got out of the van and saw myself in a very clean for the locale mirror someone had dumped.

[ YOUR A KID WHAT THE FUCK ]

... I stared, then mimed a gun to my head for a moment.

I didn't care, this was fucked up.

Then I held up two hands, fingers out to count ten.

[ TEN ]

Are they... Seriously?

Well... It wasn't... a bust.

So... Yeah. There's that.

Also, I'm reasonably sure that my handler is, a), female, and b) was telling the truth about being forced into the role.

And c) really glad that knowing my age before I went in meant that she threw out the script because she wasn't going to send a eleven year old in to a target's home with the cover story of being a 'gift'.

...

I'm not sure if I want her to be an innocent being forced into this with bullshit so I can save her/them as thank you when I get free, because that means... and the danger...

But fuck it, if that was a pretend, I don't care. THAT was not, no way in f- in hell was the shock and horror at the age and the plan given to her... freebie ten minutes to run, that's all she'd get if she's actually a bad guy.

Also... just more proof that the Jepeto to my Pinocchio is evil as shit.

Normally, it was at least a month, usually around three, between missions... since being let out on my own anyway.

Time that I was basically ordered to move around, learn certain skills, sign up to martial arts classes somewhere, and so on. I'm only fifty-percent sure that some of the classes were run by people warned I was coming and I don't mean in the 'oh a parent/guardian said-' way but the 'an asset-in-training is-' way.

Creepy as fuck.

Weirdly, every mission since the odd one at the start of the year had the same handler.

And not the one who got friendly because 'fuck treating a eleven year old like a prostitute-spy'.

...

I really hope she's okay.

...

This time, though...

[ you will be training for your next mission with another asset ]

[ rendezvous at GPS coordinates- ]

Not, exactly, a good thing. And they clearly remember but are trolling me about me not being good at remembering specific numbers when they only let it stay in my vision for five seconds. Despite the shit I've done for them already, I'm still not a fucking spy with perfect recall. Asshole.

Owie.

Owie is really, fucking, putting it lightly.

Why the hell is training with an actual spy so damn painful?

Why the hell didn't the other training hurt? Oh, right, those were classes with nor- with civilians.

But... she doesn't look like she's enjoying it. And really? How many fucking eye-spies have they got!?

And... WHY ME WHEN THEY HAVE ADULT EYESPIES!

Chapter Text

2010

They want me to WHAT?!

I'M TWELVE I CANT BE A GODDAMN INTERN AT STARK INDUSTRIES I NEVER EVEN FUCKING FINISHED FIFTH GRADE

Okay. I'm doing this.

I'm... actually managing this.

Miss Potts is amazing, why Stark doesn't just make her the boss I don't know she's practically doing that job and

...

Really? The Twelve-maybe-thirteen year old kid posing as a twenty-one year old and claiming to just be really short is the one chosen for... fine. Whatever.

ITS BORING AS FUCK I MEAN SERIOUSLY?!

Canijustmentioni'mgladitisreallydontwantgunplayagain

Monaco? What? How am I going to manage to go there, I don't even have a-

Pepper. Seriously. My entire I.D. is fake here. I have no. Damn. Passport. God, how screwed up IS Stark Industries that a major defense contractor can't pick me out as something, someone... SUSPICIOUS AS FUCK I DONT KNOW WHAT HALF THE THINGS PEOPLE TELL ME EVEN MEAN HERE

I am so unqualified for this.

Why am I here? Really not into race cars, you fucks aren't even asking me to DO anything here other than be Miss Potts' assistant, which without, I wouldn't have been able to get here. And Stark's here so, god he's so annoying.

I DONT CARE IF IM ONLY A BAD GUY BECAUSE I HAVE A BOMB BEHIND MY EYES IM GOING TO KILL THAT FUCKER FOR THIS. THIS IS UTTER BULLSHIT

IS THAT A FUCKING WHIP? DUDES GOT AN ARC REACTOR?!?!

He's going for the crowd. He's really- This... way... He's coming this way oh god oh god

[ You might want to duck. ]

SHHHIIII-

OW!

[ move faster next time ]

NO SHIT SHERLOCK

FOR FUCK SAKE STARK HEAD IN THE GAME AND FUCK I HATE THESE WHIPS OW OW FUCK

[ take the guards gun. defend yourself. ]

NO. No more gun play. Please. I can't. Just Can't.

And you wanna know why?!

I cant even see, you fucks. All I can see is your damn text messages to my implant!

Well at-least someone is getting me out of th-

Ugh. My head... Wait... Monaco. Vanko. MY EYES I'm-

I can see again?

[ do not make us regret restoring your sight ]

Oh f- fuckberries.

Oh... Oh no. Now its TWO eye-bombs. That is... very much NOT what I wanted for Christmas.

YesIknowitsnowherenearChristmasshutup

[ We have falsified medical records for your injury. ]

[ You will be returned to America to continue the internship. ]

Assholes. I just lost my last remaining natural, biological eye. I... This is... FUCK MY LIFE.

... No-no-no don't cry Pepper... I'm o- well alive, anyway...

Fuck you Stark. Wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't gotten cocky and decided to race a goddamn ... Whatever. Formula, Indy? I don't know, I don't care. Fuck. This. Bullshit.

Who the hell is this Natalie Rushman and why is she giving me the curious look that sends tingles up my damn spine? And isn't she supposed to be Stark's new assistant? Why is she suddenly with Pepper...

Gee, great. Just... bored not listening to science that's way over my head.

... Though these new eyes do have improved resolution, I can actually make out the screws and seams on some of these prototypes in the next booth but on the other hand, what the fuck is wrong with Stark he's got weird lines on his neck, didn't see that before...

So. Bored. This expo isn't even all that great, and the medical tech here, nothing about returning sight to the sightless yadda yadda, only half-decent prosthetics (like seriously just the iron man tech but for legs or arms and not featuring those repulsors will do fine these are garbage versus some of the stuff on the market already)

...

Hey those look like knock-off iron men, does hammer really want to go make discount, drone versions I mean aiming those cannons whilst on the move is-

I SAID NO MORE GUN-PLAY FUCK SHIT FUCK

FUCK OFF IRON MAN IVE HAD IT HERE I DONT CARE IM GOING TO SHOOT THIS GUY FOR TAKING MY OTHER EYE

So, protip #1. Don't fight iron man. It sucks if you don't have armor. At least he held back, I know this as I am not paste on the sidewalk... Or rather, whatever it was where we ended up fighting I mean shit I'm half covered in mud here.

Protip #2. He knew I lost my eyes - plural, turns out the eye part of the first eye-bomb actually did go kablooie in Monaco - but since he knows of no tech to replace them he's now focusing on me and talking about extending my internship and just... Fuck. I JUST FOUGHT HIM FIVE MINUTES AGO WHY?!?!

Did vanko really booby trap his own suit!?

[ You are being extracted. Coordinates aaskdjhdf ]

What the?

Accidental 'send' mid sentence isn't rare but, striking all the keys?

Fuck it, there's problems, I'm running and Stark's too busy...No, survival first. Okay... duck here - ouch that's the fire service stand and- HE BOOBY TRAPPED THE HAMMER DRONES TOO?! ... And STARK WHA THE FU-Wait is he seriously going in- Pepper. She's still here FUCKFUCK-

Welp. Hotel safehouse. Covered in soot, a few burns... Owie.

Also, I have the distinct feeling that I'm not being watched right now, from the distinct lack of feeling like I am being watched that I've had ever since this fucking eye-bomb. Something is going on.

[ Hello? ]

Hey new font...

Also the color changed... Why? And damn, I was going to clean up. Quick wave to say hello back, acknowledgment.

[ What the hell is going on?! ]

... Huh?

[ One minute I was just... doing something? I... I don't remember, next thing I'm here in this flat. ]

... British?

[ and some guy looks up surprised to see me and then his head just assploded... ]

My handler had an eye-bomb too? WTF? ... Assploded?

[ And I am soo... still covered in blood and skin and bits of skull... and I just watched you crawl out of a warzone and I have no clue whats going on ]

[ My phone doesn't seem to work no signal so can't call anyone and it wont even let me call 999 and I'm really scared ]

Oh... Fuck. Civilian...

I move to my hotel room's bathroom and look in the mirror. (handler never liked me typing back since I never got rid of my sass. Writing on a steamed mirror always forced me to keep it short. And I did not like having pain in my head from my 'rebelliousness'.

I wave, looking confused because, well, duh.

[ wait chloe bennett? ]

Who the fuck is-

[ wait SKYE?! ]

... HOW THE HELL DO THEY KNOW MY CHOSEN NAME I HAVENT USED IT YET?!

[ O.M.G. I teleported to... and... wait... this... you're in a bathroom looking at... ]

... Huh?

[ ... please tell me this isn't what I think it is. ]

... Can't if I don't know what you're thinking? Quick, confused look... there.

[ please tell me this isn't an eye-bomb thing? ]

... I nod slow, then point at both eyes.

[ BOTH?! ]

Yep.

[ FUCK THATS SO FUCKING WRONG. ]

... You telling me?

[ Wait I just looked at the date... uh... you don't know the name Coulson do you? ]

I don't, so I shake my head in the negative.

[ ... Centipede? ]

I shrug, in a yes but no way, I have heard of it in passing from being around some of the goons before being let loose. But as for what it is...

[ This would be easier if we could talk both ways. ]

Yeah... Nothing to write, which I mime, a shake of the head, left hand as 'paper' and right as 'pen'.

[ Damn. ]

[ I don't know if I'm safe where I am right now or if they could cut us off... ]

[ uh... I think... just... one second ]

... Do I have an ally?

... One currently covered in blood and bone but still...

[ I've just looked, this computer has PRIMARY CONTROL of your eye bombs. ]

[ You good at hacking yet? ]

... Yet? Yes... Yes I am... are... are they suggesting... Quick, nod...

[ Okay easiest way is I go to, and you hack, a few low traffic sites I think? ]

[ you'd see and quickly match one end user accessing all of them ]

[ and then hack this thing? Before anyone can blow you up...? ]

... I LIKE THIS PLAN!

But I need a laptop... Huh. I wave a few digits to mean vague sense of numbers, and indicate my left wrist, aka a watch. Hopefully he or she knows I'm asking for a bit of time.

[ No Laptop there? ]

Nope.

[ and you do look dirty guessing you want to clean up before getting one? ]

Nod

[ okay, I need to go clean up too hopefully there's... a shower. Ugh, using a bath to clean off blood seems stupid ]

... Huh that does sound like a bad idea. Thumbs up... Wait... Quick get the clock... There we go, point at the hour... And number, and minute, and number...

[ first, wow I'm in a different timezone here, sunrise just hit like ten minutes ago. ]

[ and I'm guessing you're in America? ]

... Finger shape N, finger shape Y, finger shape C.

[ New York? Concrete jungle where dreams are- ]

... Pfft. Alicia keys is cool. Good taste there.

Sat at a nice little place well away from what most think of when New York gets mentioned, I sipped lightly at my coffee, whilst typing one handed at my new phone to my new friend.

The messages to me aren't coming through the eyes, for now. Though, wow, their phone is weirdly more powerful than mine, but also couldn't get to anything except WiFi when I made that laptop act as a hotspot.

WHAT?

No, Really... WHAT.

I shuddered at that. The pit opening in my stomach at this... If it were real...

I grinned. I was tempted...

And damn I believed him... her... I should ask.

Right.

That was..

...

Awesome?

Not awesome?

...

I'm honestly, not sure. Other than glad because. Free. (ish.)

Tempting.

So.

Damn.

Tempting.

I'm doomed.

Chapter Text

The latter half of 2010 had been a ride, emotionally.

I... I helped my new friend set up a new life, set myself up a bit, and spent up to, well, almost all the way to Halloween just processing everything. Getting free, the hints on my potential birth family, and just generally the unbelievable story that was backed up with proof of sorts.

Even though I knew their name from setting up their official identity, we agreed not to actually use names aside from the initial bits at the start. I had already encrypted the chats and made my kinda random nickname more permanent, calling them 'Skynet'. I did ask if they wanted me to add an e, for 'Skyenet' but they declined and accepted the terminator reference.

Who they were, well... that was mind-boggling. Apparently, where they're from, there's a movement or something about 'acknowledging' there being more than two genders, and they don't remember who they were, beyond vaguely being movie and tv buffs that loved a tv show depicting my supposed future life... But in the here and now they're... somehow both. And they're certain that wasn't the case before they got here.

It's just... really weird. I easily accept aliens could have different gender things but humans? From what they told me, what little they seemed to know, it's not just a case of people who wanted to switch gender and do so with some surgery in there like here - because transsexuals are a thing here anyway - but its a different thing? I don't get it and I don't ask because they already told me that they didn't understand any of it either, beyond that there was a culture war of sorts going on and people on twitter - (oh they have twitter too?) had a 'put your pronouns' thing but others were like, 'what? really? pronouns are others talking about you, not to you?'

Minefield. Avoid those. So glad people seem to be simpler in that regard - if they're not physically the sex they were born as, that's because they chose to change for whatever reason, and accept that it's just a way of solving gender dysphoria.

They don't have that luxury... They're mid twenties, sure, but, something something don't know which to go if they even want to lock on being male or female.

They even wanted distraction when I... was kinda getting into the flow of that conversation trying to understand (and failing), and just... Blah.

We came up with a system within a few weeks. I gave them permission to check in, look at the eye I mean, but... I needed to figure things out for myself rather than just start watching that show and plan to copy that life.

... But what I saw? I... I wanted some of it.

Didn't really take long to be convinced to watch the whole show... (and even less for other shows and movies they didn't remember pirating onto their laptop)

Or, for me to talk them into a watch party of our media because apparently in their world, Simon Williams isn't a big-shot actor with lots of popular movies, instead someone of the same appearance being an actor that basically, through posters only, played the character of Simon Williams... Well, I just think that's a bit recursive.

It's kinda funny seeing whats the same and whats different.

And that we do have both of some people, i.e. Tony Stark and Robert Downey Junior - we even have Tropic Thunder in both of our universes and it's just... DAMN. Because also they DO look like twins and a search brought up a magazine article about various celebrities who look identical to other celebrities despite a lack of relation.

Some, they're not even sure is a good or bad thing, like they said we have 'Elon' who I have no idea who that is right now, and kinda scared to look into, I mean... I don't want to get stuck delving into tv and movies and a potential culture war in this timeline when I've got so much on my future plate...

One difference they're very happy about is we don't have something called Windows or Microsoft. Apparently, their computers are mostly installed with that, and Linux is a thing, but like... a tiny thing. Which, seriously?

Linux is freaking awesome!

Wait no, we do have those, but the company has a tiny market share.

Their laptop not running this, Microsoft thing, kinda weird then... except it IS running a Linux distro I've not seen before, even though most of the packages are familiar, from the firefox browser and the torrent manager and so on. No clue what 'Mint' is... but the laptop is weirdly better in some ways - because it's gotta be from the future in their timeline - but not as good in others... the battery life sucks, and the screen resolution is woefully low. I mean, really, not even full 1080 on what they said is a seventeen inch screen?

At least it has a godly amount of ram for a laptop, and several terabytes for drive space on a second drive... filled with pirated content.

One difference they're sad about, is that cyber security here is worse, because the security software on it was actually able to keep me out for closer to an hour than I'd normally like, were-as the best security software like it that anyone could go purchase... Eh. Not so good... like, a commercial unmodified-for-the-system/use cyber security suite wouldn't last five minutes.

On the other hand, their world doesn't have near enough of a custom-software market, where here that's like, the standard - software configured for your hardware and use case. And you get what you pay for. (And so many want it cheap, so... hence here being WORSE despite being more custom compiled and optimized software than precompiled for generic hardware and sooo non-optimized.

... I agreed to making them a new laptop with better software.

I'm sure I can get a custom phone and tablet out to them too. I had to hack their current phone to support the encrypted chat as it was.

... They got me to leave my van behind though.

... Hydra/Centipede fuckers probably had it bugged anyway. I... I had thought of that before.

But it took some time before I got into a place to start, well, accepting everything they'd said and start thinking about maybe planning for the future.

They got a life, fled with my long-distance-help and set up a new Identity to work in a notfamous town in the middle of nowheresville that's not even America, and hacked away a bunch of money from some assholes to give them so they could at least afford a place. The illegal actions, they were okay with because, fuck my life so far already, and they're not in a position to really say no, but agreed on not stealing from single moms just trying to make ends meet kinda thing. Billionaires who couldn't hope to spend all that cash though, especially if they're douchebags, and the amount I took, for them, is basically attributable to being a rounding error. Besides, Job hunting for them sucks, And they don't want what they call a 'comic-book life' aside from what they get from... well... having a computer that receives my eye implant's transmissions.

On that front, they were right - that laptop had primary control... But primary, implies another machine could have secondary control too, and for that I had been quick enough to lock it out. The eyes also accept software updates to change stuff, like frequency and encryption. So... running would have been useless without changing that.

No way to prevent the bombs from accepting an explode command that the implants receive, I just... I was able to change how they were listening. So... Still on standby. Ouch.

So, Quickly sourced a bunch of laptops (as in more than two...), a bunch of tablets and a bunch of phones to be proper phones, as well as a host of burners for just-in-case. Two laptops, I even modified by removing the wifi modules after making sure they had all the decent software needed, no internet for them, and for the laptops I meant for us to use for, one, normal use, and two, the eyes - because they insisted I get a pair to then connect to them, and they'd get secondary watch-and-message program permissions and I'd get primary control permissions.

I bought a truck - Nothing fancy, just something that they thought was a Ford F-150 (... it's not a Ford) and were even confused that the truck bed had a fifth wheel in the back, until I also bought a trailer.

The truck, American meaning, so legally actually as much a truck as a peterbuilt or freightliner, even though it's not much bigger than an American car. Got it so the back seat of the crewcab was big enough for me to sleep on if I needed to. The trailer... well I wanted something like an RV, like I'd turned my van into actually - but I... I wanted some more space. Space to set up a, a hacking station. Space to store a satellite transceiver, and a few things.

Not that there was anything commercially available, so from like, September through to November I really was using the truck to sleep in until it was done - both the custom order sans equipment and my own modifications after delivery.

Still, it was a home. Lounge, small dining plus kitchenette, and a bedroom and shower. And behind that, disguised as just a large storage space, was my 'workstation'. Custom gear could come later - I was going to make a server at some point - but a few monitors that could act as extra screen space for the laptops was good enough.

And there was a lot of storage space anyway.

So... So I used the ill-gotten gains to fill some of it. Clothing where before I kept as little as I had to. Photoframes for... future photos. A nice TV and Audio system (and thanked the fore-fought of the trailer order including it having soundproofing)... I even got a hula girl to stickytape to a pride of place in the truck. And food. I filled the fridge and cupboards with, well, as much as I could.

I almost ran out of room before remembering to get plates and cutlery.

Of course, whilst the hacking banks for funds meant I didn't have to pickpocket for money, I... only mostly gave that up. I still did a bit for practice-sake. And practiced putting them back

2011

Oh boy, was 2011 busy.

By new years, I'd felt... restless. I'd been moving around a lot, once I finished my modifications. Decided that, I was going to go to the mid-west. Headed for North Carolina though, then across - Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, then up to Kansas, Nebraska, then into Colorado. Lots of driving, and not much physical activity. I told them, 'Skynet', and the ensuing conversation made me realize just how physically active I'd been before. I'd been in the habit of taking morning runs. I'd hardly ever used a bus or taxi even when the van was parked up, and still hardly ever before I had the van. I had the habit of an evening in a gym. I'd been through martial arts classes. I'd being doing physically-demanding things is what. Things I'd stopped once I was free and... finally I'd heard my body saying 'wtf'.

So my new years resolution? Get back into shape. (I'd lost a bit - lots of food, turning sedentary)... I'd also finished watching through the... the AoS series... I kinda... wanted to be a capable fighter before meeting the team. If... If I met the team.

So. Training. Because that show made me look cool and kinda awesome... Well when that me wasn't being an insecure li- wasn't being as insecure as I am like all the time...

So yeah, I was hoping to get on that team in this life! But on the other hand, well. Training because seriously I want to avoid some of the pitfalls that tv show me went through. Like getting shot in the stomach.

Physical training wasn't the only thing on the menu either.

I had to keep my other skills up, so hacking was also a regular feature on a rapidly-filling schedule. And... I was already capable of hacking Shield.

Serious hacking. Full of 'have a bolt-hole ready' hacking where I make sure not to hack from the trailer, and close enough to a safe-house if need be. So I always hacked from places that would be safe to start with. And... knowing Hydra is a thing, and they're within SHIELD pretty deep... I was extra careful.

It's on those systems that pretty much brought out a huge dose of 'they are probably right'. For all the differences, it's really, goddamn fucking weird when it comes to some things, and my friend thinks time travel is likely involved.

Though...

Calvin Johnson was a doctor with doctors without borders in the eighties. He did get married in the mid eighties, and there was a Shield mission, involving Linda Avery on a backup team, in eighty-nine. And whilst the backup team made it back, half of them turned up dead in short order, and the other half went missing... for Eight. Years. Linda Avery turned up dead in late April of ninety-seven... and looked like she hadn't aged.

So, very much possible that, I'm still the kid stolen from her parents in eighty-nine, I just missed eight years of time. We both figure the time travel was near enough to eight year jump that I can just shift my year of birth on my new legal documents. July second, ninety-six.

For my own identity to travel around with... I actually made several - one proper to use and several aliases, I guess.

I was definitely going to use Skye in my new legal name but needed a last.

... Of course when I set this up, I'd not seen much of the franchise yet - I hadn't needed the first iron man film on account of events already having occurred in this timeline, and they suggested a few choice episodes before a chronological order watch. But I decided to start with Iron Man 2, because I was involved in some of that, and wanted to know the differences. Kinda impressed with Natasha Romanov... and confused that the movie credited her as '-off' instead of '-ov' or 'ova', but they said it was just an Americanization of the name, probably, even though the comics use '-ov'... and as a result many in the 'movie' fandom didn't use -off.

That... That's what inspired me to do this, because ... Not that I said a thing to them... To skynet...

Skye Romanova.

They'd suggested adding a middle name, but... I didn't care for one.

I didn't even tell them, until I was done typing up the digital version of the paperwork - without looking because I can touch type and wanted it to be a sort of surprise - and by that point, we'd had (thankfully playful) arguments about what fun to have with naming ourselves.

We were both agreed though that it'd be weird in either context for me to have taken the name Daisy Johnson. The first, being that I might not actually be Daisy, therefore weird and potentially dangerous If I did take the name, but more importantly that if I was and started going by the name... There would potentially be questions on how I know, and trying to say like 'oh wait the names I chose for myself also happens to be my actual birth name wow!' would, likely, not be taken seriously.

Without them as my source of knowledge, and there's been enough since that first night that proved it was at least reasonably close to current reality - then I'd be calling attention I'm not ready for.

Who even knows if Centipede thinks I AM Daisy?! One head of Hydra not talking to another Head - ergo Garrett and Whitehall - could... might... maybe be thing of an 'oops I was affected by TWO arms of Hydra separately and the second was not actually because of the first-'... No... I... I mean it on the one hand could make some sense, for both...

I'm kinda hoping it's coincidence. In the show, Whitehall apparently didn't know of or maybe just what became of m- my tv se-... That Daisy.

So, no. No name puns, just... After watching the movie Iron Man 2, I got to like her a bit. After some of the 'comic backstory' from them, I even sympathized. (also apparently there's a movie that was made but lots of people didn't like it in a 'too-little-too-late' and 'badly written' way? It wasn't among the mp4 collection. Something about only being made and released after a fourth avengers film?

They even think and hope it's not 'canon' to this timeline? Something about 'some things just don't make sense'. Supposedly, the Red Room was, for the longest time, imagined as simply a source of agents for the KGB, rather than its own agency. It was also supposed to be a 'out of a group of x, only one will survive' thing, so they know the one graduating is the best of a highly trained bunch, the rest of which dead?

Back to names, and why that... I've a weakness for red heads I guess?

... And I really should have watched through to the I-apparently-go-vigilante bit as there's... shipping. In-universe. I... What?!

I totally shipped myself with her, didn't I?

... I took her name. I should have watched the show before I did that. They were too amused at it. But, well, it was too late to change without doing that by starting from scratch again, and inserting two complete identities is annoying enough. Apparently there were fans that liked to ship. And it got referenced resulting in an inuniverse fanshippers which might include one of the koenigs.

... Damn.

And I'm totally preventing... Uh... The Providence Koenig from being killed.

Yeah. And I'm totally not distracting myself with that thought, nope.

God I hate being a teen at times.

... At least they were amused at the name I chose for them, in part because both of our worlds apparently have DC comics, and I made sure to choose a given name that was nice and neutral, usable for both sexes, and so, suitable for theirs.

Sharing the last name of a ... villain... in this timeline is just collateral damage. As for it being a DC villain... Eh.

By February, I had a new schedule.

I still struggled with coming down to a 24-hour ci... circle... no...

Circadian? A sleep cycle.

I decided to just say fuck it, and went the other way for a few weeks, trying to extend and just letting myself sleep once I was a few hours into being exhausted. That's how I managed to make my sort of road-trip sort of nomad lifestyle into something manageable.

I'd wake up really early hours of a morning, get do some physical stuff, then drive a few hours. Spend the 'daytime' doing research, or learning, or other stuff. Afternoon, a movie or two to three episodes, then some driving some more in the early evening, and the late evening for a bit more physical activity, then the nights not sleeping working my computer magic on, stuff after either a movie or two or three episodes of something, anything, that's not the 'marvel' stuff, fill the time till my next scheduled early hours of physical activity.

By start of March, I'd pushed even my ridiculously long sleep cycle beyond the sixty-hours-straight of being awake mark. At least I changed my pattern to not drive once I was getting beyond tired and into exhaustion territory, and instead worked on my gaps in education.

I'm starting to understand some of the thats-not-english stuff I heard at Stark Industries.

I also had a very growing list of things to check out without the 'team'. I was tempted a little by ... well a few things, but... no.

Six months in, getting close to when they said my birthday probably was, we were basically on a re-watch of the movies and show.

We both had three lists, I'm guessing, of what to not touch, what to touch, and maybe or maybe not. Captain America was being de-iced about now. I'd already confirmed that they'd found his body, and...

Damn I was tempted to get in touch in secret, but at this point I'm in Colorado Springs, setting up trying to get into- Ahem...

We'd agreed to keep an eye on, but not interfere in the whole, avengers, thing. If I'm there next year, then okay, but... But not to derail anything.

It had felt weird, watching a version of myself go through... all of that she did.

I mean, really? Shot in the stomach (not doing that), Getting powers (totes getting that!), Beating up the bad guys - hell I even got what they called a 'oner', i.e. extended one versus loads fight scene filmed as a single take. (no wonder they're a fan... I'm... I'm kinda fangirling over myself at points its ridiculous) but then there's the b.s. with ... mom...

There's also running my own super team (OMG), Getting brainwashed (no just, no, Crying face), Lash (I've only seen May in the TV show and already my own soul hurts for her, as they put it!) partnering with Ghost Rider (I think I'm missing context there but its a big thing apparently, and guys possessed by a devil soooo) defeating a bunch of terminators (so its not just Tony Stank as the source of Terminator bullshit no way am I going to let Fitz ever meet Radcliffe... Better yet...) and, god. THE MATRIX? REALLY?!

Oh and there's time travel. Yay. (not). Though I gave thanks for the warning, 'the show wants you to think its you, but its someone else' right before the 'daisy broke earth' bullshit and said 'if that happens you need your powers so maybe Fitz wont have to go Dr Jackyl/Mr Hyde there?' I uh... I'm just... wow.

The second watch through, I could... just enjoy it more, try to, whats the word, dissociate from my apparent potential future.

Although it did feel weird at the bits with the time travel to the past and apparently my older-than-I'd-be-then ending up dating a founding father of Shield. Weird. So. So. Weird.

I'm tw-... thirteen or maybe fourteen but still even with that being like... maybe being eight years in my future if any of the other bullshit happens, that's just creepy. The other me was basically just into her thirties, sure. They said it was a less than decade gap for those two, but for me? I'll definitely be on the wrong side of the age gap rule for it to not be creepy... Hell... I just realized that I might very well be younger at that - assuming the bullshit of everything matching despite my different age and fore-warning - than she was when being picked up by Coulson in the pilot episode!

But the love life has to be different anyway. I'll be sixteen or seventeen when joining the team.

So... I think twenty-two or something like that, when/if meeting Sousa (... No. When. Definitely try to save him from Hydra in '55... Though how if its not the other bullshit...) immediately nopes that one.

Even Lincoln might be too old with the age rule... They think he's thirty? So twenty-two minimum at that, and I'll be... won't even be old enough to drink, maybe?

... Ignoring ward because I'm totes going to prevent him from being on the team. No HydraAgent at my back 'training' me especially one that's connected to the leader of the Centipede thing...

Yeah I may as well adjust where I'll be looking.

... Not Fitz, he's Simmons, and the later stuff is... well... I'm not sure the show me ever did forgive the Fitz that died, though I'm also not sure if she moved that on to the Fitz that didn't reach that future time/went back/had a psychic split/so never cut into her.

For him, he's still the Fitz that had stood at her side and helped her hide whilst she adjusted to having powers, like SERIOUSLY that part of season 2 had me bawling and loving Fitz! Watching the psychic split stuff would have been REALLY shocking without the framework stuff... (more AvoidAvoidAvoid)

So No Hydraward. No flirting with Pikachu. Ev-... Totally calling him that to his face. They said there was shippers that read in undertones with Robbie but, no I didn't see it. (sure... easy on eyes but c'mon, the devil inside thing might... that me totally had a minicrush at least didn't she?)

For fucks sake.

Welp. No. No shipping me with anyone.

... I did that already with my name, didn't I?

Great. Nothing till my mid-twenties... That wasn't about her! No!... Dammit.

Note: if ever a publicly outed superhero, make sure the koenigs stay away from fanfiction because I'm definitely going to keep my age hidden. Better yet, get L.T. to order it. Like seriously, 'quack' is a terrible ship name! Not that any combo sounds good that also doesn't look like a married name.)

(Dammit I already have that don't I?)

So turns out the Rising Tide is already a thing. So, aside from staying off of SHIELD/Hydra Radar - and the intelligence agencies of the world - I'm also getting myself onto one radar. Just in case, you know. Since I don't have however the tv-show-me was recruited (or even know when?)

Can't be a Tide hacker that Coulson recruited if I'm not a hacker in the tide. Though... Totally staying away from Lydon.

Funny, Harley, I did not need to know 'my actress' dated 'his actor' at the time. Must be either a good actor or that was a shit relationship because those scenes... guy came across kinda like a creeper.

How is this my life?

Planning a future as a superpowered spy?

Hell... I just realized... Pulled out my tablet, unfolded the little keyboard I used with it and started to type...

... Well she'll be up in a few hours I guess I should get some rest. I have a long trip to Denver in the morning as is.

Ugh. Timezone issues, and my sleep cycle too, both hit so... So hilarious... Imagining their panic and other reactions to that detail...

Well, they're right...

It's just. So weird that any scandal gets a gate suffix.

And plans are... plans so... spent too long living by the seat of my small pants.

Well that was a boat load.

And, they're right. All that training I went through, from martial arts classes to even training with Amador for like, two months... I'm not up to that level of fighting.

And I am a better hacker than what I saw.

I can do it blindfolded... (... Sort of)

Makes sense. She's the trickier one and it... would be better upfront with her.

He might need Amador to confirm anything and... well... I don't think I'd have reason to bring up Amador herself since I only know She was SHIELD from the show.

... I'm nervous about it. Two years and change to go and I'm nervous already.

Like from the episode: she sucks at improv, but excels at planning.

It'll be as bad as the train. Snerk.

What...? Nooo...

... Would I really be worried?

Well... Some of it DID look fun.

Just not the getting-shot parts... or ... um.

Ah, not perfect recall there. And I thought we'd have a list of things by now...? Huh.

... You know what, I've got nothing to do, so...

Well, they are starting to glitch once a month or so.

Pretty sure one eye rebooted a week ago...

I'm not telling about the dull pain that goes with. Nuh-uh.

Ohboy.

Snerk. SHIELD would have a fit if I let that out!

Yeah... They warned me ahead on my first watch but... Damn.

...

How is this my life right now? From eye-camera-bomb-controlled to talking movies and tv shows with the person at the controls?

OOPS?

... And I'm too young for her! ... God... I wish I wasn't.

... And wasn't that referenced in the sh...

... Weird...

Better not say I also wrote some - for what I think is fictional - before I was kidnapped by those fucks.

And must be weird being in a world you wrote about... Whilst also not actually remembering your normal life.

Photos?

Oh. OOHHH. Yeah that was...

Don't mention my inner monologue don't mention my inner monologue

F.M.L.

They're just a little kid aren't they?

Well not literally. But at heart. And wouldn't I be too if I were in their position?

Br... Breathe...

Gah, I hate this.

... Crying souls really fits.

Well Here's an unexpected development.

I found a Centipede lab. I wasn't even looking for one though, this is just...

And its got what I think is an early version with smaller amounts of, everything it would be later. Strength, speed, stamina boosts, slight healing. No extremis though. I've kept an eye out for those and Killian hasn't yet made his turn to covering up the failures with claiming terrorism.

I was tempted to destroy it but...

But ... YOINK.

And now to delete the camera footage of my impromptu heist.

Do not regret. Not one bit.

No... I do... regret not taking down the cameras first.

My arm. It BURNS. FUCK THAT FIRE WAS TOO CLOSE

I need a suit.

Body Armor. Body Armor is GOOD.

Please let me survive this

Well, my hands fit around guns properly now. So... need practice once more.

They agreed, but they're busy with some things... I think they had to go full time for something and had no decent excuse to stay part-time.

... I'm not jealous. Not a bit.

... Not even sarcasm too, I like having a bank account that lets me not-work.

Is... IS THAT A DIVINER HOLY SHIT

... YOINK!

Awe. Not a Diviner. Just a really good mock of one!

GUN PLAY BAD GUN PLAY REALLY BA-

...OW!

... This is nuts. This is crazy this is a bad idea. Bad. BAD.

... Gah! This one isn't an arm one either, spine...

... Ew ew ew ew...

God I hope I'm not screwing up the placement and making me stuck in a wheelchair

... Hurts.

Owie

Relief! Oh the ...

Damn door handle was wob... -bly...

... Strength? Super strength?

I thought it wasn't like Slayerstrength?

... No not SUPER.

Just more than before.

... Is this what high-but-normalhigh-not-superhigh levels are?

Well, this guy better be as advertised, I mean, a hundred k for a bulletproof blade stab-and-slice resistant suit that also doesn't look like I'm cosplaying as a comic book superhero? That can be worn as regular clothing?

PURPLE ITS IN PURPLE THATS COOOL MAMA LIKEY!

And its got detachable holsters!... And phone and tablet holsters?! Wired for either to a headset?! SHWEET!

HOW DID THEY FIND ME?!

... FUCK FUCK SHIT FUCK SHIT

OKAY OKAY... AND... BANG!

... Did I just? FUCK, DUCK!!!

I totally just said that Am I nuts or some-yeah totally nuts TAKE THIS ASSHOLES!

... Boom, headshot. Now I need to vomit.

Breathe. Breathe.

Chapter Text

So Last half of 2011's off with a bang.

Literally so.

Thing is, I left the US behind trying to just do a few months of random uneventful BackPacking.

(I miss my truck, and trailer, but... I put them in storage under an alias and left it behind because they were starting to track me, even across state-lines...)

I'd hit my (alleged) Birthday, and then day between that and Independence Day...

Found something. Something ... Big. Like 'stick TM in superscript next to the word big' big.

A Secret Base. Guarded by people carrying frickin Laser Guns or something.

I was inside before I recognized that from the first Cap movie.

HYDRA

Fuuuuck, I really didn't want to face against these fuckers, not yet.

And it's worse. I recognized the group I just got into a fight with from the second Cap movie. Didn't expect to be facing against "STRIKE".

Fucking glad I've now got a mask though... They wont know who hit 'em.

Which... I was wearing because I'm kinda running a little heist on said Hydra base.

So, There I was looking into some things, tooootallly unrelated.... Damn I don't even believe my own lies.

... This was such a bad idea.

Since when did I avoid those?

Ah, well. My eye-cam's come in handy for being extra accurate thanks to the auto-zoom - Yay for them at least thinking about interpreting squinting and such as trying to see better at distance - now I've got, well, my side of gun-play down.

... I'm totally going to (continue to) say 'bang' when I get someone on Team Bus to 'teach me' aren't I?

For the LOLs only, because I will absolutely... not reveal I already know gun-play right after, right?

... SHIT DUCK!

Dammit Skye, don't distract yourself in a shootout!

Welp, bonus to having the Centipede device on my lower spine... Um... It's at least not uncomfortable to sit down on most chairs.

... I can run an hour without much of a sweat. With my 'walk a hundred miles' supplies pack, even. I daren't look at myself in a mirror though, I must look... well... Though I do have muscles though...

Anyway. Benefit: The soothing of aches and pains.

Greedy bastards, this is good enough for me why the fuck wouldn't you market this lower-tier version!?

And hey, researching into backscatter: my suit BLOCKS IT!

I may have stolen a pair of glasses with it.

All of them, actually, since I replaced the first one a few times with improved versions and decided spares would be a good idea... in different styles. More than one guy to supply this stuff, though all of them charge a small fortune, whodathunk.

Sure, two million is a bit much for basically twenty sets of clothes but I like being hard to kill even before the Centipede device. It's not like that's got a potent healing factor either, but a boost is still a boost...

Also bonus... These guns are powered by a battery pack, so... well... YOINK.

I seem to be yoinking a lot.

At least the European style RV... A camper-van... seems to handle what I need. Small though, but for small roads. Ugh. I hate driving through some of these tiny villages.

... Next stop. Nexxxt... Stop... Ooh... That looks like...

...I'm not going to have a relaxing six months in Europe, Am I?

... Mothballed SHIELD facility it is.

I wonder what I can steal from there?

Awesome Mask. Lovely Mask.

... I can totally prank people with this.

Yes, Yes shudder for I can start framing people.

... Well, sort of, I'm still short. I don't think I can pull off 'Nick Fury' with this...

Prank video calls? ...

HAHA GET REKT!

...

Weird.

But also... It made the news? SHIELD are being cov... covert... I can't say that without laughing can I?

God I'll love poking them about their brand-everything thing.

Now, My eye-cams don't have proper night-vision, not for this basement I need to go raid...

Better pull out one of my 'recent acquisitions'. And Gloves, don't want to get skin contact.

Time off. At last.

I mean, sure... I don't have a job but it seems like the last three months have been non-stop training, driving, learning or just sleeping, around waaay too many run-ins with Hydra.

And that one SHIELD team.

... That would have sucked, accidentally beating up a future friend.

Though beating up the SAS team was... Okay it was painful but dammit technically I didn't lose because their goal was 'take me down' and mine was 'get away' and I 'got away'... Because they were on the ground hurting from my disabling shots.

And, okay, they were going 'light' on me because I wasn't wearing a mask (so not looking forward to him joining SHIELD only to recognize me... and the shitstorm from him telling everyone I beat him up when I was only... Damn fourteen! HAHAHAH! GET REKT HUNTER!) but seriously, worrying that they even had those kinds of orders...

I'm going to be trippin to the UK Aren't I?

Wonder if I can get into the Ministry of Defence? (and what's with the c'es and z'es where they're s'es? Like, seriously? You add U's everywhere too like in color becomes colour)

Hilarious if I could...

I... recognize this spot?

Oh look kree diviners

... SERIOUSLY NOT EVEN WHEN I'M TRYING TO AVOID MARVEL STUFF SERIOUSLY?!

OKAY I'LL TAKE ONE SHUTTUP. Yoink. This is getting ridiculous

... Oh god am I in a crackfic?

... Shuttup. No existential crises here. Nu-huh.

... If I am I'm going total ham.

... I'm going to be going total ham, aren't I?

How the hell am I going to transport this stuff through customs?

Oh, right. Hacker. I'll just Alias-up something that lets me... Hmm. What and who...

... No I suck at accents...

... Fuckit. Shield it is.

Ignore the nerves of the apparent Shield agent please. Ignore the nerves of the supposed Shield agent...

... Dammit.

Ah, the MOD.

Wait what how is this easier than moving through a damn airport?

... Guys this is serious.

Why do airports have so much higher security I mean this is the third place I've gone through of the UK government and it's, okay its suitably high security but it's still way less than that fucking airport, it's a damn joke I me-

Ooh... Shiny... Yoink?

... Yep. Yoink.

... I take it back, their security isn't as high as it really should with stuff like this in their possession.

Now where too ne-... Ireland. Gotta be. Maybe I can try a gu- no no alcohol nu-uh not going there. ... Not to drink anyway.Fucking fosterhomes

Okay I love these accents.

Damn that one... reminds me of... good memories. Damn I'd forgot that home.

I'm not crying. Nope.

... Fuck.

Ignore the religious guilt the nuns put upon me. Ignore. Ignore. I'm here for one thing and that aint religious salvation.

... Breathe.

... And...

Yoink.

... God I wonder what will happen instead.

Huh. Bad feeling when thinking of going east to... Yeah I think part of it will happen. Just not all of it. Didn't want to go there anyway. Pfft.

So what I picked up from that Hydra place... is a tesseract-charged battery.

... I've stepped in it haven't I?

Rogers is out of the ice, and living in his old apartment.

Totally tempted to... Fuck it. YES. I WILL.

He doesn't have a phone, okay... Do this in person then. Direct, or get my wheels?... Direct.

Nope. Wheels, he's not in NY when I landed. I mean... oh... OH. The retreat!

Welp, indirect flight to get my wheels, oddly closer from the storage than an airport...

Okay, just knock. Easy, Skye. Easy.

I knocked, and as my heart beat in my chest, the door opened on... a not very tidy-looking guy.

He looks... Lost...

... Crying souls.

"H- Hello?" I speak up...

"Hi." He's confused. He's looking around, and at me wondering, it's on his face... Dark look...

"Oh I'm not Shield, I just uh... their information security is like swiss cheese for me. And I wanted to say hi..."

... The look. He... Oh he looked at my heart as I said it is his hearing that good to...

"Anyway. Welcome to the modern era. We've got good things, bad things, just general life things but also I really need to get you caught up on things Shield don't seem interested in getting you up on, but also things Shield don't even know they should be bringing you up to speed on. I, uh... Can..."

... "Come in." He muttered, and stepped away.

... He's like an abused puppy.

Fuck it, no holds barred... First thing he needs to know and this is a goddamn mission I'm self-assigning even if it kinda went okay before...

... Screw the consequences.

"So Zola experimented on him during the war. Bucky. And those meant he survived."

... He... Stared... He does but also doesn't believe and this is... Damn it a hell of a thing to drop on his head. "I'm looking for him. Bad guys got to him and he's basically the... A POW still I guess. Shield don't even know... And they can't."

... Puppy. Crying souls.

Harley I really need you right now... Dammit I should have texted ahead.

Hours, it took... Hours...

... Dammit I even slipped kinda not-by-accident because he asked how I knew...

... I had to show him, the movie. The first, then clips of the second...

... At least he's pulling himself together.

Damn my throat hurts from talking, hell the eyes are fake but the tearducts are still my original organic ones and god the hugs... He gives good hugs and told him and he told me I give good hugs too I mean...

... Crying. Souls.

So I told him my story as I lived it so far, and the alt version from the 'tv show' and... Okay I felt like a dick leaving out Coulson dying... Well, how, and when, but I did at least tell him he'd die-but-be-brought-back and that's a mystery in the show I know the secret of...

...

He's now got a mission that he didn't have before. Damn. WOw. I mean... Holy...

Sooo the Retreat has like, no surveillance - I checked and kept checking and even Steve got into it. Steve, not Cap, Not Rogers... Steve... I have first-name permission with Captain America...SQUEEE What is my life even... Lucky. I checked before I went in but with what came out, what we talked... Sooo glad but also perturbed that the show depicted it as having surveillance.

Even told him what that fist imprint was from, and the material lining the structure was vibranium.

Built by Banner. And not Shield... How? How did Banner get VIBRANIUM?!

And how did SHIELD get it!?

Welp. Issues for another time. Current ones: Get Steve sorted with tech and protected from inevitable spying-on from Shieldra.

... He's also totally going to troll everyone.

... Also Harley - who squeed like hell and fangirled in text across my vision for like, five damn minutes - especially because I told him about them and he waved - suggested a ringtone for his phone being the sound of old 90s modems. He doesn't get it, but gets that it'll be hilarious if Stark heard it.

And jokes. Oh god the jokes those two came up with.

Having fun indeed, Harley.

... Wait. No. NO. No Harley, that would be...

... Hilarious... Dammit.

Trolling the Marvel universe one character at a time dammit.

Crackfic. Total. Crackfic.

So cell phone, tablet, even lessons on my laptop - guy is enhanced even in mind so the lessons are (un)surprisingly quick, and dude wasn't stupid before the serum apparently.

Welp. Christmas.

Yet Another Christmas on my lone...

... Really Steve? In NY? Where...

... Okay.

Christmas with Cap. Best. Christmas. Ever.

Hello 2012.

And please, hangover leave. Now.

Forgot to tell Steve my age. Ha. He just caught what the eight year shift on me means for my age with and without.

Also, Steve, my poor little puppy if you don't count the time skip, then you can't claim to be ninety-something either.

I know I'm a troll. You two are turning me into one.

... Good two months. Damn. How did it go so quick?

... Back on the road. Steve likes my wheels, and uh... May or may not have suggested some additions because I've got two pieces of a staff and a diviner in it.

He even asked me to drop him in NY. Road trip with Cap, damn. (Harley stop fangirling for the love of god please)

Bye Steve.

... I'm not crying. I'm not.

... Please remember how to hide the secure messaging app.

Three months to Avengers.

The wait is killing me.

SIF. SIF IS HERE WHAT THE HELL

... STAFF.

NONO MY STAFF MINE

HEIMDALL PLEASE TELL HER NO

... He heard?

... OH JESUS HE KNOWS OF HARLEY?!

... Consequences... FUUUUUCK

Oh hey Sif... Really you want to stay...

Road tripping with Sif.

What Is My Life I mean crackfic right dammit I guess its 'hamming time'.

God I can't even imagine Coulsons face if he saw all the photos of Steve and Sif, and me with either of them.

First hint of the Avengers movie events and it means Sif has to leave, lest she interfere in a way that brings SHIELD attention. And Loki.

Apparently, the movie is still on track.

But apparently I am now charged with being the steward of the staff should it be re-assembled, and the two pieces I have are to remain with me anyway. No pressure.

... Oh that tingled. What... I CAN HOLD THEM?! WITHOUT ANGER?

... What even is my. Life.

Welp. Stark Tower is nearly finished. Pegasus just went down. We're into the Avengers.

I am safely out in... New Jersey... No I will not involve, I will not. As the Room goes, 'I Will Naaat oh hi mark'.

Oh hey Steve... Right Cap, he's pretending not to know me.

Right get the civilians out and help the po-IS THAT SOUSA?!

... Daniel!?

... No it's...

... Oh shit he RECOGNIZED ME IT IS IT IS HOLY FUCK TIME TRAVEL REALLY DUDE WHAT ARE YOU-

FUCK OW FUCK FUCK- NO DONT CALL ME DAISY RIGHT NOW- OW OW OW-

Huh what is-

Terrigen crystal.

... What? When did that get into my rather small backpack that I was only carrying b... because... Sif... Oh you motherfu-

I should have remembered. But, the portal is closing, Iron Man is falling, and it's just now that I recall the order in the movie.

Coulson.

Crying souls

Crying souls seems to be the goddamn standard state these days.

Coulson is dead. (I mean the movie said he would and the show eventually did say 'resurrected' so...)

The... The attack on New York basically was the same. It's all a shit show. SHIELD was outed (and I may have gotten them in hot water over 'they fired a nuke at Manhattan and it wasn't their plan to fire it through the portal just blow up New York' I was annoyed at almost being wiped out in nuclear fire, here.)

The avengers are...

Okay they're a mess.

...

Fuck it. I already met Tony Stark and had a fight with him over Vanko, I can go tell him to stop being an idiot. A quick heads-up and Steve will pretend not to know me where SHIELDRA might notice.

My friend didn't have what she called the 'Sony-Tom Holland movies' but remembered the jist so we both knew I'd be interfering in parts. I don't know what that's about, but it was important apparently that I at least make sure this new Damage Control lot were going to honor some of the salvage teams' contracts that they had with the city.

Something about a vulture. They were being... I'm sure they were crying about something if not panicking but still.

Definitely after they had me hack the list of the dead for a specific name and actually found it. Ben Parker, a firefighter married to May Parker and they had taken in their nephew just two years ago because the kids' parents died at the expo.

Fucking.

...

I'm not crying they're crying.

...

Must be important though, because I asked and they summarized with missing important bits and seriously hiding stuff from me what gives?, kid would be focus of their own trio of movies, but featured in the civil war movies.

Approaching STARK tower... crowded.

Hmm.

[ Hey wanna cosplay as Black Widow for your entry? ]

... I know I said it was okay to watch/send messages but, for that? After all the Fangirling too?

[ it'll be funny and that way you CAN honestly joke about 'one time' if coulson or someone on the team accuse you of being a cosplayer ]

I quickly thumbs up and change direction.

I know a guy who can do a decent costume, quick... And I'll never wear something that only looks bullet-proof but isn't. Fucking expense... (six digits).

... I'll still wear the thin inserts anyway. Extra is extra.

"Hey there idiot." I greet from out of nowhere - almost literally, I just stealthily worked my way into the group and then got into his face... Well, almost. Five feet is that given the size of the room

"What the-" Banner...

"Who are-" Barton...

"Hey what are you wear-" Nice choice of question, Steve. Thanks.

"How did you get in here-" Romanov, and no ff's ever. No ff's to give her.

"Oh my god Skye?!" ... Oh. Damn forgot that she knew that name.

I take a deep breathe, and look at the one who'd identified me.

It was weird.

I hadn't given my name out - before making it my legal one anyway - to anyone before, back when I was... still a puppet... except to one person. By accident.

Because I was distracted.

I was fourteen for godsake.

"Hey Pepper!" I fake cheer.

"Skye... You poor girl!"

OoF!

"Hey Hey I'm okay"

"You disappeared on us! We thought you died during the expo."

... "Officially that's still the case." I had to say.

When I planned to come here, I knew I needed to still stay off radar and... well... one of the options (thanks Harley for pointing out)

I looked up, and spoke "Jarvis, please log my presence under my legal identity... Not the one I was forced to use when I was forced to intern at Stark Industries because I was forced to spy on the company. Thank you."

... That should shock them. I look, and yup... All but two. A blank look from the woman I'm... cosplaying... as. And Steve is faking it well enough, I wouldn't know if... Oh right he was an actor early in the war to sell bonds and shit, and he told me he'd also been in a drama group at school. "So turns out there's more than one group who decided they wanted child spies. Far as they're concerned, I'm still dead."

"But you're not still blind." Tony Spoke. What? "So, who did it? Vanko destroyed both of your eyes."

I pause. He remembered that?

And Pepper... is surprised. Oh right we met after I was returned and didn't realize what happened at Monaco... Huh.

[ Hey think they could remove the bomb parts? ]

...

"Some assholes who already replaced one of my eyes with a three-in-one camera, comm link and miniature bomb. After Monaco, they kinda had to replace both. After what happened with Vanko at the Expo... I got free. Not sure how." Kinda true... "Would like not to walk around with a bomb in my head now. But still need to be a ghost hence my request to Jarvis."

Wow, the Avengers' anger was very palpable... Steve has known for months and still,... Okay that might be acting up his original response I don't know...

"Of course." Pepper inserted. "Speaking of, what should we call you?"

"Well, not Mary - that was the cover I.D; Skye's good, I chose it and they never knew that one. Though..." I glance at Black Widow, "Um, when I inserted my new legal documents into the system, just after getting out..." I lick my lips, this is a make or break thing?

[ GO FOR IT ]

So glad I put my phone to transmit the audio through the encrypted link. Battery drainer, but still.

"Since I'm like, a younger version of 'Rushman' over there..."

"Skye Rushman." Nat asked with a frown, getting the point.

"Romanova." I corrected with a grin. But lost it with, "Still can't find a decent teacher to learn Russian from. You do not want to hear my attempt at even an accent."

Okay their trading looks were... not unsettling but something else...

"Eye bombs." Stark spoke up.

I wonder what he has planned.

"No seriously, how is this my life?" I whisper, curled up on a cushion I snuck into the oddly-sturdy-and-quiet vents. Why are air vents of anywhere important, in the US anyway, an actually stealthy means of movement in my world? Especially because I've been to random places that don't have scaleable vertical vents or traversable horizontal ones... Even when they're big enough they're too damn flimsy! But no, US Vents + Importance = Stealth.

[ You telling me. You just got accepted by Natasha freaking Romanov. ]

"... What does this mean for the team?" I dare not ask what way Harley meant with 'accepted'.

[ ... I'll assume AoS not Av. hellifiknow. maybe pass it off as "hey so coulsons alive want me to look out for him I can be a hacker he recruits in a 'bring to the good side we have cookies' way?" ]

That's not... not hilarious. But also... Steve does know, so... Um... Damn. I don't know what it means.

"Well... At least I'm not walking around with c4 or whatever it was in my head anymore."

[ AMEN TO THAT. And jokes aside, if you stick around here any longer it's the bird-brain who'll want to adopt you properly. ]

Haha. I look at my hands, that now had sensors that link to my eyes.

... Stark said he had some ideas for 'upgrades' but well I may have aimed a gun at him at that comment, surprising everyone except Steve and Nat that I even...

But this one sounded handy, he just needs time for the software.

...

I'm totally going to poke through to see if he put any back-doors into the new system.

I better not find any. Just because its not Hydratech of any kind...

...

God I hate having trust issues at times.

Being able to control the eyes functions and maybe even use hand motions to trigger sending messages back, like a weird VR controller... Just ideas, right now, except one - I can switch them off... I hadn't really realized how much effect them being on all the time had on me. I... I have a shorter sleep cycle now. And no bed in range because I'd not intended to be near by the time I needed sleep again and damn this cushion is comfortable.

Too Comfortable. Bird-brain was there when I woke up.

[ Told you ]

... You had a point. ... Really. My life. I'm not telling you that though.

"Look. I told you both that I'm looking for who my parents are, and there was Shield involvement in being separated from them..."

"Yes... That's probably how you got on their radar." Nat spoke softly.

I hadn't been able to keep the tidbit about Hydra away from these two... three. Steve's still smarting over that, and its now June, and he's known since we met. It is a big thing, so... fair enough but seriously... puppy.

And they were going to put themselves in danger in a way that's... not compatible, really, with the 'tweaked' future I'm sort-of aiming for. "... I need Shield access in a way that I can't get externally, and I wont make you a target by giving you enough info to go off and investigate for yourselves. I know where to not look, and... well..."

"What?" Clint looked sharply.

"Trap. I... I want to lay a trap for the assholes who stuck the bombs in my head, and they're not necessarily squids themselves. And I don't want the family," I pointedly say, looking at Clint, because he really is trying to adopt me - I'm a Romanov, it's apparently his 'duty to do that' or something, then continue looking at Nat, "To inadvertently trigger a coming out party from them. I think they've got one planned for in three, four years? I don't know, New York might have accelerated some things they need for it. And it kinda looks like one, not that it actually is planned to be one from what little I learned, and this is outdated intel anyway."

They weren't biting.

"... You're...dammit. I'm nearly fifteen from the assumed birthday, almost sixteen if my suspicions about which missing kid I am is right." I look at Natasha, "You were doing undercover missions much younger and well... I totes didn't ping your radar when we were both undercover in Stark Industries."

"That wasn't a good thing." Clint muttered. I couldn't disagree, but still.

"... Damn right it wasn't." I agree. "Except that, for me? Being outed would have meant suddenly not existing with a head. But nothing about my early teens was right, and more if even half of my suspicions about my past is true... All I know is that the signal to the old bosses was killed during the Expo." I let them assume it was the fight, not that it was on the other end. "I can't trace that way without a live connection. Which brings me to that I wasn't the only person being forced with bionic explodey camera-eyes."

They hissed... They're not cats? WTF?

They shared a look, then Clint asked, "... You plan to find another? How would you even know who?"

"I was trained by one, a former SHIELD agent that had been captured." They tensed even more... Seriously they need to relax. "Someone... who received training from a friend of yours."

"... Amador?" Clint whispered.

"... Damn. You met?" That was way too quick to the mark...

He nodded. "I liked her. Rough, but good agent."

"... She's, uhm... in the wind? Is that the term?" I playfully ask, knowing full well.

Nat rolled her eyes.

"I need to keep... um... eyes out." A let them have two seconds, "Shuttup, I didn't mean to pun." ... "You're mean. I do have a plan, you know. Might take a while. And I got other things going on anyway. And sticking around the Avengers is just asking to be recognized, hunted down and captured again. I really... Really mean this when I say I'd love to stay, but I can't."

[ So. The avengers. ]

... "Is there a point to this?"

I am totally keeping the full comms on full time. Now having a voice in my head is weird, but... not lonely. At least the potentially-two-way (Harley prefers to type though) is implanted at my ear, rather than my throat like I'd thought it'd be for some reason. Also linked to the haptic sensors in my hands so I can turn those on and off too with a gesture.

[ I didn't have 'out hydra to the avengers' on my bingo card. ]

... "Same here."

[ I mean I get it, not complaining or anything. But. Just watch for ripples, you know? ]

"When I'm not watching our show or Doctor Who or Harry Potter..."

There wasn't an immediate response, and that should have been a tell. I was still surprised...

[ If Jemma's Hermione, Coulson is Hagrid, May is Snape, Fury is Dumbledore... ]

Oh god.

"Coulson is NOT Hagrid."

[ Oh yeah? he's the most dependable of the adult staff. ]

"... True..."

[ So it's not exactly comparable. but I did realise that Fitz is basically a smarter Ron... ]

"... Oh god."

[ thing is, who's Harry?... you know, basically an orphan... might have superpowers... has bad guys wanting to kill her... i mean him. ahem. ]

"... I'm harry potter."

[ ... IK,R? ]

"... Fuck My Life."

[ But you didn't disagree on Fury=Dumbles ]

"... Are we really doing this as road-trip conversation?"

[ Fine fine. ]

"... So, hows the job, the normal nine to five?"

[ ... eight to four but... boring. sooo. booooring. ]

"You're the voice in the head of a teenage super-powered spy who already has too much trauma with a lifetime of even more to go. And you're supposed to be the sane one."

[ ... crying souls. ]

[ Superpowered? ]

Sigh.

"Any ideas on training my powers? Because I've got a Centipede device on my back and a Terrigen crystal I didn't realize I was carrying got... broken... during the battle of New York."

[ wut ]

"Right. Last year I uh... stole an early version of the device, but got hurt later on and needed the boost to healing?"

[ Skye... ]

"Also... What I said about the battle, crystal... Um... I have my shakey powers now."

[ ... How is Gordon not already looking for you? It's been a mon ]

...?

[ a month?! SKYE?! ]

"I didn't want you to worry."

[ FFS. Skye. I get it, but this is, 'BIG'. And you don't have Afterlifes' process to help settle the powers! ]

Pfft. Acupuncture?... Also they don't seem... "I've not made a single tremor I didn't mean to."

[ That is odd. ]

"... Maybe because I already had a boost of sorts from the device?"

[ ... makes sense, I guess. ]

"... But the next few months are going to suck as I train them, right..."

[ Yes. And I want you higher in skill when you meet coulson than... ]

[ than you were in the first two years of having these powers in the show ]

Right.

"That means?"

[ Sensory. Generation. Manipulation. Absorbtion. These are the four things you can do. Best start with SENSE first. Not what happened in the show. ]

[ And since you're not causing uncontrolled tremors with emotional spikes... Good Thing. ]

Yeah. Yeah it is... causing a tremor in the..

I had these powers from before meeting the avengers through the surgery and not a peep. I sensed them, I know I did but it was more instinctual.

[ What? ]

... "I think my power-set might be a tiny bit different."

[ good or bad? ]

"Good." I look at a bottle of soda, and focus... It shakes. Not as much as intended, but I can... feel... "Maybe less connected to my emotions?"

[ maybe not having powers in the middle of grieving is enough to change? ]

... Trip.

... Fuck.

"So, where should I start, you think?"

Chapter Text

2012

[ Ugh. Extremis Sucks. ]

"So. So much." I agree as we put the docks in the rear view.

[ Is it weird you got to chat with the goddamn president? ]

"... Eh." I lean and look up as Rhodey flies off in the war machine armor. I'm glad that he never saw me, and Jarvis keeps me off recordings anyway by essentially photoshopping me out for a random face. Dude's still military, and they do check his recorded footage, so they'd definitely pay attention if they saw some rando help the Pres. And shake his hand after performing said help that was 'rescue him from kidnappers'. That said... "At least we got warnings about Hydra out to him."

[ ... how is it not weird? ]

... Really? Do I... "Well, Tony Stark replaced my eye-bombs with these amazing things," I wave a finger pointing at my bionic eyes, which they can perfectly well see despite the late hour. "I mean, seriously, even at this time I don't get blinded by sudden high beam headlights. Guy's basically techno-Jesus from what you said."

[ ... no... no... I didn't say THAT. ]

Tough. "But also... well, after the movies... with one exception, seriously she's accepted me and made sure to lay groundwork for making sure they'll eventually see it legally, you know, once we take down the whole..."

[ Hydripede ]

"And, and, visiting the Barton farm was just..."

[ wait when was that? Was that when I was in hospital? Damn. *sad noises* I missed seeing Laura and the kids. ]

... "... Back the fuck up. HOSPITAL?"

[ ... soo you do realise that I'm a normie, right? ]

"... W..."

[ Hey hey don't panic seriously stop the van ]

[ SKYE STOP THE VAN IM OKAY, OKAY?! ]

... Fucking. Panic. Attacks.

[ BREATHE. REMEMBER THE PATTERN? ]

"... I- In fo-"

I felt,... tiny.

Cuddled up as I held my tablet and typed away.

... Did they just...

I couldn't help the giggles bursting out.

Oh... OH.

I couldn't help the grin. It was true - and it was, I'm reasonably sure - more than once. Though only once when I'd forgot to give warning.

That... I wanted to laugh. Really, but held back because also... Eh... Kinda bad.

So, So... Worried.

Whhaaaa? Nooo... Nooo... Maybe a little...

I wasn't sure my heart could take all the ups and downs just from chatting to the person I'd never met across the world that had seen me at my worst, trying to cheer-lead me into dating like wow that's... But...

That was my biggest takeaway that didn't dive into 'conspiracy theory'/spyworld/scifi bullshit stuff.

2013

I really really hate the last few months. Letting them... her? They've been her more often lately... them dial back (a lot) to get more rest, meant lonely road trips or no back end when I had to go fight idiots a(n un)fair few times. It's fair, they've built a life that's... normie chaotic from the sounds, and despite my threats I haven't needed to visit in person.

So I did end up being busy. Pepper is like, super ruthless in stamping out everything that popped up because super bullshit is still bullshit. Even without being able to stop Extremis getting sold black-market (so that still tracks, I need to recheck my bugs on Chan and update encryptions anyway) I did have some successes that I can't help wonder the ripples of.

Not that I'd know what ripples are ripples and so different from what never got mentioned in the shows.

Pepper really didn't like hiring me in for anything in person though, so it was all hacker stuff... As far as I ever let her know.

(Still think she totes knows I went in and kicked ass. At least I got some combat skills to show for the months of BLAH KAPOW training under Amador.)

... I still feel weird having more than Harl' to talk to, even though I hardly ever meet any of my contacts (friends... I have friends.) in person, still, my phone is seeing more and more use as an actual... phone to talk to people. And driving Stark up the wall, apparently, because he can't hack my encrypted lines. With help from Jarvis, too...

I also may have trolled with what I put their contact names as. Pepper-Up, Stank, Birdie, wifey, SkyNat, RealShield, Sign.

Because She likes the harry potter reference so not trolling her, Total reference to the 'Stan Lee' cameo of... Civil War? (... I'VE SEEN HIM A FEW TIMES HOLY SHIT!) and also what me and Harl call him when he's being an idiot anyway, that ones obvious, crushwhatcrush Terminator reference just like how Harl is 'Skynet' for different referencing reasons, the thing he frisbies, and its another word for Banner.

... I'm close to sixteen.

... I've accepted I'm most likely Daisy at this point. I... I'm avoiding a mental crisis with it though. Totally... Pfft its not like being a fifteen/sixteen year old spy with superpowers isn't enough for that.

Training powers also... Actually they were right - the show me was probably too busy with daily/weekly issues to actually have large blocks of time to train, since, HydraVShield War.

Came in handy to deal with Killian. Really came in handy to catch the Pres when he dropped out of the war machine suit... a hundred feet in the air.

Probably why he didn't just say okay on keeping me a secret and actually did

But god, training Senses first was... I'm like, hyper-aware now of my surroundings. And the people in them.

I even can spot a few lies from Nat now!

Though the combat? She's still better from her training and experience, even though technically I'm stronger, faster, and then can add my powers to the mix.

I'm not sure if it was me or Harl who squeed louder at being offered to train with her right before Christmas. And a few times since.

As for Steve... He has gone Part-time with Shield, but for his newish mission - well he's intentionally going to aim for joining STRIKE to start sabotaging them I think.

I'm in his contacts as Skynet though. Actually, all of them I think?... He set the movie theme as my ringtone.

And... We did have a mission, like, Mid January right after Stank's last bit of Extremis bullshit. Third one we'd run, and seriously... Working with a super-soldier whilst being enhanced myself... I was starting to be more aware of the bonus. Whilst I still have my scars from before, and get new ones, it's just quicker going from injury to healed-but-scarred. Grazes - not fast enough to just, dodge well-aimed bullets... But enough to make them not even debilitating.

I think I'm even stronger, because at the retreat Steve got me to start strength-training on a bag and I couldn't split it even in an hour, but now I can in under five minutes if I constantly use all the strength I can. Punching concrete doesn't scratch up as hard, either. Don't Ask me how I know this.

And then there was that trick with his Shield. I mean. Vibranium - absorbs and/or deflects/reflects vibrations. My powers - make and manipulate them. It was like Thor's striking the Shield in the jungle in the avenger movie: Except he held up up, so I could touch the outer side, and make a concentrated beam of intense vibrations transmitted from the inner side. Do it the other way, and it can cause much lower damage, but more widespread.

It was... Cool.

Scary. But Cool.

And we did it because I'm still not at that level on my own, when tv-show me was before reaching Afterlife.

It was a 'bust' of sorts, that mission, but at least an old Hydra base was wiped off the map, and Steve went back to Shield with the cover of hiking in mountains half-a-world-away.

February Was... Ugh. More training, but Clint brought me to his farm, intent on me getting a touch of normieness because he may have been the only one aside from Steve consciously aware of my age, but not knowing I'm enhanced (rather, just semi-trained like a mini-Nat)... So it was physical and just exhausting enough that it brought me down to a 24-hour sleep cycle, it was that intense!

... I was gone by March. It just felt... waaay too weird even though the kids loved me.

An encounter with Centipede in April... I had a panic attack because it was a familiar face - not from the show but from when I was kidnapped and I was super glad I was wearing that face veil thing I stole from Shield beneath my mask because the latter one got knocked off...

At least he's dead.

... And I have a body count, and not just that, it's higher than one, should I be worried that I'm not even upset anymore?

I don't like killing, I just didn't feel bad that that's what happened?

... No I'm not going to seek out a therapist, not even May's ex. Nope. Nope. Not doing the thing.

I did the thing.

And it didn't suck?

Seriously he's awesome at it even though he knows I'm holding like, all the secrets back.

Almost. I may have implied it was a black ops program within Shield, and that I or it would destroy his life if he spoke to anyone.

... I mean it's not that I wouldn't if he betrayed that trust... Very rare modicum of trust... I would feel bad, but... I didn't like making the threat.

F.M.L. But also. Therapy with a GOOD therapist is... good.

... Mays face if she found out? I 'unno. Be funny.

Oh. Also, apparently, I have ADHD.

Wut... Just wut. FML.

Welp. Happy Birthday and all that Jazz. Just a few more... months? Before Team Bus...

FUCK I'm nervous. Will they like this me?

I'm NOT show-Skye!

... More kickass to start with, but... Gah.

AND PUBERTY WHY THE FUCK IS IT HITTING NOW FML! god gee thanks buddy I keep staring at random guy and girls assets I need to rethink my living situation, no regular showers and only using truck stop facilities aint cutting it anymore.

Huh who's texting m-

I did not need to see that.

Fuck you Ward. Fuck you very much.

Really five minute video how is th-

HAHA GET FUCKED!

...SHIT SHIT FUCK

LA NEED TO GET TO LA

Plzplzplz dammit I thought they weren't-

[ Fucking... Thank fuck summer is over. ]

"How's the new job?"

[ Fucking... Thank fuck summer is over. ]

"That bad huh?"

[ Fucking... Thank fuck summer is over. ]

"Yeah... I dig."

[ And thank fuck its part time, on my own time. Thank you, by the way. ]

"You're welcome, but also you asked, so... I delivered."

[ yeah should have waited two months, who would have thought july and august were so... bad... ]

"Warned you."

[ You did. At least these peeps don't seem bothered by TheSituationDownThere ]

Is that what they're calling it?

"What, any of them shown interest?"

[ Not within my taste range. ]

... Well...

[ Hows setting up for team bus going? ]

"Found the lab. Mike's already in, so. Fuck." I sigh. I had hoped to keep him out. "Fitzsimmons just pushed for field work. May's already submitted the profile for the team."

[ Ward? ]

"... So funny thing happened. I may have fucked around one of his missions."

[ rea-... no. ]

"Yup."

[ you killed him? ]

"It was hi-wait what"

[ Eggggzelent! GetFuckedSkyewardshippers ]

"... I hate that I understood that. No, he's just... in traction."

[ you put him in the hospital? ]

"... Maybe?"

[ GIVE ME THE DEETS! ]

I really couldn't help the grin even as I finished laying the groundwork for my hack into SHIELD that would be used as breadcrumbs, and started talking.

So this is it.

Centipede lab found. Check.

Mike (already part of it before I could stop him from joining) with the thing. Check.

The lab exploded. Also check.

Hacks on Shield systems so I know Coulson is coming with May and Fitzsimmons, or, 'the twins' as they keep referring to them. (even when saying they got married in the future, like seriously?)... Also check.

Not Ward.

MORSE.

... I am... SOO looking forward to this.

And middle of (notactually-)recording...

"Yo. Wat up."

Chapter Text

... SHIT SHIT FUCK

LA NEED TO GET TO LA

Plzplzplz dammit I thought they weren't-

Hello Pilot Episode.

Timing's not there yet. August. (Harley said it's supposed to be September?

Well... Mike's had an accident at his work. Before I was ready to swoop in with my little Centipede device... Which still works, but... I can remove it.

Oh, right. I can put it on and off, but I spent like, most of this half year with it actually off because turns out? Whatever Centipede did other than doing the eye-camera-bombs, delayed my puberty and I didn't want extra strength mood swings or whatever.

Another reason for this to be marketable? Removable. Need a boost? Use it for work, so on. It's not a permanent graft, this one.

... Really shouldn't have worn it for as long as I did before I had thought to check actually, but then again bonus since I seem to not need it to maintain my strength level, and its effects at this point is probably just slight stamina and healing.

Anyway, pretty sure it would work for Mike but Centipede got to him first, hence my panicked rush to LA.

... At least there's less surprise at how to get Coulsons attention. Yay. Small flavors. Ugh..

Rising Tide are... curious at my movements.

Warned them - most of them -... Okay the ones I don't think would be assholes about it, away from hacking Shield or accepting jobs from Centipede that, BTW, is probably going to be hacking an intelligence agency despite an innocuous name like 'Centipede'.

Lydon can sink or swim on his own merits I'm not giving him a warning, especially as we've not met and I don't have a reasonable reason to know who he is other than 'another tide hacker'.

I'll know without Chan being stolen because I've laced Shield systems with my own little bugs - I know I'm better at hacking than TV-Show Me at this point and not only be notified but also, dude would be moved ASAP. I've already had him moved from wherever he was.

If I have any say, that part of the ... plot... Uh. Events... won't happen.

It's going to be hard not to see this as a TV show in literal live-action.

So many things on my plate. Even monitoring where the team are almost fell by the wayside until my rush and... Yup. Fitzsimmons both pushed for field work but not yet on Coulsons Radar.

... Is it September then?

Oh, May's submitted the profile and... Coulson got the basics to 'build a team' yesterday.

... Right. Prevent Ward from getting on the team. How do I...

... Hand? Hand was his SO?

... Wait the 'flashback' is as the normal show up to prison but he's on file as being found by Hand?...

... But also Garret? I... Framework Ward?

... IS HE GOING TO BE FRAMEWORK WARD?

Nono... Just... No. Hell no. Utter Nonsense... Still keep him away from the team...

... He might or might not be hydra. Dammit.

Weird. He made the list but he's got the Paris mission like the show...

... Rising Tide want me to release info now as in whilst he's on mission...

... I'm going to hell for this.

Well... He's not... dead... But...

... I can't help seeing HydraWard. But he might be along the lines of FrameworkWard.

Okay... Tide are happy. Wards injured, he's on the way to Trauma Zentrum.

Now, we're in the final part. Just...

... Wait for an exploding lab. (Wasn't it the same day or something?)

Yay

Harley... I couldn't tell her-them. Damn. I had the pronoun down before. I mean, who knows, she might be as paranoid as me as him still being hydra anyway but... Even so, fuck the SkyeWard shippers... Seriously crackfic again?

I need a normal life.

It would bore me to hell wouldn't it.

So this is it. Centipede lab, Mike with the thing, exploded, he saved that doc, all check. That was the Friday, 7th. Weird, Coulsons not got his plane yet, though it's marked as undergoing final checks after refurb, a CXD-35, due completion this weekend.

Welp. Monday came, and my Tide video went out, breadcrumbs abound, but it looks like it's gonna be Tuesday when Coulson gets into LA.

I didn't look for who replaced Ward. I just know May and Fitzsimmons are on board because it's their side of the system I looked at, not the team makeup side.

Now... Now I go do my, meet Mike thing. But different...

Welp. Less enthusiasm than the show. I think meeting the Avengers and training with them muted my ability to even act that way, never-mind feel that way.

But still, I warned him that Shield are 'mostly' Government douche-bags, keep his head low, keep looking after that kid of his. Said I'd help out soon, but - unlike show me - gave him more than the basic deets by handing over a credit card and told him it'll only work a few hundred dollars before systems ping it, but he can afford to actually feed his kid now for a few weeks and I won't be that long.

... Why do enhanced keep looking like kicked puppies?

Oh, right. Trauma of all kinds ... Fuck this... segment of creation.

... Harley's still crying, I think. She watched the meeting and said she was noping out for now. Reminded her to hook up and record to catch up. Said no. I mean, wut?

... Crying souls.

They. Damn it why am I switching pronouns now? Man I'm really tired, couldn't sleep properly last night so I'm still feeling like I've been up three days instead of my usual two. Sleep sleep sleep. C'mon. Sleep... Ugh.

Tuesday... Right. The twins and May are going for the lab.

Coulson and Someone is coming for me.

... I'm kinda glad I rented a van for this, so no hurting my truck or anything. Not going to let that get damaged, if Mike does kidnap...

So I got my recording setup (not actually recording) and... Waited. And waited. And waited Isn't it morning when... ? Ugh, TV shows not having timestamps except for 24.

When they do show up, it's Coulson... and... not Ward, thankfully... much better than that.

MORSE

... How am I more excited right no-oh right. Bobbi. Of course.

Quick what was the line... "Yo... Wat up."

... OOOF really Morse?

So between the Stark eye cams that really aren't much bothered by the low-numbered weave count of the hood they threw over me, and that my vibration-based extra-senses are basically like, Sonar for me. (Actually, I can even visualize it like that Daredevil movie implied his works like, Harley made me watch it with some actor from their world called Ben Affleck and- ahem) Anyway I can see where we're going. Nice SUV... with very, VERY Visible Shield logo on the doors - Seriously? I thought the TV show was just 'over the top' about Shield branding everything but sooo much is as depicted it's ridiculous. And someone else is driving my rented van behind... I have a system powered by a Pretty distinct signature on my senses.

And something else is ridiculous, though kind of understandable...

They didn't search me.

I'm wearing my armored clothing. Sure, the bottoms look like jeans, and the tops just look like I'm wearing a slightly-loose fitting t-shirt and a few open layers on top. But they're all made of the wonder ballistics weave thing and I have my regular pistol and backup pistol still in place, and two spare magazines for both. A whole, spies toolkit thing for getting out of cuffs among doing other things, even. (Seriously cool Shield kit I yoinked! And not even a recent model so... )

I expected a pat-down at least, and that didn't happen.

Do I really give off 'hacker only' vibes? Coulson should know better because he worked with Nat, and she absolutely can pull-off innocent better than a hacker that was always in trouble. Morse, too, I'm guessing though I have no idea of her actual history beyond the was-married and according to Harley, she's apparently all-except-officially part of 'Strike Team Alpha' or something - the Barton and Romanov gang.

Oh, and I have the veil, but switched off just in case I don't get the opportunity to get it. Even off though, it has its bonus points. I'm also wearing (deactivated) backscatter glasses... and they're in a prescription that my eyes counter, so they're not even useful for them if they try anything, like checking if they're normal or not. Button to activate the backscatter mode I disabled and rewired the micro-circuitry and reprogrammed to respond to my implanted haptics.

I left the bigger staff piece in the lock-box in my truck, GPS-tagged, but the smaller end piece is even in a pocket I made just behind my back, right next to where the Centipede device is when I have it on. Kinda uncomfortable for the ride in their SUV...

God I'm already bored. ADHD, yay. Not.

... I can't help remember, on the ride, all the suggestions from Harley.

[ hey if it is morse, troll her with 'why do I think morse code when I look at you' ]

[ or maybe tell him that he needs to tell the avengers, or for christmas he's getting coal, son ]

[ if it fits it sits ]

[ you could maybe humm man with a plan itll be funny to see coulsons face when he removes the hood ]

Fuck it.

...

"Is she humming?" Morse.

"... Hey I recognize that."

"Man with a plan? Think it means something?" It totally does!

"... Maybe." He's looking at me... Quick... Uh...

"Sorrynotsorry, just bored." I resume.

"At least her humming's not annoying." Morse... You just got points for that.

... "Thanks Morsecode."

Shit.

"Uh... "

They're sharing looks.

...

Quick think of something!

Right whattosayooh... "The voice in my head told me to."

...

NOOOO NOT THAT DAMN YOU!

Oof. Bit rough sitting me down, before the hood was removed.

Was it something I said?

"Yes"

... "Oh did I say that out loud?"

I look at Morse as she removes the hood. She's glaring at me as she retreats to the door of the Cage, as Coulson closes it and takes a seat.

I take a second and, "Cool. Vibranium." Cool even to my senses. It's... Amazing, comforting... I could totally use it to amplify my powers' if I needed to. I note the flicker on their faces at my recognition, and look directly at them.

"I apologize." Coulson... Ah... "We hadn't expected you to identify us."

I smile a tiny bit. "Actually I recognized Bobbi here for another reason."

True enough. I had felt bad about balling her husband, it was bad enough he was in hospital and a good half-hour phone chat later he'd already shared about-

Morse is glaring.

"I may have... met... your husband. Once."

OOOH THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES! HAHA!

Mock-innocently, I ask, "What?" ... Morse... Noo don't glare-

Okay okay... "So, there may have been a misunderstanding on his team's part... How many points do I get for um... Well I won, he lost." Shared looks again. Oooh, they're curious. "When he was still SAS, Hunter's team were after someone - not me, but I matched the description they were given. They realized I was probably not their target, but still had to go ahead with a take-down. Didn't expect a kid to give much of a fight, and I know street fighting, so... "

All, true enough.

Coulson leaned back, and I could clearly read the mix of both surprise and disbelief on his face "You won? Against SAS?" ... There was, however, a twitch and a momentary glance at Morse. He must be thinking it'd be too stupid of me to make it up when it's about someone connected to his subordinate, ergo I might be telling the truth, to a degree and is trying to work out what that degree is (because of course... ) but then again... I'm only five feet tall.

Uh... Quick, deflect, downplay- "Element of surprise, not actual skill, really." So I'm not going to tell them I don't think I would have lost even without that, though a bit of skill still. I did have two months of training from Amador, as well as off-and-on time at Martial Arts classes and a smattering of training with Avengers. Just more of a, no-idea-who-would-win without 'EoS'. "Turns out they weren't wearing enough protection."

He blinked. "What?" Morse closed her eyes... Like she knew what was coming?

I lent forward a bit, and summarized, "... Cup. Groin shot? Knee to the balls?" Coulson winced. "Yeah." I lent back with a grin. "I don't think they expected me to let them get close. Certainly not, when they got me, to do like, foot to the instep, knee then groin or stuff. I'm serious about putting too much in the groin hit too."

Morse sighed, as if... "You're why he was in hospital when I signed the papers." Huh. She knows. Wait... papers?

... Keeen don't keen out in sympathy for- ... "Seriously, Bobbi? I know he described you as a she-devil when I called to apologize but damn girl divorcing him officially when he's recovering from almost loosing his balls, that's cold."

... Oh lord that's an hilarious look on her face. And Coulson', agreeing with me. This is getting away from things though.

"... Uh... Sorry but I think I just derailed this... interrogation... " I look around, "In a plane. Cool." I look at Coulson, and try to calm down... Damn excited and nervous.

... He can tell. "Not a problem. Unusual beginning, but... "

"But may as well wing it now you know I'm probably not that averse to-."... Dammit don't get ahead. He can tell I'm thinking too much damn.

"So. What's your name?" Morse. Thank you Mo... Damn that's a complicated one to answer.

... Legal or alias?

... "Skye."

"What's your full name?" Coulson asks.

Right. I don't wince, but I am reluctant on the second bit, but... Well it will be funny. "... First, I'd like to point out, I changed my name from what they gave me because nuns are assholes, so that's not the name I'm giving here." Ouch their disapproving looks cut me to the quick... "Skye Romanova... I'm kind of a fan."

Ha! I knew their expressions would be funny. Morse looks... Yeah. "You changed it to the name of an assassin?" Morse asked.

"Avenger, bitch please." I give a cheeky grin to let her know I'm not seriously calling her a bitch.

Huh. Weird looks from-

"You're the type to cosplay outside Stark Tower, huh?" Coulson? Nooo cut me to the quick!...

Although... "Uh first, she was impressed with the detail."... Why did I... "And second, that was only one time."

... Right may as well add- "Also I've met like, four of the avengers? Jarvis logged my presence, couldn't delete it so you could probably check that to confirm my identity." They're... honestly surprised. "What?"

"We got nothing on you." Coulson shared, looking between me and Morse.

Seriously?

Morse was the one to respond, "Yes" Oh right I said that aloud "We ran facial recognition before even bringing you aboard. During the car ride."

Oh. OH. "Ah. Right. Well that will never work on me... I uh... Kinda had to keep my appearance off the system - except Stark's, Jarvis protects that one too well for me to erase, and well enough to prevent most access. And I uh, gave Jarvis enough he agreed to keep those records at least on an air-gapped system. I'm kind of... in hiding from assholes."

Now, that piqued Coulson up a bit... with a frown. "You're in danger?"

Thank you Coulson for picking up immediately what that meant.

"From the fuckwits who kidnapped me when I was like, ten, and only escaped from a few years ago." Oh right I wasn't going to be THIS up front. Idly, I scratch my left eye scars almost in a nervous tick, and... Even as I realize I'm doing it, I can see they aren't parsing what I'm doing means I just got my cuffs off, since my right hand is still in the lap with the cuffs still on that one. "Assholes took one of my eyes." Theirs widen.

Do I?... Fine fine be upfront. "Stark does good replacements."

I thought I wasn't going to be this up front?

... Coulson. No. No Puppy Look.

"Anyway, I was getting, antsy about being hunted, and wanted to turn it back on them and also let Shield know in a way and uh..." Fuck that wasn't...

"So why LA?"

"That's where the latest Centipede lab is." Cue clueless looks. "... Dammit you don't know that yet. Right." They share looks, and I bulldoze ahead. Plot, keep them on the episode plo-... "The group who kidnapped me, and... Did general badness to me... That's their latest lab." They startle at that detail. They're not going to like this bit either, "They're trying to enhance people. Strength, Speed, all the standard super-soldier stuff, but they're not really interested in the test subjects being true volunteers."

I can see the words they're thinking on their faces. And they're not going to like my next bit, though counterbalanced from yes I'm capable enough but recognized something vital. "I've not just been running from them, I've been taking them on, damaging and destroying what I could. And until recently, even my little self could handle it on my own because, seriously, previous attempts to bring in intelligence agencies hadn't worked so after a few honest to god attempts I gave up on that but then recently they started to succeed in enhancing people. It's... why I was able to barely hold my own against a full team of SAS so long as they didn't take me seriously. I'm kinda just glad they figured out the enhancements well after I got free. And it wasn't a zero to hundred thing."

"When did you say you got free?" Morse, don't...

Well... I did say Stark before so... "... I was forced to spy on Stark? After Iron Man, but up to the Expo... That's how I met him and Miss Potts. I think, I'm probably mentioned in a Shield file regarding the Monaco incident. The intern who lost her eyes."

He stared. Morse, I noted, was starting to pace in anger.

"Didn't care about my 'orders' when Vanko showed up at the expo, I tried to kill him what with the whole, took both my eyes thing, and didn't matter to me that they might have killed me for it. But, Stark stopped me. Then Vanko died from self-destruct anyway and Stark thought me dead from the explosions afterward. Kinda let him think that, and that's when I got free, I think the explosions had secondary EM effects that shut down or jammed... Anyway. For awhile, Centipede thought me dead. Pretty sure they know I'm alive now though."

I sigh, and talking about it made my scars itch, so now - both hands free of cuffs, laid on my lap - I rub gently in a soothing motion. "Protip if you need to do it later, that hood didn't stop my vision, like... at all. And with the danger I'm in... " I lower one hand and pull my backup pistol out enough to show them the butt, then put it back. "I'm always armed."

It's kinda morbid how hilarious this is to me, instead of making me have a panic attack having to talk about it...

... Andrew totally helped, didn't he?

"And I am Sooo glad I took time to get a bit of therapy. If I end up sticking around, you might want to make sure I get to have my fortnightly video call session." I pause, and add at their looks, "Thirty-odd bad foster homes did not prepare me at all for what happened to me. Therapy has... been so helpful, it's not negotiable. I will fight you on it."

... When my mouth starts, it doesn't stop, does it?

"We could get you a S.H.I.E.L.D. Therapist." Coulson offered, softly. Strangely, I somehow heard the all-caps with dots indicative of it being an acronym when he said it.

"No thanks, but... my therapist is Shield-cleared."

I sigh and then look at them. "So. Centipede. Human experimentation, kidnapping, torture, a lot of badness. And I'm hunting them but it's too dangerous for me and, well, it is in the general target area of Shield. And I know who their latest test subject is. Innocent guy, needed a break, got approached and didn't read the fine print. Hooded Hero from the video."

Huh. None of that 'truth serum' B.S. from the episode.

tooltip^ AN: the italics here is just where I'm pulling dialogue directly from the episode.

"Michael Peterson, Factory worker."... It's the briefing scene! Woo... Stop, calm, hide excitement. Dammit Skye. "Married, one kid, gets injured, gets laid off, wife jumps ship. Good guy, bad breaks." Coulson glances at me at that point, and adds, "Somebody tells him they can make him strong again. Make him super."

"Who has the tech to do that? And why would they want to?"

... Coulson looks at me, but I shake my head slightly, so he continues. "Fitz, what do we have from the security footage?"

I'm almost ignoring because right now I can't help the memories start to overwhelm, and only Andrew's help with a mantra, and the breathing technique Harley taught me helps. It's only Simmons saying about the corruption that I recall my 'cue' and, well...

"-the time-code-"

"That's where I can help. I was running surveillance on Centipede, so I was actually jacked in to their cameras and had a shotgun mic pointed right at it." Because only show Skye settled for shotgun mic, I had a full works going on in my surveillance. Also, totally for the 'you spied on me now I spy on you' stuff.

"Centipede?" May asked.

I sigh. "It's a group called Project Centipede. Coulson is correct, they did make him an offer. He didn't get a chance to read the fine print, so to speak." I step up to the table, Holocom, I think? "May I?" I look at Coulson, and he nods - I note May frowning and Morse too, damn. Fitzsimmons don't seem bothered though.

I quickly connect, tapping right-handed as my left initiates the latest addition to my haptic/optics.

Bonus to my eyes being linked to my always-on system in the trailer... It's almost like I'm mind-controlling a computer.

I open a secure line, and with the connection made, a swipe of the hand to allow the upload and a swipe of the other to initiate the download, controlling both systems at once... "This is everything I have on them." I look up at Coulson. "Everything. Including the surveillance." I look back, and as it loads... "Right, here. This is the audio, and video... but it's encrypted. I can use my van as a decryption point, but it's coupled to GPS." ... Stations of the canon as Harley said at one point. How else will Mike get to me?

... How much am I winging this and how much keeping to the episode?

More latter. Though Mike didn't knock out May because he didn't come for me at the van, weird, he contacted me from the train station... And I realized Centipede would already be tracking him. Just because they never caught back up to me properly, didn't mean they wouldn't have ways of tracking Mike. Beyond the link to Hydra/Shield... They totally cheated, didn't they?

"Centipede wont be happy at him running." I told May, after the phone call-instead-of-a-kidnapping ended. "Call Coulson. Pretty sure they probably have him trackered."

Ooh, May is frowning at me why-"... You're saying this now?" Oh. I look at my setup, it's not as good as my trailer, but... there's access and I remote in to a very recently exposed Centipede system, and bring it up. And confirmed. Damn.

"First, I thought it obvious, but second... They are actively tracking him."

May sighs, then moves to the drivers seat. "Strap in." She taps her ear, and I tune out as she reports in.

Welp. Grand Central went different because I'm not with him, I'm with May. And because I'm with May, whose clearly an Agent, I didn't expect to get almost choked out. Mike... Mike's delirious. What the hell?

Is this because they, Centipede, were closer or...

Already eye b-?

No scars, so... No eye-bomb. Not yet, and not ever if I have any say.

I barely manage to keep breathing, when Centipede assholes show up, and he sees the raised shotgun of the police-uniform-wearing Centipede asshole. It gives him incentive to release me to deal with the new threat...

It's not a real cop, I can sense it.

The fight is rather faster paced and heavier than the show... And then I'm protecting May when she mistakes one Centipede operative for a cop... and the dick used that to try shooting her in the back. Seriously? Asshole move.

"... Thanks."

I smile, and move on as she gives me an odd look. I know... I know she's watching, as I turn more to street fighting than the martial arts classes and other training... but I... Wait its not effective against these fucks damn am I... Ooh opportunity! A moment and I took down one using one of Nat's moves.

She saw it. Is she going to twig on that?

Hungry. Always hungry after a fight. Mike's in custody, unconscious, the Night-Night round thing from the episode had occurred, because Coulsons' got his post-death give-people-a-second-chance thing. Harley doesn't think I'd have liked pre-death Coulson as much, but I'm on the fence about that. And... Tired too.

My body clock issues, I last slept Sunday night, and it's Wednesday evening now. Decrypting had taken an ungodly amount of time before Mike called and that was like... five am I think?

Harley had to remind me that the background did in fact show the passage of time in the episode, but when I watched I thought it was like, all in one day. Nope. Mike meeting me to the factory scene couldn't be the same day, and him meeting the Doctor at the hospital... in the episode at least... was at night time. Seriously even the tv show had the 'ward falls asleep from the fakeatruthanol' ploy happen after sunset, and people don't just teleport from downtown LA to the military airbase where the Bus was parked, and back again.

It was noon before we got back to the base, Mike in tow and me doing my best to keep Ace calm, then hours trying to find extended family, and, without Shield knowing, my own little preempt-some-issues bits... Then Morse realized how little food was aboard because some people forgot to stock up, and what was there? MREs, Ew. So the three of us had a decently sized (but awkward) lunch. Me, Morse, Ace. And, awkward. Ace saw Morse shoot that Night-Night Sniper Rifle.

Then the calls came in and, Ace wouldn't let go of me I don't get it I mean okay, Coulson, Morse, fine I can see there, May stayed away also, and the science twins are... Okay I see it, even though he didn't have the whole 'my dad kidnapped you' thing.

It is... rare... that I don't sleep alone... I don't remember, from when Centipede took me, of Not willingly sleeping not-alone, actually. And he was scared of having nightmares about bad men trying to take his dad, or, of his dad blowing up.

Ace is Safe. Safer than in the show, I already called up Witness Protection for him and his Aunt. After, checking they weren't hydra, that is.

Coulson was surprised at the presence of Witsec Marshalls, but said nothing, until we got to Lola.

I'm sure the episode had us talking before that point. Maybe the extra bit threw him off?

"He almost blew." I opened, before he could about the witsec. He was probably going to say something about me not trusting Shield to keep them safe or something like that. "We almost died."

"We have some experience with that." Was his bland response, but... it felt... Ah, right. His actual-death-experience, on top of a life of near-misses.

"You got the next steps mapped out?" I asked, curious that he wasn't starting Lola up even though... Even though that's all that was left to move off.

"This was just a satellite operation." He looked, and his tone... He knew that I knew that. "We didn't cut off the head of the Centipede" W... Hydra reference in the episode but its not here, right? Or do Shield agents make subtle hydra references all the time? He's staring, why is he- "Whoever sponsored it is out there. But then you already know that, don't you?"

"I have my suspicions as to who might be sponsoring, but... " But I can't accuse a high-level Shield agent without proof.

"But?"

"It's complicated. It's dangerous, right or wrong. Accuse the wrong person, and the real one can come at you from another angle. Or at me." He understood... But, I had to add, "And if I'm right, if they feel cornered... "

"That's when someone's perhaps at their most dangerous. You've been fleeing but also hunting them a long time." Sympathy. Oh god the sympathy. Don't cry don't crydontcrydontcry

I... I'm almost whispering, as I answer, "Three years. I've been doing both for three years, and had many close calls, both evading and in hunting, and this was the closest they've ever gotten to rec-... "

He just put a hand on mine in comfort, and... I flinched.

It was small.

I've had hugs from others, and I'm touch starved to hell even with hugging Ace to me all night, yet-

What happened to me is coming right back because even hunting wasn't this...

For the most part, my hunting was in cyberspace, but when I was hunting locations physically, like surveillance on a lab to later... well... I was going in when they were not occupied. Or overtly to fight the handful of times they were. And outside of that, my actual encounters with Centipede-specific Operatives was actually rare, and I usually had enough warning to outright avoidavoidavoid and set traps and... But there's a reason, beyond 'do the show', I was wanting to be on this team.

I wasn't lying about getting in over my head and it getting too damn dangerous. They are already fielding operatives with a pre-Extremis mix. Once they solve that instability, and I have no doubts about them doing so with or without Chan Ho Yin's blood, Extremis is getting added and that will be an even worse fight for me.

That's even before accounting for my encounters with 'regular/not-so-regular' Hydra, and others because Fuck. My. Life.

They accomplished what thirty-odd bad foster homes couldn't. Though I can give from hugs to just a comforting pat on the back easily... receiving them is...

"I'm sorry." He pulled back... Now that feels just as bad.

With a whisper, "Tortured. Touch averse." I look up. "But I don't want to be damaged, I don't want to flinch when someone nice tries to hug me, or... just hold out a hand in comfort." 'Like you had just done', I didn't add. It didn't need to be said.

I inch mine out to him. Initiator. I can be the initiator.

... He took it... I squeezed lightly, and when he squeezed back... I didn't flinch.

"Is that confirmed?"

Chapter Text

So this is the 0-8-4 Episode.

It was noon when Coulson got us back to the Bus, and May was finishing up seeing supplies of actual food stowed away. Which, flying car will never not be cool.

In a way, he wasn't offering to bring me aboard, I'm pretty sure we're on the same page already that I am going to be on the team properly anyway, but our conversation on the way in was more detailing the official story. Surprisingly closer to the show of 'be a consultant' than the truth of 'I need protection... but also can help'. And I asked that the official line keep my history off the record. I'm used to being a digital ghost. Even just list me as 'Skye' - because I'm not looking forward to assumptions regarding me from the combination of name and being part of a Shield team. I'm not Natasha, I'm not a Black Widow. I can't keep up with Super-Soldiers, That's why I called in Shield to help me deal with Centipede!

He agreed, and, well, yeah I'll be listed as a Consultant, and on paper the justification of a Rising Tide hacker he's seeking to 'turn' and 'recruit'. He's awesome. (Hydra will totally know the truth, won't they? ... Ugh. And Garret, will he even know the truth, from recognizing me, before the Amador situation pings massively? Just glad Ward isn't on the team.)

Then there was an hour to get out - with May driving my Van seriously I can drive I have a permit and everything no I'm not running don't give me that look May I can read your brain... Well not really but its fucking obvious.

I can't wait for her to thaw out with me. This May is Ice cold.

Maybe I shouldn't have told her that?

I know, May, no need to glare at me and I'm damn well aware I keep blurting out my inner monologue like come on this week has been the most socializing that I've done in months.

Dammit I can't wait for my filter to return. I think it's on vacation.

... And I'm still thinking aloud aren't I?

Welp. Now I'm at where I got my trailer secured, no intrusions, and start gathering my things. I include quite a bit.

It's funny, there's no memory card to hide in my bra like the show had me do before the Mike-Kidnaps-me thing. I am going to hand over info on me at some point so they can actually hunt down stuff, but it wont be a memory card, but rather, digital access.

Not that I'm not secreting away stuff. May is curious about, and seeing to packing away boxes of my books because seriously I'm studying for my GED, which I told her so she'd lend a hand doing that. So what if it's a distraction? I've got a few Shield items to take along, beyond that I'm - still - wearing the face veil thing and backscatter glasses. I note software updates I had set to compile days ago were finally ready and get them set for upload as soon as I'm on the return trip, hide my like, version point-two Centipede device and the larger Berserker Staff piece beneath some clothes somehow without May seeing... And just generally put my gear from the van that I wont be taking, in the trailer and truck.

May did raise eyebrows when I clearly started to load up on weapons. I'm not that skilled with blades, but even a secret blade can do a surprising amount of damage in the hands of an unskilled if you have a significant-enough degree of ElementOfSurprise.

(And still surprised no one protested me carrying anything after revealing I was armed. I think everything else might have made them forget, from Mays' expression, double-take, consternated look and shake of the head.)

On the ride back with everything I planned to do with the trailer and van sorted, where May drove in silence, I got on my phone and just started messaging the Avengers and Harley, to update them to different degrees. The software updates running in the background, they'd be done by the time we got back to the Bus. It was Steve who actually responded - the users status showed the others hadn't logged into my secure messaging app in a few hours - and I asked him to pick up and move my truck and trailer.

With May knowing the location, I figured that the agent who doesn't know about the Shield-Hydra thing might spill the beans and I find myself without my portable house, wheels, servers, and more.

I'm already certain that the van has a tracker placed on it.

Thankfully, Steve did respond, and indicated that he was already not just in the state but near L.A. so could pick it up within an hour, if Stark lets him borrow a suit from the Malibu house to drop him off, or maybe just borrow a motorcycle. He knows the last will fit in the trailer.

As for the team and the Van, I had already said the van was a rental, so May seeing me take stuff out and put it in the trailer wasn't a surprise to her. I did ask Coulson not to log the trailer though, before we left. He seemed to understand something there, and I'm not sure what to hope or dread.

About ten minutes out from the Bus, Harley sent a message by the eye-cams instead of the messaging app...

[ Morse. Damn. I owe you ten bucks. ]

Because I was sure I would be overheard if I used my ear-comms, and didn't know why she used that instead of the app... I used the haptics to type back, 'technically you didnt take the bet'

[ So, uh... whats the what? ]

I... couldn't say everything, but did a basic rundown with event differences emphasized. Didn't embarrass myself by telling them all I accidentally or on purpose revealed way earlier.

[ So not much or a lot, since you're not being very clear. ]

'I may have panicked a bit and/or excited babbled more than intended.'

[ You're you, of course you did. ]

What? 'Fair but Hey!'

tooltip^ AN: the italics here is her listening in from another room.

Things gathered to take with in the van to take in. Covered the differences with Harley. I've got the chat with FitzSimmons to do, will this Fitz be awkwardly-flirty? I mean that's what I read and pretty sure tv-show-me read too...

Hmm. I spy Coulson, May and Morse in the... What was it called? ... I'll say mission room, rather than just briefing room and so on, since... Oh. My senses I could... listen in... See if Morse has Wards' criticisms'...

"You're bringing Skye on as a Consultant?" ... Morse. Doesn't sound confident. "She could be a plant."

... For that I'm hacking your facebook p-

"Agreed, she could be."

COULSON?

"But I doubt it. If she was telling the truth, then she's actually been running, for a long time. You still have an in with the Avengers?"

"I don't think Barton takes my calls anymore."

"I'm not talking about Clint. She said she's met four - I'm assuming that means Stark, Rogers, Romanoff, Maybe Barton or Banner, but either way... Call Romanoff. If Skye was telling the truth..." I can hear the f's instead of the v. Boo. Also, damn Harley for the part were I'm behind the ov not off.

"You really think Nat will remember a cos-player?" Really Morse?

"I think she'll remember the only cos-player who dressed up as her in the aftermath." Huh was I ... Wait that was said with certainty so how does- "What? Just because they weren't cleared doesn't mean I wasn't keeping an eye out. Stark wasn't exactly vague in his general egotistical Starkness about how many cos-players outside the tower were dressed as him, Rogers, Thor and Hulk, even the girls dressing as Iron Maiden or Lady Liberty or Goddesses of Thunder. Only cos-player, and that they even met? That'll be memorable."

"Right. But still, the risk..."

"I know. And If she is a threat, I want her where we can keep an eye out for it, be ready for her play. On the other hand, if she's telling the truth then we really do want her on side."

... I shouldn't be eavesdropping, should I?

"Even if she told the truth, technically she's an enemy anyway, she's a member of the Rising Tide. She hacked Shield, broke our Encryption..."

"Yes. Several times, from a Laptop, whether in a van or whatever her mobile home situation was." Ooh... He caught a few things. "And I'm pretty sure the only reason we know that much is because - threat or not - she wanted us here. We know nothing about her. You know how often that happens? That never happens. So yes, I want her on the plane. Imagine what she'll do with our resources."

"I am. You brought me for risk assessment. She's a risk. If she was telling the truth, one who could take down trained professionals."

"Like SAS. I know. Also, call Hunter, double check that one." ... Huh May feels surprised, did she not get the deets on that before? And Morse, oo...

She's not pissed... Huh, feels like she's... "S... Sir no... I..."

... HAHA SorrynotSorry Morse but you walked into that one!

"She took down some of the operatives at Central Station." May... Which way are you...

"See, she's a risk, sir-"

"I'm waiting for a point I haven't already considered. Do you have one?" Cool, BossCoulson. Yet also, not cool. But Understandable and really those two haven't got one? Or do they just think he's already thought of the other reasons, whatever they are, that they're thinking of? "No. This is my call. Morse. Call Romanoff and Hunter. Confirm their interactions and what they know. May, Prep for take-off."

Oh May is walking out... Right... Walk past with a small smile and wave of the fingers not needed to clutch my luggage. And ... Small talk?... May's not one for sm-

"How's the bruise?" I almost wince at my own inability to keep my mouth shut for some reason.

May paused and looked at me, and wow, she's trying to read me... But... Also wow she's relaxing a bit? "Healing."

"Good. Good."

"How's the neck?"

I wince. Cover up barely helped. Ace waking up to seeing the bruising was bad this morning. "Well, I can breathe, so... Situation normal: all fucked up, but dealing."

"See Simmons once we're in the air."

Right. Aka, See myself to a cabin first, then strap in.

And... Huh weren't they guiding me - the tv show me - onboard in the episode?

"Ah, Agent Coulson told us the news..." Hello Simmons. And I see your glance at my neck. No Jemma, Bad Jemma, you're not a vampi-... Oh the bruising. "I have a cream that could help with that I could just-"

"It's alright, for now. Just let me get settled first?" I ask nervous. Off-script. So Off-script... This isn't a tv show.

"Right, right. You must be excited, uh..."

"To have a team help me take down douchebags instead of doing it alone now they're getting enhanced? Yep."

"Really?" Wow the look there... Is... Is she impressed with me right now? Also wait she's looking at my scars- she's smart I know that is... Is she reading my history through- no dontthinkthat...

"I uh, take it Coulson didn't brief my circumstances then?" I settle my gear in one of the sleeping births... A bunk I have a bunk and, weird, it kinda looks different from the show? Well, in the show the partition was only partial - open air above head-height with the rest of the level but here it seems fully built out and sound feels... Cool I might sleep well here. Also less white than the show that's odd. The panels are a dark gray, not light silver/white.

"Well," Fitz started, thinking, "Not really, no?"

"I could have been like Mike, but... I got out years before they even got Chitauri metal." I cough, throat scratchy at the thought of... "Not sure what they were going to use me for, actually."

Wow, I could cut the sudden tension with a- "So, This is an airborne mobile command station-" Fitz? Really you're just... Don't want to talk bad things huh. Okay. I dig. "-but we just call it the Bus." Uh huh, shorthand, yadda...

Play off with humor... Play of with humor... "Yeah, I've been here before, what with two spies kidnapping me," Humor, humor... "Throwing a bag over my head even though I totally let them because hacking was my SOS signal." That was... not humor...? Not quite? Kinda?

"Yes... So sorry about that."

... Awe Simmons!... And now there's May announcing wheels up in five and Morse with what was Ward's little 'read that its not like other planes' bit okay

And Coulson coming up... Script or no script? Script it is, "Cool Ride." I say, looking up at him waving the little pamphlet, that I totally memorized before the episode started. The events. Events...

"I had a little goodwill from Director Fury when I got hit right before the Battle of New York." ... Word for word. Huh. Yeah I'm not gonna pretend like I know nothing on this... Earn their trust, right.

"Yeah, read something about that. Asgardian Mussolini shanked you or something?" ... Why did I say it that way?

Well at least he gets my bad attempt at humor. Also, there's a twitch for some reason. "Basically. Had a few weeks R'n'R, some low level work until Fury was satisfied I was field-ready, so he gave me this plane. Had it completely refurbished, studs on up, spared no expense."

"Must have been a really good facility." I say, lingering a look at his heart... Oops, he spotted it. "Tahiti, right?"

"It's a magical place." ... Nononononodon't... Dammit. "Lets get buckled up." Oh, right, there's all the sounds of prepping for take-off.

So. Peru. Flying there. Got my stuff squared away, avoided seeing Simmons for the bruising - it'll be gone soon enough... This is when I agreed with Harley to tell (a lot but not all) to May.

Right. May. Knock knock.

...

I sat down in the co-pilot seat, and could, feel, May's disapproval, but she didn't deny my request if I could come sit with her.

"... I'm an orphan." ... No response? "I don't know who I was born as, but I do have a suspicion. Two, actually..." A faint stirring? "Both tie with Shield though." A thud, a heart beat thud... What? "I was dropped off by a Shield agent, who died two weeks later. And being moved so I never spent more than like, two months at any foster home... never... and was never allowed by the system to be adopted by the rare good homes, says a lot." Her heart is racing... Stop stop let her calm why is she panicking?

"Two."

Okay she wants me to focus. Right. "First, which I don't believe by the by, is that I'm that agents' daughter. But... I accessed Shield systems for her DNA, and ran a test." RACING HEART WHAT? "Turns out I'm not related to Agent Avery." Stutter? Calming? "I mean the theory is 'a' not 'this' but still." ... Huh does she... I glance over, and... She's gripping the controls tight. Maybe...

"I was no more than a few months old, according to the nuns, when I was dropped off in march of ninety-seven." There, give her a date so she can see if I'm...

... Her heart stopped... But... She's relaxing... "You're seventeen."

What? "Or sixteen. No date of birth was actually given to them." I whisper. I'm confused at her jump to seventeen, not sixteen? Or is she assuming...

Seriously? She's really calming now even with just the only outward sign of distress was... Wait... Was she a mom, but lost the kid? But I had just torpedoed her sudden thought that it was me...

Wow. I mean, I'm not gonna ask but...

"Other theory?"

"Understand this. The team's last mission before they went dark was to recover a child, and half of them died over the course of a few weeks or months, and the other half almost all started to die eight years later... And that last starting mere weeks after one of them dropped me off at the orphanage. Hence why I might not be the baby of that mission, but it is Shield-involvement, so I can't dismiss the weirdness of that thought outright, like I would if it was 'CIA' or whatever."

... Racing heart? Wait... Fuck it I'm saying something before she has a heart-attack.

"Unless you've been to china, I can't be the baby you're thinking of."

... She's in shock.

"... Not. China." ... "How... Did..."

She's asking how I worked that out... And sensed her sudden, panic? No, not panic... "I am a foster kid, of thirty-odd bad homes, who spent a month in an unlit basement tortured by those assholes. My ability to read people was already pretty high when they... And my senses adapted to pick up all kinds of stuff, and only realized consciously once... Um. So yeah. I can just about make out your heart rate. Spiked and stopped and... Worked it out."

"Training." ... Translation. Query, 'you have training'.

"Yeah. Basic spycraft." See what she takes from that?

"... Who? Centipede?" On point May. On. Point... Well on the target paper, not a bullseye.

"They had captured a Shield agent and forced her to do it. Two months she trained me, then never saw her again. The only kindness I saw when I was there was from her. I'm... That's another reason for this team. I'm looking for her."

"Years ago?"

Am I really understanding May so easily already versus my show self?

"Her file says she was trained by Coulson."

... "Amador."

Okay now it's my heart twitching in shock. But... I'm guessing number of Coulson-trained female Agents that disappeared is a very low number.

"Akela, yeah. Her right eye had similar scars as mine." I pause, and add, "Stark replaced the implants they gave me when I got back in touch, you know, told him I didn't die at the expo after-all, so back then, we both had one eye implant that has... had a bomb, but not anymore for me. It's... Refuse to do what they say, and boom." SHOCK wow she's... way more empathy than she gives off. Fuck off Season1Skye, I don't care that vibro-senses is basically a cheat code, I'm noticing things without that, May is NOT A ROBOT.

"I think Coulson would like to get her back, don't you?"

"He would." Agreement. She agrees with me, not just on what Coulson would want...

"So... Pardon the pun... We keep an eye out?"

Okay now that dirty look was uncalled for May. Just for that I'm not telling you your ex is my therapist. "Hm." Not yet anyway. Damn how did you think I was planning mischief? Okay don't eye-roll that I'm obvious in some ways. At least no more speaking my thoughts... So far anyway.

"... Thanks for the talk. I... I could have kept this, you'know?" Donttearup... "I could have just acted like a... like a superhero groupie thing... like I was only accidentally rather than entirely on purpose caught by you guys..."

"Coulson wouldn't be taken in by that."

"Nor you, I can see that. But... He'd have given me a chance to at least... earn trust." I look away. "And I would, even if it did take me a few weeks... or months... to work the courage up to say 'what the hell' was up with me... Probably right up to the point of catching up with Akela, if that was sooner."

"Hm." Considering look from her... I almost get up but... I kinda want another few minutes... "Taking down Centipede, Finding your teacher, finding your family. What else, Skye?"

"... A home." ... ShitshitoutIneedout... Didntmeantopleasedontsendaway... AmIstillthatinsecurelittletenyearold?...

... Yes.

I barely managed to squeeze into the toilet next to the cockpit, and stared at myself in the mirror. I...

Andrew. Need. Andrew. Harley. Andrew. I squeeze my eyes shut as... fucking childhood memories... WhydidIsaythat

[ Peru, huh? don't let the plane be hijacked? ]

[ Skye? ]

I looked in the mirror and let them see me panicking, even as I manage to write 'call andrew'. I don't trust my shaking hands with making the message with my haptics.

[ On it. ]

Why did I think this was a good idea?... Oh. Right. I'm being hunted and need protection but also a tv show as a script to kindasorta follow. FML. This is real, not fiction... And Panic Attacks are rarely shown in fiction.

"Skye?" Morse? What is- "Skye your phone is ringing- I'll answer it? Hello... Dr Garner? It's Bobbi Morse how do you have... Oh. Uh... Let me get her. Skye, there's a... Skye? Breathe okay breathe-" ... Bobbi you are awesome and now I'm crying like... Oh. Good hugs. Goodhugsaregood

I had a panic attack.

I had a panic attack.

I had a panic attack. Bad enough, Harley called Andrew and so he called me and Morse answered.

I can... feel... we're still on course, it's... okay it's still two hours to landing in Peru. I didn't loose that much time in this.

And I can hear them with my senses, in the bri- mission room.

"And you're sure you're alright?" Simmons is asking me, I nod even as I keep my senses on the other room, and I know Fitz, now I memorized his... vibration signature, is in the lab downstairs, unawares.

"She just had a full-blown panic attack, Coulson. You said you were waiting for a point you hadn't cons-"

"I understand." He cut through. "But she'd also told us, remember? She said she had a therapist. I had already assumed from what little she did tell us this might be an issue."

"That's what I don't get. He called her. He knew she was having a panic attack!"

"Speaking of. She said he was S.H.I.E.L.D.-cleared. You know his name?"

Oh, Morse is... "Oh. Yeah. He's... Definitely a Shield-cleared psychologist, not just a therapist." She's hesitant to say?

"... You say that like we know him?"

"Andrew."

May... Ah, yeah May is shocked.

"... So that's two husbands of members of my team she's met." Coulson? Really not the time to joke, and that's... No reaction I could pick up?

"That's your reaction? Are you frickin kidding me right now?" ... Thank you Morse. Not. Seriously I want to like you and that hug that helped me out was like, the best hug I've had in years but...

"... I had already assumed from what little she did tell us that we might know who her therapist was, and that's a rather short list."

Oh... OH HE GUESSED IT WAS ANDREW THAT'S AWE-

"Skye?" Right Simmons.

"Shh, eavesdropping." I mutter as I continue to focus on the argument.

"Besides. Have you called Romanoff or Hunter yet?"

"... Th- That's besides the point..."

"... You have. Did she lie?"

"... No. She didn't."

"So. She knows Romanoff and Hunter." May, nice settled May being neutral between a worried yet very amused Coulson and Morse's high-blood-pressure mood... "Among others of our circle." huh, May's... considering something I think. "What did Hunter say?"

"Uh..."

"Good things, I take it?" Right because if Hunter only had bad things she'd be using it right now... Good catch Coulson.

"... I don't get it." Morse, muttering? So unprofessional. "She put him in the hospital why would he even..."

"She told the truth, then?"

"... She did. He was impressed, not even five-foot and she put two trained SAS operators in hospital and disabled enough of the others to get away, but no actually-serious injuries." Oh yeah. Hunters team were, I think, a B Squadron 8 Troop, I think. I remember looking it up afterward when trying to think of how to apologize to Hunter and his 'mate' for the whole, balling them too hard. And of the fourteen other guys, eight disabled leaving six guys to pick up the rest of their team?

"I take it that means he could still have kids."

COULSON! O.M.G... I Did NOT need that-

"Please don't put that image in my head."

"Same here." May... Oh my...

"Skye what's funny?" Oh right Simmons is curious, and I just want to..

"Shh I can hear them just." I glance at the room and she realizes now what I meant with eavesdropping. "They're talking about me, I need to know if I'm staying or not."

"Oh."

"-Romanoff?" Damn I missed a bit, but I'm guessing, asking what Nat said.

"Jarvis did log her presence as Skye Romanova." May startles at that... Oh May you didn't get told that either? "Pepper recognized her. They did think she died at the expo Vanko attacked, and she did loose both her eyes in Monaco beforehand."

"So how can she see?" May is surprised? I told her... Wait... Did she think I meant an implant within, not a replacement?

"Implanted cameras with some sort of neural link, how that works I don't know. Which were equipped with bombs up to New York, according to Stark." Oh now you feel sympathy for me? "He removed the ones Centipede implanted for his own design that don't have a kill-switch."

"... And you're arguing for her not to be on the team." May is... Okay that sounded neutral but I can sense your heartbeat, you totally want me on the team don't you?

"We don't know what she's after. Not really."

"I do." ... May are you...

"Really?" Coulson pleasedontask

"Talking about it was hard for her, and telling me what she was really after is what triggered her panic attack. I believe her."

"You're onside with this." Yes Morse that's what she's saying. "What? What could she possibly reveal that-"

Huh. Sudden stopped hearts. And May who feels like she's glaring.

"Give her time. She may share it sooner, or later, but it's hers to tell. Give. Her. Time"

May is on my side Mayisonmysideomg

"Skye?"

"It's settled. Skye stays. Morse, I want you to arrange sessions as needed with Dr Garner. I have a feeling she wasn't lying either about that not being negotiable, she wants that kind of help, make sure she can get it." Thankyouthankyouthankyou

"... Right."

"May. Think you'll be up for teaching her Tai Chi?"

"... Yes."

Oh god how am I going to hide my excitement before she even tells me -- shit I shouldn't eavesdrop on this bit should I?

I So need to reveal I heard most of this don't I?...

"You heard?"

"Pretty much all of it, though a few bits I was distracted to hear." I glance at Simmons who was wringing hands out of nervousness, because I didn't even wait for her to say, I did tell him thanks for letting me stay and the sessions and Tai-Chi. "I, uh... Early on in... in their basement, I uh... they kept me in total darkness a few times. Between that and the time between Monaco and the Expo battle where I was blind... I've got pretty good hearing."

Oh... Sympathy... No, no puppy look Coulson please.

"But yeah. You assumed panic attacks, that you knew my therapist. The husbands comment is just..." I give him a thumbs up, which just gets a small chuckle from him. "The no kids image." Thumbs-down, another chuckle... "That Stark totally revealed I had killswitches until these," I wave a hand at my eyes, and yeah, he senses I wasn't exactly cool with that getting told, but I accepted it. "So yeah. Morse, arranging sessions for me, May... teaching my Tai-Chi." Do I? ... Sure... "Also totally heard the three of you when I came on the plane before wheels-up. It was Barton not Banner, since you were wondering."

... "That's some good hearing." Oops?

I shrug. "Yeah. And... meeting them was... a little more than just for five minutes. Since Natasha totally also told Bobbi that I told them about Centipede." I see his pause, "Getting the replacements wasn't a five minute job. There was examine, figure out a plan to remove, figure out what to replace with and how to do both in the same operation, recovery time and being at risk for that time... they... didn't want me out of the tower."

Eyebrows, to hairline.

"It's kind of funny but, Banner was in the same room a lot but never interacted with him, so can't really say five, not four. Hearing my story... almost got him green a few times. Guess he didn't want the trigger." I sigh, sad because really, meeting Banner/Hulk? Missed goal in a way.

"So how much interaction, really?"

"Well it was about... Uh... A month? Two? A fair amount with Stark - I had to talk him out of all kinds of upgrades, though heads-up-display was one I liked enough to accept... Yes, I have a HUD." I roll me eyes, "With haptic feedback controls basically implanted in my hands for them." I smile at his look, "Yes, I'm not just good with computers... I kinda am, a computer. But not Index-worthy, according to, ahem 'Agents Barton and Romanov'. Just want to put that out there."

"I hadn't thought about that."

"Yeah su- I look... "You hadn't. Right." I sigh. "So, Panic Attacks aren't exactly... normal... for me." I look away. "Really embarrassed about that one."

"But glad it led to some revelations?"

"It was already a given that you were going to get confirmation on parts of my story regarding the Avengers. That Hunter would - whenever she got the courage to call him I mean," Ha he's totally on the same wavelength with my guess there from his amusement, "Rather than as she'd say about 'not able to get through'. That you were going to find out May's ex is my therapist. I... I..."

I can't say what I want to there... Damn.

"May is right, I do need time to get some things out. To be ready, or at least not in a place that stops me from saying something even if I'm not mentally ready to handle things being known." ... Tooclosetooclose... Breathe... "So being upfront with things I don't mind getting known anyway is... a thing"

"a thing." Small caps because damn that's just...

I nodded, looking at him with amusement. "You'll probably learn more because of my mouth running away than because of me working up courage, I think. And back to my panic attacks. I've seen combat... Uh... As you know. SAS and Centipede and all that." I cough. "And I did spend plenty of time at ranges and taking pretty much random classes as I basically toured around in hiding when not actively seeking stuff out, keep my accuracy up because, hello, danger follows, rather be the one that shot than be the one that got shot, you know. Of course you're an agent, you understand that too." BREATHE. "... So I'm... not a bad shot? I... I think you might want me to do an assessment? See what my skills are like compared to a Shield Agent kinda thing?"

"If you're comfortable."

"After this mission though, right? Something something 0-8-4?"

Planes' only just touching down and I already feel ... well, not tired - I managed a nap for half an hour and really, feeling tired at the end of the night after I got sleep is rare enough. Emotional exhaustion, I'm guessing. So, power naps for the win, yo - but I already feel like I should be further into the epi- events... than I am.

Didn't realize what the timeline between the two episodes would have been (though... 'six days' was making me think with the realization of how much time the pilot covered, that would put landing at that Shield facility on... Saturday? So Tomorrow.) Harl threw me a quick clip when I asked about time progression of the lounge windows being dark when the Peruvians go to do the hijack, outside of the cockpit looking in but still sky would have been visibly blue if it was daytime there...

Landing in South America not long after sunrise, and Coulson was already up and told us when we were going to roll out, so even with a ten minute run on a treadmill - to the team's surprise - I had time to properly prepare for the mission. I didn't lie either, in that first interrogation. I'm always armed. Just sometimes more than others. Even though I don't like gun-play. Or blade-play, but needs-must when you're basically being hunted by bad guys. Even on a treadmill. I'm not sure which surprised Morse more - the running, or that I did it still carrying my backup pistol. Didn't let on that I had my main, they still haven't seen it.

Sue me, I'm paranoid. (Is it paranoia if they really are out to getcha?)

Simply put, I wasn't going in without twice my 'everyday' protection. Basically, what I'd have worn if I was going to raid that lab on my own.

For blades, I had two short blades in each of my boots, some really short throwing knives built into stitching on my clothes, as well as another two on each arm with light quick-releases. Nat, may have had a significant influence on me. I'm not even sure if that was the movies or meeting her in person. Not that I'm confident in being effective with them.

For guns, I was going to go with all four of my guns - my primary and backups in the outer holsters, and twin backups in my inner holsters. Overkill? Don't think so. And I was carrying plenty of magazines that fit all of them, in addition to each fully loaded with one in the chambers. Some might say sixty rounds loaded and an extra hundred and twelve is ridiculous... They obviously haven't been shot at, kidnapped, tortured... And I never want to experience that again. Hunter and his fellow operators were lucky I recognized him before I actually fired back way back when.

Since my clothing was, well, all armored by way of being from a ballistics weave better than kevlar, but, in places, also lined with kevlar and with slots for armor plating to stop kevlar-penetrating AP rounds... Though, I know we were going to be shot at so not actually overprotection. I actually wore my Black Widow costume, which included an under layer for comfort and preventing chafing in places, and over top of that, what only looked like regular jeans and shirts. I had two of my backups slotted into the costume piece, with some of the blades, and my primary and 'main' backups in outer holsters just beneath a plaid shirt I'll be leaving hanging somewhat open, though little bits stop it blowing open to reveal those holsters. I even had the sleeves with a little push fit button so raising my hands wont let the loose things roll up my arm to reveal those blades.

But, this was South America, Peru... Meaning it'll be hot. And I've got a lot of layers, here. Lucky, L.A. Heat had prepped me anyway. I had a little technique with my powers I was already getting a work-out practicing, basically since I can affect vibrations, and that includes atomic vibrations, aka, heat. Currently, I can keep myself cooled by a tiny amount, but in the heat levels I'm expecting, that'll be a little good, though not good enough. Thankfully, ballistics weave is kinda breathable, and does channel excess heat out a bit better than if I wore a nonfunctional costume and regular versions of this outfit. Slipping up with this application of my powers, not exactly end of the world.

When I was done loading up, May actually looked me over, and then shared a look with Coulson and Morse, and they both gave me a once-over too. Huh? ... Oh, right, May saw some of my 'blade collection'. I roll my eyes and just move into the mission room, as I see the two women going to prepare for the mission.

The episode skipped from landing to arriving, and no one has said where exactly. So, get all the info.

Brought all the necessary detail - I will be bringing up the issue of rebels, and maybe getting a visit from the policia military de peru whatever.

Rebels, yadda yadda... Thank you internet.

"Skye." I hear, but concentrate on my use of the holocom.

"Just getting last info dump for lay of the land stuff." I look after a moment. "They're dealing with a lot of rebels, anti-mining stuff. The Commandante in charge of the area might show up with the military police guys, might not want to give up a potential weapon to use against them." And just in time... "One Camilla Reyes."

"... I know her. She's been promoted I see."

Yay heading off a semi-combat scene?

"Think she'll try to sneak up on us first?" I ask, even as I switch to the very last point, and I can feel Coulson tracking my actions, but also his curiosity at what I'm doing, and why. Then I look up. "She's totally going to want it, isn't she?"

"It... might be an issue."

"Right. And 0-8-4 means Shield can ignore bits like sovereignty because potential dangers. Speaking of, if we need to issue an evac or something, what cover story will we be going with, or... Do you want to wait until we know more before coming up with one?"

Coulsons lips were twitching. "I thought you hated secrets."

"Not all secrets need out, like that anti-matter meteor that almost wiped out Miami. I do understand the principle of 'don't cause a panic'."

Did he just twitch?

"... You were totally going to use that as an example, weren't you?"

"... Maybe." I know, total cheat to say his line from the episode...

I just look at him for a moment, then grin, and one handed make a 'same wavelength, you and I' gesture. "You know, I'm basically like a grandpadawan here. Makes sense we'd think similarly in places."

"Oh?"

Right, May hasn't said? "Yeah. Ask May." I tense, then ease. "I told her that part." Hopefully he understands the star wars reference to get the meaning. And I'm done. "All set. Any security for the Plane before we go?"

"It's difficult to gain access without us."

I pause... I should... "What if it happens with us? I know enough about corruption within the Peru government and military police that if they end up seemingly on-side and aboard..."

Ah. I can see his hidden wince... Not from the sudden idea, but that he's having to acknowledge something he had already thought about but dismissed. "Then I, May and Morse can deal with it."

"Uh-huh. I'll... stick with Fitzsimmons then, if Bobbi doesn't." He twitched at my use of 'Bobbi'. Huh. "If they end up aboard and try like, hijack or something to keep the 0-8-4."

"We don't even know if its dangerous."

I snort. "Wasn't the last one a certain hammer? I got that story from Barton FYI."

I'm so glad that I had, too, so not actually B.S. to cover for info I know from the tv show. And the rest is just 'paranoia talking' until it'll be 'oh shit she was right it seems to pay to be paranoid'.>

It wasn't long before he called time. It was as the team get into the SUV... and I realize that there's six of us, but there's an old white SUV he's getting into and, huh? Oh, May's driving, Morse in the passenger leaving me... behind May, Fitz behind Morse and Simmons in the middle. Right, he's going with the archaeologist or something?

Morse doesn't seem to be surprised about the blades. Did May say anything? During the ride she keeps giving me these... looks, like she's trying to count.

Maybe Nat did? I don't know, the Avengers Group Chat messages only had 'about damn time' type messages. After over a year without backup they were getting... blah, about it.

... Weird.

"Well, nothing so far anywhere." I say as the professor dude leaves. I look up as I get close though...

"-it's almost German-" Fitz is muttering.

I could already sense solely through my powers, but now I can even hear... just slightly... "It's also humming." I back up a step, "... That's bad, right?" I give a glance at the twins, who look back befuddled.

"Curious, the Dwarves aren't picki-" One approached, closer than I had, "Wait yes, you're right it is humming." Thank you Fitz.

How do I trust my ears more than your gadgets?

Oh, right. Paranoia.

"So. Bad. Should I..." I look outward, feeling the combat and... for real my ears even pick up the noise? "Hostiles."

"Stay here." Coulson spoke, and as he stepped out, looking at me, "Cover Fitzsimmons."

Right. I draw my primary and take position next to the entrance, head turned and tilted so they'd think I'm just listening with an ear, but... I'm listening for what's about to happen.

Coulson stepping out and immediately shouting, "Stand down! ... Camilla?!"

"... Stand Down! ... Philip?"

"Commandante I see. Congratulations."

Okay... Slight difference but moves the same from there. I look, half a mind staying outside so-to-speak, at Fitzsimmons. "Be ready to move. Policia Militar de Peru are here."

"What? I can't just..."

"Are you seeing this?" Wh- "It's alive."

"It's humming, of course its live." I sigh. "What's the what."

And cue the science speak I don't get - even less than tv-show me I'm guessing. "English. Is the energy frequency a match to anything? And is there a reason you can't carefully pull it out so we can analyze it on the Bus?"

"Oh, Right... I'll, and you'll?" Fitz looks at Simmons.

And they were off. TV or Not it's still hard to follow when they start talking the way they do, and I only have practice from trying to follow the show. No way am I going to embarrass myself though... (and can Harley please stop sending clips to my HUD even if it is refreshing my memory on bits...)

And here's Morse, is she taking Wards lines? "Be ready to pack it up." Morse spoke. "National Police are here, they probably want it." Morse only glanced at me. She's feeling the lack of surprise in the room... "There's also that there's lots of rebel uprisings around here."

"Yeah, protesting the strip-mining of their home by international corporations who pay off the government. What else are they going to do when they get kicked out of their homes especially with no recompense." They're looking... "... Did you even read the briefing pack on the drive here that I put together?" ... "You didn't. Come on. I worked hard on that!"

"You made it in five minutes."

"And that was a hard five minutes!" I playfully whined to Morse, but lost the humor because... "And the situation isn't as clear cut as big brother institutes play it off as or the Rising tide for the other side. I get it. And getting shot is still getting shot." I look at the twins. "... So pack it up." They're not moving. I tense. "We are about to get shot at." I look over at the entrance as that gets them moving, raising a pistol. Morse picking up the cue, follows, even as the tension coming from the twins ramps up. More from Simmons, who... is probably realizing I might be hearing more than usual? Fitz doesn't seem to be too bothered yet, probably thinking we're probably being paranoid.

"What is it?" Morse asks.

Thankfully knowing of my HUD - well Coulson knowing - means I can...

"Encrypted Radio signals, close. Not on Shield or Policia channels." Thank god I also actually do seek out alternate ways to know the shit I know. Like signal analysis on some of my gear that link to and display on my HUD anything unusual like this.

... And gun play. Gun play bad.

"Did you say BANG?!" Morse, shut up, concentrate on the road.

"Oh come on, a girl can't make fun out of bullshit circumstances?" May is sooo going to secretly snicker at this story later, I'm sure of it. Shame she's not here, but with Coulson in a Policia vehicle... with Reyes, I'm guessing.

A look.

Fitzsimmons giggling in the back of the SUV.

"And I'm not the one they were aiming at! They at least saw me, my size and figured 'avoid the kid'."

... Should I have..

"You're too young to be handling guns."

I wait until we're about to board under fire, to say, "I was five the first time I had a month-long stay due to child abuse. Eight the first time I got a foster parent arrested for worse. I had my first kill at eleven. I am not and never have been a child." I boarded walking back, even as I fired at the ... 'rebels'... that had followed, and felt the stopping of heartbeats at range, and saw with my frickin eye implant's zoom function each hit that had that result. I was firing for effect. Morse, was merely giving cover fire. Probably too shaken at my words. Probably should have waited for after retreating back onto the bus.

And Fitzsimmons are looking at me with sympathy pain. Dammit, didn't mean to unload in front of them... emotionally. Unload emotionally... They need to get used to gun-play. I don't look, but I'm paying attention to the Peruvians that came aboard. Odd. I'm sure the show was like, six. Twice that here, counting Camilla.

Welp. The lab scene and breakdown of the team was... different.

It's odd. Morse has a different view of the scientists - still doesn't want them in the field without combat training though, but... it's her distrust of me that's...

Dammit. She's not giving me a chance... But also is? It's damn weird how she's being. Where was the Awesome-Hug Bobbi of yesterday?

... It's my age plus panic attacks, versus in combat kept my cool, isn't it? ... Fuck it, later I'm calling Hunter and getting blackmail material.

So not with Morse - like show... Fuck referring to the show all the time. Since Morse is sticking with Fitzsimmons, and I need... a breather... So I'm sat with May in the cockpit, just sat in silence, until like... hours after flying into darkness.

She's letting me. Either she knows I like this silence... which I do... Or figured out I might be enhanced since 'my ears' are a bit too sharp for all I've already dumped out. Like eavesdropping on a soundproofed mission room. Or they just figure the sound proofing is for normal hearing levels and I just like the extra-sound-proofing of the cockpit, or something. I don't know, she's hard to read if I'm not concentrating on reading her.

Instead, I'm listening in on the twins, I'm listening in on Morse. I think my parting shot of 'you don't trust me and right now I don't trust the Policia on the plane with an object they want' has her staying there. At least my paranoia is rubbing off. And being able to understand the two's science-speak, unlike ward, she's not at their throats.

And I'm listening in on Coulson and Camilla.

And... pulling me back to the cockpit, I heard the drill. I turned - sharply and my movement alarmed May. "... Gas. Hijack."

And she Moved, set Autopilot, then... Thank god for being able to hold our breath, it's not a contact-knock out, still have to breathe it in for it to knock us out.

She almost reached for one cupboard, but stopped with an annoyed look and frown, then moved to a different one and hand reaching in, pulled out and then giving me- "Mask." I Accept and start to put the full face-mask with what I'm guessing is a ten-minute oxygen tank on, and see despite this that she's pulled a second - so two, one for pilot, one for copilot - and is clenching a hand, a short glance at the cupboard... No gun in the cockpit.

I pass my primary over along with one of my blades from my wrist holster, which are gladly accepted, even with what I know is a smile hidden by the breather part of the mask, I can also see the crinkle at the corner of her eyes at the moment she smiled, and thank god for learning military hand signs so I can signal that I'll go down and secure the lower level, and ask if she's going to secure Coulson and up-top.

She doesn't agree, and indicates us both to do the upper level, then the lower - Oh, right, doesn't want me to do it solo, but also... Morse is with them. I hold a hand out to signal a moment, and then nod. Morse and the twins can wait. They've already surrendered - Morse, to protect the twins, the twins, because they're non-combat. I sensed it as they drilled the door.

I signal for a 'five count then move' as I focus on sensing exactly where the nearest lot are, and step up to the door, my backup in hand and place a hand against the door. May takes place near, eyes knowing.

Two.

One.

I open and draw directly on, squeeze of the trigger as I go, and a muttered 'bang' because shit I kid you not being childish with it is a coping mechanism right now.

I'm not carrying Night-Night guns, and I'm not sure how long after they do get developed into those 'icers' that I might start to carry. I'm... not about leaving behind bad guys to shoot me in the back. (or stomach).

Two shots, First target down, May two shots hers down at the same time..

Move. Eyes on swivel. Ignore that my target's took the last to the head as he dropped. That May's did also.

Into the bunks area, already aiming and squeezing on one of the two there. May follows, also on target.

I feel the impact of one round fired at me even as I 'bang' on target. One to the shoulder, two to the chest. I adjust, and shoot the one who shot me as he rounds the mission room. Right Arm, Right shoulder, Two Chest. Five down. Seven left. Camilla upstairs, two more beyond the mission room, the last four downstairs with Fitzsimmons and Morse.

Owie. But only 'owie'. May checks me a moment, clearly she knew I got hit but I'm not even flinching. She Looks back, sees the sixth moving around from the lounge area behind the mission room, and fires a shot to cover for a moment, forcing him to duck back.

May waves me up to get Coulson, she'll clear the rest on this level, as she ducks to provide me cover - Camilla and Coulson are upstairs.

Up stairs, Ready at the door, aim at where I sense Camilla is.

"You really think I can't take this plane?" I hear. The door is soundproofed, this is my extra senses.

I inch the door open, knowing she's not facing, and he is.

"I know so." Then he gets this grin... even as I smoothly aim for a disable, rather than kill - gotta give Shield a prisoner, I guess... "As one of my team likes to say," Is he... "Bang."

I just stare at him over her crumpled body, mask stopping me from going, 'really? ... Awesome'

I wave my gun, butt-first to him, and he accepts my backup even as I pull out my second backup - what I carry is just, ridiculous, sometimes but also handy like now - then pass a fresh magazine to him because I used ten out of the fifteen it's loaded with.

He reloads for a full one, and passes me the mostly-spent one with just four rounds left in it, swapped for a second full to his slight bemusement before we're back down, and see May with a different gun in hand, and two more bodies just beyond the mission room. The Glass being bulletproof, so the wall of it and the starboard wall of the deck became a funnel. "How many left?" Coulson asks.

I hand sign four, and May agrees.

"May, be ready at the cage. Skye and I will go in through the avionics bay." Guess he wants to see more than me shooting a woman in the back. I follow him to the forward compartment to the left of the cockpit, where the stairs are to go down.

"First mission. You saved Agent May from several of Centipede Operatives, gave us all the intel on Centipede so we could start hunting them down, even saved Michael Peterson and made sure his son would be protected."

I sipped my nonalcoholic drink as the team - sans Coulson drank their own alcoholic ones. Even May and Morse were sat on the edge of the ramp to watch the 0-8-4 be airquotes-launched into space-closeairquotes, whilst I just stood with Coulson as he idly dealt with the paperwork near the perfectly-intact lab doors.

"Second mission. Gathered intel, analyzed the situation, assessed potential scenarios and when one of those scenarios came up, again saved Agent May - this time from a knock-out gas, and then together took out the Peruvians trying to hijack our plane."

"Wondering what's coming next?" I asked, grinning. "Or is this part of your assessing me on what I can do, what holes I need to fill in? Recruitment pitch to be an agent of something? Or all three."

"... Something like that."

My phone set off an alert. I frown, opening it and start reading. "... Damn." I look up at his curious look. "Rising Tide are messaging me. Something's happening and they're going dark."

"What does that mean?" Bland, simple. He can guess what it means, but wondering what I'd take it to mean.

"Most of them are just kids in basements and attics playing activist when they're not at school being bullied for being a computer nerd." I roll my eyes, and kind of head-nod at the twins to make a point of 'smart, but not prepared.' Those two were struggling with what had happened on this mission. They really hadn't been prepared for field work pressure. I may have oopsied with preventing the hijacking from getting as far, because in the show it was a turning point for bringing the team together, and getting them over their shock at what field-work is apparently like. Preventing the hijacking going as far seems to make them more hesitant here, because they weren't part of the solution. Guess TV-show me really did have a point she never even considered.

I sigh, and look out at the team, as the rocket blasts off. "I'm one of less than a dozen who aren't living with parents, and that's kinda made me a senior member by default." I look back at Coulson, "I look after them, guide them, make sure they don't go black-hat or get into trouble that isn't offset by the results of their actions." My lips twitch, and finish, "Yeah, I uh, have sooo many different priorities and things and people to keep track of. Busy Bee, that's me. Anyway, Rising Tide..."

I can see he's curious. "Five names I could, but won't, name because it's pointless. One's already part-time working for both the CIA and NSA. Another has got a similar deal with the FBI soon as they turn sixteen, with a deal for full-time work once they're eighteen. Because I helped them realize the true impact of their actions, so they... moderated themselves."

"Turning them from inadvertent threats to potential assets."

I nod, he got it. "The other three are already on Shield's Radar, but too young to be brought in. One, I think, has an invite to the Comms Academy. They hadn't said yes or no, last I talked to her." He twitched, and a look of recognition. Huh. He knows who.

"So yeah. I'm senior, protective of the kids, and trying to keep the 'Tide from being a threat to be actively dealt with by any of the intel community, or by any government. So the leaders pushing for going dark? That's got me worried they might have done something." I look at the last message.

"Weird. 'Am I in'?" I look up. He's letting me... Okay. "Right." I verbalize as I type, "Going... silent... for... awhile. Linked... up... with... Shield... Team... Six. Don't... endanger... the... kids." I look at him, ready to hit send, clearly asking. He nods. I hit send.

It's about a minute, before he asks, "Shield Team Six?"

"... Like Seal Team Six, but for the weird."

"Nice." Ah, he's amused.

I wonder... "Did Fury say anything? I know he was by your office." I didn't spy because I was talking with May at that point.

He sighed. "Only what I'd already heard from Morse."

"Blabla-she's-a-risk-blabla?"

"Pretty much."

"... Does he even know I know the Avengers?" I ask with a grin, and start following him to his office up the stairs, ignoring the sense of Fitzsimmons' walking by us to the Lab and startling at hearing that. Oh, right. They didn't get the deets on that tidbit, or probably even most of it. Might need to bring everyone up to speed.

"It's funny, I haven't had a chance to write that report out, and my plane being almost hijacked seems to have pulled higher priority paperwork onto my desk." ... Is he really... "Now It's getting late, you can rest up for your assessment tomorrow. Morse already scheduled a session for 3pm local."

"You're taking the me-in-therapy thing seriously." I wasn't bothered - glad, actually but...

"... You're sixteen or seventeen, and have seen far too much already. Of course I am. And you did take down six out of the twelve Peruvians. Even Shield agents on their first mission would have a session if that's how theirs went." I slowly nod, and follow even to his office, which he clearly wasn't expecting now, "Skye?"

"... Other side effect of what happened to me. I have what is, currently, a seventy-something hour body clock. I'm too wired, and I last properly slept the night we dropped off Ace. That nap on the way to Peru doesn't really count. I won't be sleeping tonight... Most likely I'll push for tomorrow night..."

"Really." Bland, analytical.

"It... gives me time for my, many, priorities. I um... I'm studying for my GED. I, uh... last attended school in fifth grade, what with that being when I was kidnapped and all." I roll my eyes, and add with a grin, "Between Pepper and Steve, bleh. Lots of studying."

He slowly nodded and I felt the stutter in his beat. His empathy is awesome, and I can tell he's using his training at compartmentalizing to not react much. "Any particular subject?" Huh? Oh he's asking me what I'm studying... Or if I need help with?

"... History." I smile a little. "Funny thing. World War II, and the effects of Super Soldier programs and the impact of Steve Rogers on the war. Wouldn't happen to know anything on the subject, would ya?"

You know, this is the first full laugh I just heard from him. I like it.

Chapter Text

Welp. Sunday rolled around and I got a new routine to get into - flexible for time-zones but still.

[ Are you sure about me looking over the video of this week? ]

... yeah. I am. I hit the sequence to message back 'yes' with my haptics. Lord, if anyone who didn't know about them saw, they'd think I had a physical expression of tourettes or something. I add 'also about to do Tai-Chi with May'.

I'm... guessing the lack of response is Harley Squeeing in joy. 'Dont crack the glass Harl'.

[ You're training with MELINDA MAY ]

'Well, not really, it's just Tai Chi'

[ you... no it isn't! ]

Fine fine I get you're fangirling jeez. 'Fine. but dont by a hypocrit when I fangirl over something then.'

[ suresure ]

I can't help the grin, as I add 'also need to change. privacy mode Harley'

[ Can-do. ]

I change out into what I tentatively call my 'gym outfit'. Made-of-ballistics-weave sweatpants check. Same with a turtleneck shirt, over which I for once wear a separate harness system to holster my guns on, check. Running shoes with hidden blades, check. Oh, Hair.

Five Minutes later, I'm stepping out into the slightly-lit ground of the Shield base that I'm pretty sure is the former Naval Air Station Key West. Handy thing, being linked to my phone, I have a little map giving me a good route and, through the magic of radio intercept and flight plans, know there wont be any planned take-offs or landings so I'll be fine to run across the runways.

"Where are you going?"

Dammit Morse. I turn to see her next to a suburban, unloading bags? "Get my morning run. Treadmills get a bit too boring and don't feel, right."

"It's three in the morning."

Yes, and I'm still on a body clock that insists it's earlier than that, doesn't need saying. "So I won't be interfering with anything. This is a Shield base, so you can even follow me by the CCTV if you want."

I am so calling Hunter. God I hope she mellows out soon I want Bobbi with her awesome hugs

"Wait for me."

Wut?

My expression must have said something, "I'll join you. Coulson already wants to know your capabilities, and what your stamina and pacing are is part of that, and, well..."

"It's not just a Shield facility, but an airbase with lots of cool aircraft tempting me to take for a joyride yadda yadda I'm-a-threat-blablabla." I roll my eyes, and add, "If you just want to work up a sweat, just say so. No need to pretend like you don't trust me." I joke, and we both know that I'm poking her not trusting me. The deadpan look is just... "Though... I'm aiming for doing about ten miles. You?"

I don't need to see her fully lit to know she's giving me bug-eyes.

"What part of 'being hunted on the run from assholes' don't you get." I tap my weapons, and see that she also reacts to suddenly realizing I'm. Still. Armed "I can't trust that gun-play will be enough, especially if they catch up in public. Literal, Running, is my go-to, not shooting them. Can't run if I can't... run."

Okay, so her needing five minutes to change for a run, since she had been insistent, I had cheated and got out the centipede device, use it to boost my stamina a little, and set a pace a little faster than my usual.

When we got back, we were both sweating, and I was barely hiding that I was struggling for breath, but still...

"Ah... nd... y... Do... ev..."

I grin inwardly as we almost collapse into chairs in the lab. I gleefully take a large bottle of water, throw it to her (she doesn't catch it) and grab a second that I'd had ready for myself earlier, before answering.

"Twice a week. Usually I alternate between two and five miles, more or less depending on where I am of course. Being on a large airbase, I planned my route and figured I'd go for Fifteen."

"... F? y... s... te!"

I blink. 'Fifteen? You said ten!' I mentally translate, and nod slowly, grinning. "It's a five-mile loop to avoid crossing the runways. When we were getting to the last leg of the second loop and saw you were still fresh, figured go for broke."

'still fresh' was not what I saw. Also, it's only the pace that I was steadily increasing over time that did, this, to her, not the length of it. We did start at an twelve-minute mile pace to warm up, before I actually asked to increase to a eight-minute mile, which she agreed easily. I did manage to increase it near the end that the last mile, we were both fast enough to be noticeably quicker than that, but not that she realized I'd been increasing the pace all that time.

Petty, thy name is Skye.

And we were both wearing a Shield-issue tracker that, lucky for me, was just to track heart rate, blood pressure, basic stuff as well as where we were and our speed. "Pretty good even for a Shield Agent." I note, as I bring up the data from her bracelet on one of the Lab's computer, and see its speed data. "Ooh, That last mile you run in six minutes fifteen. Cool."

"-S... Six?"

I giggle. I couldn't help it. I see May coming down, curious probably from the look "Fifteen miles in one hour fifty-seven."

"Impressive." May speaks up, startling Morse. "Did you get any below Seven minutes?"

I laugh at Morse' face, and just wave May to look over Morse' running data.

... OOH eyebrow of doom, but also considering look at us both. "Lounge area in five minutes. Both of you."

I freeze.

... Owie. Running Morse into ground bad idea. Pah.

Fifteen miles in two hours is fine... if I had kept the upper and lower times nearer to the pace average. But nope I had to do the last seven miles at below the average pace time, increasing the pace each mile. To follow up with an hour of Tai-Chi, which neither of us knew and... yeah bad idea.

"And what did we learn?" May asks... of both of us.

"Skye is a monster."

"Not to poke the Bobbi-Bear."

... We share a look of incredulity. From the floor because we barely managed the hour before muscle cramp hit.

I'm both glad I remembered to remove the Centipede device, but also annoyed at myself for using it, or rather, why I did, and for what.

"Morse. Go get cleaned up."

"... if I can stand." Glare. "I can stand."

I remain on the floor, and with Morse gone as soon as she managed to stand, actually stretch out a bit.

"What was that about?"

"Bobbi is awesome. Agent Morse, not so much." I sigh. "She's being 'Agent Morse' way too much."

"Interesting distinction." She's probably reading a lot more into my comment than intended, but, whatever.

"... good hugs."

Ah, there's the inner softie peeking out.

"She reminds me of, well, all the hyper-protective foster kids that I'd have gladly called Big Sis, even when they were being super annoying and embarrassing." I sigh, and look the older agent in the eyes. "Who had seen too many younger ones trying to get away with bad behavior so it bled over into treating the ones who never misbehaved like they were about to at any minute. I get it, I get why. Still annoying."

"To be fair, you hacked Shield, baited us into kidnapping you, called her Morsecode which she hates, and embarrassed her during the attempted hijacking, given she's the combat specialist and yet she barely did anything."

... Huh. "Yeah. I... I can see your points."

"And you're not reacting that much to having killed."

... Oof. No wonder. I'm probably pressing sooo many of her paranoia buttons aren't I? Or is it because she knows I'll be calling hunter?... both. Definitely both.

"See, that right there." Huh? "Most people at this point are feeling guilt."

Fuck it. I stare, hard, at the agent, and point out. "I'm pretty sure I spent over a year in their basement before they let me go with the bomb in my head to be a puppet, and I was under their control for years. I have been exposed to so much of the bad side of humanity, before I took a life for the first time, hell, even before I was kidnapped. This. Has. Consequences." I steadily get up, finding that I was less shaky than Morse was. "I can't process the way you, or Morse, is expecting me to. I'm not a kid, and far as I can see myself, I'm not even a civilian. For all that it was only two months with Akela, that's barely scratching the surface of what part of the spy skill-set I've had to pick up just to survive. And legally if you go from the Identity I got at the orphanage, I'm not even seventeen yet."

I sigh, and move to head to the bunk, but May grabs my arm, and I stop and look. "Skye... You need to talk to someone."

I close my eyes, "I have an appointment with Andrew at three." She releases. "He helps me. A lot. He knows, May. He knows I need help. And I know I do. Otherwise I'd have never willingly gone with getting a therapist. You ex or otherwise." I open my eyes, and see... cheap shot mentioning Andrew, but subject-relevant. She'll get over it. I just hope Mo... Bobbi... can too.

Eight in the morning saw Coulson and I settle into the Shield bases' gun range. Being a Sunday, we actually were the only ones here. He'd already set up the targets, fresh, with different profiles. A quick look and, yep, this is my 'men in black at the gun range' scene.

"Alright, we can start slow-"

I don't hesitate. I draw both of my guns, and start sprayin'.

Kidding. No, I just pull my primary, and start to do double and triple-taps at the targets. Plural, not just the one 'in my lane' like would be if I was just one of several practicing. As is, he's calling out numbers, so it's not just 'shoot any'.

Some have two targets on the sheet, some have a target and hostage, And some ... yeah this is a Men-In-Black gun-range, I'm sure that one there is literally just the hanging alien from the film, that's just chilling. And though it's not the pigtails girl, there's another target that has a kid smiling next to a panicking guy on the same sheet.

Shield has a sense of humor, who knew?

"So, How'd I do Agent K?" I ask, and get another twitch and chuckle. "Also, Men-in-Black? Never knew Shield types had a sense of humor."

It's only at the end that I even realize I'd been humming the men-in-black tune when he switched the range to provide moving targets... and he was chuckling at my consistent use of saying 'bang' when I pull the trigger.

That will never not be funny.

Also... a little unnerving to witness hence Morse' and May's issue?

"So I, totally, demolished these Level 3 guys," I'm saying to Hunter who's laughing his head off still at, well, everything I've said on our phone call so far. He's totally glad I still have his number and that he answered. "And I didn't even have to resort to Baller tactics. So disappointed."

That gets a howl of laughter. He knew what I meant. "I can imagine."

"So how's the merc life?"

"It's... nice. Don't have to tangle with four-foot-nine balls of rage. Nice, quiet, and non of that stupid 'also we're keeping shite from you so you wont say no'."

"Ah, that would be a sticking point wouldn't it."

"Hell, in a few years I might call you up, see if you want in on my squad."

Huh? "Oh? They wouldn't protest a girl joining your group?"

"Well, not after what my latest sort-of recruit did. Hartley is a beast when you get on her wrong side."

I sit up right. "... Hartley? I know that name from somewhere."

"Technically she's Shield, though, she doesn't know that I know that."

"... Is she spying on you?" I ask, curious. He's... remarkably calm with that, from the sound... "I mean, Active-Duty Shield working with a merc..."

"Well, She does bring us some decent scores, so, I've got no problem so long as it's all above-board behavior. She's like me, doesn't like it when the higher brass start playing games, so it's good been so far."

"... Isabelle Hartley?" I ask, now the name and connection to Shield is in my head.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

... "I uh, I read her file, awhile ago though. Damn, she's awesome." And now I need to go actually do the thing so I'm not lying. "Does she know Bobbi?"

"Ha, yeah she knows Bobbi. Speaking of. How is that ex of mine doing?"

"... What makes you think I know that?" I pretend to not know the answer, and we both know I'm kidding.

"Skye, come on."

"I think I embarrassed her? Her new assignment is a mobile unit... which I got myself onto, and our plane was almost hijacked."

"Huh? How does that lead to you embarrassing her?"

"Her, on her own, protecting two non-combatants, versus four asshole Peruvian Policia. She had to surrender, whilst, our boss, the pilot, and I, basically took them all down. I and our pilot both took out five, our boss took out one, and helped with a distraction on the leader who I disabled. It was... eh, less horror-show than some of the firefights I've been in, which is weird since we were at like, forty-thousand feet at the time, and gun play in a plane is not a good idea and all that."

He whistled. "Damn, and she didn't take any down. I can see how that would embarrass and annoy her."

"I know. Send her a text, Skye: five, Morse: zero. See how she responds."

He howled in laughter, but once he'd calmed, "Hell no I'm not doing that, she'll hunt me down and-"

"How will she when I can run her into the ground?" I was cheating to do that but still... "Lead us on a run this morning. Fifteen miles in two hours, consistent pace would have been fine but I had us start at twelve-minute mile, then eight to halfway before increasing the pace without her realizing I was. Six fifteen, last mile."

"OUCH! Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"Because you don't want to be there again and in hospital, right." I remind with a grin.

"Ooof."

The Therapy session was... Exhausting.

I'll leave it at that.

"Thanks." I smile at Jemma, who's now marking some of the work I just did.

"It is not a problem. Education is important." She looks up and gives me a smile. A hesitant one... but still.

She was fine with looking at me as though I was a kid becoming a young adult, until she'd seen what I could do.

"Yeah. I basically haven't been to school since sixth grade."

She freezes, and... really? I really need to get everyone on the same page, don't I?

"Isn't that..."

"When I was... Ten. Yeah. I uh... if I hadn't been kidnapped and, had a normal life, I'd be in eleventh grade right now."

"Oh... Skye..."

OOF! What th- when did she move? "... Th--nks--"

She let go of me, and then smiled more genuinely. "So, I know you're covering basics, but have you thought about college?"

... REALLY need to get a move on with the brief-everyone stuff.

So everyone's here, I gave a rundown - of course opened with what amounts to 'some of this some of you know, but I want everyone on the same page'. May cut in at parts, where I started to trip. I'm... Exhausted and seriously need to sleep but I just can't there's a reason I usually go for morning sessions on days that I'm not going to sleep that night.

Horror. Like... Simmons, girl you give awesome hugs and I must already be used to it or something because unlike Coulson trying to give a pat on the back, you're not tripping my touch-aversion like, at all... And Bobbi is in the room at the end, instead of Morse and... damn now I feel bad for talking shit about her with Hunter.

Also, thank you May for telling Coulson already about Amador.

I anticipate our mission after the Gem Thief with trepidation and hope.

Though I did surprise them when I pulled off the face veil. Decided if I was going to use it on-mission, should at least say it's part of how I've been hiding. (I don't tell them I also prank people with it.)

Of the science twins, Fitz was the one more excited to learn I knew the Avengers.

Both are suppressing the 'body horror' feelings, of the eye-cams being not an implant within but full replacement of my eyes forced upon me. Barely counterbalanced, for them, when I said 'And stark replaced those' because it also highlighted- 'didn't want me walking around with a remotely-detonateable bomb in my head'.

what. fun. not.

But at least now I don't have to explain about, missing basically half of my education, not being in the system, my fighting skills at my age, my spy skills, actually just 'my skills' as a whole.

It was the following conversation with Coulson in his office that I found... in part... more difficult.

"You could be an Agent, if you wanted to."

"... Not my speed."

"Are you sure?" He looked earnest. "Even with you studying for your GED, we could get you into a S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. Comms would be easiest, but given how smart you are, even with just a GED I'm sure Agent Weaver at Sci-tech would be interested. And of course, there's Operations." He winced at the end.

I got it. Ops means Fighting and he thinks I've already done too much for my current age. Good point, yes, but I'm not a science nerd, catching up for attending and graduating even if I didn't know what was coming so knew I didn't have the time anyway? Nope. And I do know what is coming.

"I think the Centipede Sponsor is Shield. So no."

Fuck I should have... Why did I...

"What makes you say that?"

I stare. "The Avengers know about Centipede. They've known for a year, now. Barton, Romanov? They've not done nothing. They've tried, all of them, to look into it and yet somehow they've found nothing, even when they absolutely should have. And more than that, they weren't silent, yet there's nothing, absolutely fuck all, in the databases, on Shield channels, about any of it. And Nat's actually even more suspicious of a rogue agent because of that. But, you have a direct line to Fury, which Nat hasn't had for awhile, for obvious reasons." I wave a hand at him, making a point of him being her handler for years. "It's only once you brought it to his notice that it's on Radar now. Imagine. That."

"You think they have a mole, sponsor or not, keeping them unnoticed?"

"Unrecorded, but not unnoticed. And Shield's links to the CIA, NSA, and more... The CIA can't delete Shield data legally or illegally, but Shield, even legally, can do that to CIA systems. My Tide contacts within all of the agencies all say the same, damn, thing." I stare. "Every time I get something logged, within hours it's deleted, at a level that leaves no trace, no access and deletion logs, nothing."

He's tense. I'm totally preventing any serious contention for the thought of 'clairvoyant' being exactly that. But I don't have a double-agent on the team to feed false impressions of, so I can.

Fuck ward.

"Why didn't you say this when you came aboard?"

"I already gave you my reasoning about accusations and right or wrong what making it out would bring."

"Blind side or desperation."

He gets it.

"And, I'm more sure now than I was last week it was a higher-level Shield Agent."

I haven't been idle, when I'm awake, I'm doing something. Even when I only look like I have a nervous tic with my hands. Haptics are fucking. Awesome. So glad Stark convinced me to take 'em.

Coulson tenses, even more.

"I was watching Shield systems as Fury created the files, logged yours. He started with creating and classifying lower level files, by the time he got to creating and classifying files for higher levels, enough time had passed that the first ones were being deleted. He didn't look, assuming the files would be there, why would he double check lower level versions of the files, right?"

"What levels?"

"What levels didn't get deleted? Nine and Ten. Imagine that, ten minutes after those got logged... when the levels seven and eight were being deleted, there was a sudden pause in deletion requests on the system, before the rest of the level eight files were also in the queue to be deleted. And five hours later, they were all being... seemingly... restored."

"... Seemingly."

"I believe it was only realizing it was Fury logging the files and that there were versions marked at Level Nine and Ten they realized they had a big problem, and deleting the files would make it worse. So they restored sanitized versions. You have a mole problem, and whoever it is, can easily delete as high as level eight. And without hacking, that must therefore mean-"

"It's a level eight Agent."

"So no. I won't be going to an Academy. I'm on their radar for sure."

Coulson... sighed in relief? What?

"I haven't submitted your face, the records Fury and I were putting in the system... even your name and, details on your implants. You're being listed as just 'Skye', a hacker for the Rising Tide I'm going to attempt to recruit."

"And they hadn't already linked that with the me they knew of, so I'm safe for now." I acknowledge with a small smile.

Fuck it.

"I stole more than just shield goodies."

"I assumed. I looked at the bio data for the run."

Oh did he... oh.

"I only put it on because Morse was annoying me, and... dammit it's childish, I know, but, if that's my performance with it, then I'm not really indexable am I?"

"I take it then that it doesn't have Extremis."

... He totally got it, nodded and is grinning, this is... he's ... cool. "Not made of Alien Metal either. It's like, if the current is a Mark Five, then what I stole is the prototype mark one or two. Without it I could have matched Morse anyway, but I wouldn't have lead us into trying for a six-minute-mile, more like just seven tops."

"... Next time, aside from the warm-up mile, don't try for faster than a seven-thirty."

I do the math. "... That... doable, and even without it would just be a really good run for me to do once a week. Usually, I'm around seven minute-miles for ten miles, not fifteen."

He's amused. "Just don't crash her into the ground again."

"... No promises."

"... Goodies plural. You told us about the veil. Anything else?"

"Well, lockpicks - that's how I got out of the handcuffs when you picked me up - a prototype of ballistics weave, which is what all my gear is made of now, a battery I put in my laptop and a few other things." I shrug. "I haven't stolen anything alien from shield, so no worrying you on that score."

"Of course. But you stole from Centipede in the past... anything other than the prototype?"

"You mean aside from Money, because sooo many of the people they got were well-paid and making new ballistics weave and into clothes too is not cheap, other than that nothing sticks out."

... fuck it, again.

"Oh, Uh... I am, however, charged with protecting an alien thing."

"What"

"I can't tell you much, but... you met a Lady Sif in New Mexico, right?"

"Why do you ask?" I load a picture and show him on my phone. "... You've met?"

"Apparently I'm the only human who can safely handle the thing they've charged me with keeping out of anyone elses' hands that, in my hands, is just a stick. But it normally makes people... angry... irrationally so."

He's staring.

"I road tripped with an Asgardian for a few months. What even is my life, right?"

I've blue-screened him, haven't I?

"Oh hey, this is me and Steve!" I use to... and yup he's back, smiling.

Because really.

What even is my life?

Chapter Text

So on the Monday, after Mor-Bobbi and I joined May for Tai-Chi, Coulson actually showed that, as Harley said, he'd have made a good school teacher like he was in the Framework.

Weird, kinda. But mostly not. It was nice... Also nice was I noticed he was lacing some extra bits in, that I'm pretty sure aren't typical. Like before we broke for lunch, we did an hour of history and, seriously, I don't think the S.S.R. is even mentioned in the history books yet, there he was, explaining their part in World War II.

Seriously cool.

So, yeah. We actually got into a good pattern for the week. Beyond the three mile run I put in with Mo... Bobbi before Tai-Chi on Monday around the air base, after, another two miles, the following mornings were two on a treadmill, Tai-Chi, a third mile, breakfast after take-off, lessons, lunch, then a few hours just learning whatever Coulson and May gave me - even without the 'becoming an agent' they're giving me the work so I can still be an official part of the team as a 'Cleared' Consultant something or other. Follow up with Fitz or Simmons deciding to teach me Science and Engineering, and, struggling, to work out how to give me the fundamentals since I never even reached high school, well... they ended up just going for practicals at that one. After dinner was then just me-time, and then just, two miles on the treadmill with Bobbi before they go to bed, and I stay up as normal, switching to my own work, on the night shifts where I'm awake, which was Monday and Tuesday nights, slept through Wednesday, and current plan to sleep Saturday night. And, somewhere in there, I had another two therapy sessions, Tuesday and Thursday. Though they were easier. Now Andrew knows I'm on a team, he decided I should go easier now I was over an 'important hump in recovery' or something? I'm not a psychologist, I don't understand but, it feels... I feel lighter now.

Maybe, its because... It felt... domestic. Do I have a h-

I also avoided giving any more shocks to everyone after I got them all on the same page, and felt it would be ridiculous to pile even more on to Coulson... Not that I can even think of what else to pour on, I just... I think it's too dangerous to tell him about Hydra (nevermind how I know). Not yet. And honestly, I don't think I should ever tell about the, whole, comic-derived movie and tv show franchise depicting our lives thing. Not that it's even fully relevant. My different age. Bobbi not Ward. May's totes on my side instead of putting up a brick wall. I'm actually trying to learn the science to eventually understand the science twins. That stuff.

Some things are on track, though. Thursday afternoon, we got rerouted. Dr Hall, Kidnapped. Totally not gonna let him drop into Gravitonium. And I really really need to find Radcliffe at some point and stop him from making Aida, and make sure Hale's either actually loyal Hydra and outed, or convince her to fuck Hydra Off after TheReveal, and all the other setup pieces, so Talbot isn't in a position to become whateverthefuck Harley said he was called in the comics.

All sort of things, having to pretend surprise is difficult when I've got three spies right here. The news, (Harley was watching and listening and was disappointed I didn't do the 'what, invisible, awesome-' line. Guy's been kidnapped Harley, I know what that feels like). It was actually past sunset when we got to the place in Colorado where the guy was taken, so glad it wasn't a night I was due to sleep on. I didn't expect to sense the little device thing from the gravitonium inside of it before we even got there though.

What was surprising - since Harley threw up the relevant clip on the ride back to the Bus - the difference in how things went in the lab after we got back. I listened in to Coulson and May's conversation.

"Either someone's cracked our comm system or Doctor Hall's movement's leaked from inside Shield."

"You really think we have a mole?"

"I think we should go through the communications logs. Rule it Out." I looked over, away from FitzSimmons' work upon his changing the script, "Skye?"

"I can do that." He's... literally... asking me to hack into Shield. Though, this is my area of expertise. "Just get me aimed at the two places he was being moved between and I can start following the threads."

"Good. We'll work the Tractor Tread."

Aand Morse is in with Wards bit, so I tune out, to follow May.

Can't call B.S. on there being no truth serum since they never 'needed' that ploy. Sorry Harley.

With free reign from the start, It was ridiculously easy for me to make out that his mole guess was right. Sure, that was a line in the episode, but I think here he meant it more because, to use a golf term, I'm him tee'ing up for the later Hydra b.s. Though, that it's Doctor Hall himself was a surprise... when I first watched the episode, I mean, though being alone, I didn't need to feign it when I saw the evidence that, in the episode was Fitz finding it, for myself.

Coulson's going to be... annoyed. Well, I got to tell him, but I'd... save it for, after, the invite to Quinn Worldwide's shareholder meeting. Which. I already hacked as I walked from my bunk into the mission room.

Morse, in with modified lines of Wards, yay. "I can't see a way into Quinn's compound. He's got Neodymium laser fencing surrounding the property and a large number of guards. Without a large strike force, which we won't be able to get, or a man on the inside..."

"I see your point." Coulson was looking at the specs for the place. "Plus, this weekend, Quinn Worldwides' got its annual shareholders gathering. If we did get in, we'd risk global outrage."

Cue my entry into the room, though, I think I'm coming in the other door from the episode scn- stop it Skye.

"But if we go in alone..." May inserts, on script.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. can disavow us, claim ignorance." Coulson reads his line... stop it Skye This hearingthedialogue's not helping me separate fact and fiction here dammit.

"Without a man inside, it's impossible, unless you're immune to pulse laser emissions."

"If we had a mon-"

"I have the solution to this problem." I speak up. Fuck off script. And I was louder, so no talking over. Take that.

Coulson looks to me, "We can't operate in Malta. What's the solution?"

"Shield, can't legally operate in Malta, and in case you didn't notice, I'm not Shield."

I look at the group, who are all sorts of wary, but... this me has training, skills, experience. And they know it.

"You're right, without a strike force, you'd need someone on the inside," I speak to Morse, "And if we keep this, in house," I wave at the room, "Shield can disavow if you or Bobbi are caught." I look between Coulson and Morse as I continue, "But they won't need to disavow me, since I'm not even Shield. And It's more than that."

"Wait, what are you saying?"

"I told you, not my first rodeo. I have training and for this, better yet, experience in infiltration. Both after and before I got away from those douchebags" I almost wince, but Coulson does, and I can feel everyone shift uncomfortably at my referring to my history... and I think it's only Coulson who's realizing I'm even talking about being an Intern at Stark Industries for those fuckers. "And before you cite Clearance", I look at Morse who snaps her mouth shut in shock, "I don't think Ian Quinn has clearance." FitzSimmons share a look and... oh they find my point funny, holding in the shakes that, being so close, I can sense without focusing on them. I continue, "And my last point? I have an invite." I hold up my phone, facing them. "I can go in under the point that I'm technically still a card-carrying member of the Rising Tide, and all that."

I can feel the group suddenly loose tension. Ah, they were wondering how I'd get in.

"But its not just that, either. I think I can at least make a contact out of him. Because Doctor Halls kidnapping? You're right, it was a mole." I move and bring up the data, as I explain. I'm... not looking at them as I do and can just feel the shock when I reveal that truth. "There's several possibilities, and I'm sure I can figure out which it is."

"He got himself kidnapped?" Simmons moans.

"Why? Why would he do that?"

I look at Coulson, who's frowning at the screen. "Either he's turned traitor, in which case You and Morse will probably end up with orders to eliminate the threat," FitzSimmons hiss at that. Don't. Don't be cats, you two. "Or he's decided to run his own op."

"What Op?" Morse. "He's a scientist."

I look at her. "Yes, and he was kidnapped with a substance that, apparently, he himself had theorized to exist for years, used by the guy who would have known that." I look at Coulson, who must now be thinking it through. "Easiest way to tell which it is, would be for me to talk to Quinn. And to get him to open up about that, I might have to, ah, throw Shield under the bus a little." I look around, "Figuratively."

May twitched. She totally finds my inadvertent pun funny. Yeppers. She does.

"You'll go in, feed him a line about being caught by Shield..." Coulson slowly speaks out, and pretty much outlines what actually happened in the episode. Sue me, I'll be doing it on purpose rather than because I'm winging it. Though, no proper script for me thanks.

"And bring up that they're pissed at him kidnapping Hall, and lie about me thinking that he wouldn't kidnap a person just to lock him up." I look at the twins as they almost protest, "Mine the world for resources? Sure. Kidnapping's a bit different than say, running safety inspections every nine months instead of six, so he can afford eight instead of six billion in charitable donations."

They're staring at me. "What? What did Akela say... right. Some of the best lies have a kernel of truth at their heart. And who knows, if in conversation I realize that it is an Op, rather than Hall just straight up being traitor... because I don't even consider that he'd just randomly kidnap Dr Hall because Dr Hall randomly decided to send him the deets on that movement order... I might even be able to make Quinn a contact." ... "What why are you looking at me like that."

Welp, so far the second-hardest part was getting Morse to be less Morse-like and closer to Bobbi-like so I could be comfortable asking her for help choosing an outfit. (I like the dress she chose.) But the hardest, was the face veil. Not my use of it. Choosing a face.

I have like, thirty faces stored on it - only a handful of Shield agents, and since we're trying to not implicate Shield in illegal actions if this goes the way I want it to go, they're on the nope list. Half of the rest also went on the Nope list because, and I quote Bobbi here, "too slutty", "like a whore", "too plain", "we want him to think you're smart not stupid", "This is a shareholders meeting not a high school drama club" And other such variations like God Bobbi.

Way less difficult, though, was convincing them to let me wear smaller body armor from my collection. I have some that wouldn't look amiss with the dress Bobbi picked out.

If gun-play still happened, I'll only have to dodge shots to my head, neck, shoulder, arms, legs or feet. Not that I wouldn't dodge all shots... but still.

I didn't tell them that I did some research into the shareholders before hand.

Honestly, I was mainly making small talk waiting for the 'canon' line he used before his speech, because... okay a little bit of the script was helpful.

"How's she doing?" I could hear Coulson, on comms.

I laugh and interject at one point in a conversation, correcting someone who low-balled profits for another of the shareholders...

"Oh, she's good"

Ah, familiar face, confronting...

"OH, Apologies for his manners, he knows very little English."

I nod, and... suddenly glad for some language skills that tv-me didn't have, as I speak in rough Arabic, "Forgiven, if he forgives my little Arabic."

I push back the memories of learning in the basement. Helped, by man and his assistant's smiling at me. And the shocked sounds from the team.

"Jacqueline Rippon." I hold out a hand in greeting, which is accepted. "Big Fan, Mr Zaghlul" I add, ad-libbing the line, "Love the Arabian Blade, so sci-fi." And so glad I'm using a face that makes me look early twenties. "I hear you have a project just started in Mannheim Germany?"

"Yes," And then I'm lost, getting only three of five words, but I understand the gist, as he explains some things. Small talk, trailing off when he realized I was missing words, I think? "And, you? Miss Rippon? I'm not quite sure what services Rippon Limited provide?" Oh, switch to English. Okay, thank you.

And... Wow okay one of my aliases is known here. "Oh, I'm into computer security." I see Quinn with a group, he's just made a joke, but spotted me and ... heard me? "Mostly we provide vulnerability assessment, The Firewall is where I usually live." I look around with a grin. "Not normally invited to these parties."

"Indeed not. Usually you're contracted for that vulnerability assessment too." Quinn inserts. Role Reversal.

"Actually, you'll be surprised." I share, leaning in to both with a conspiratorial look and grin. "All for training purposes, of course... or we'd like to contract for future work and it's a demonstration." I roll my eyes. "It helps to have it as a legal basis for developing and using our skills."

"Really?" Quinn's lips are twitching. He knows I'm the tide hacker - that was the alias I plugged in for the invite.

I see Mr Zaghlul move off after a word from his assistant. He's looking at someone, so I'm guessing he's got the rounds to do, just like Quinn had.

So, to him, I continue. "Indeed. It can keep certain shadowing people off our backs if they think we, as individuals, are just innocent little white-collar workers." His lips twitch, and I know he knows what I mean. "Meanwhile, they don't realize just how large an organization like the Rising Tide actually is."

"Indeed."

"I understand you have a speech to get to? Maybe after, we could talk?" I wrinkle my nose. "Obviously I had motives for the invite."

"... Of course."

I continue to mingle after that, sharing small talk and wondering how long before my 'cue' to disappear into the mansion.

No reason I can't give them access whilst having that talk.

"That was amazing." Fitz speaks.

"Fitz-"

"Jacqueline Rippon is an alias you've used before?" Oh, May. It's one I made because of the show. Though I'm not telling about Sinara Smith, or that I used her name a few times as an Alias. That'll... get weird.

I speak low, making sure no one hears, as I respond, "One of several of my cover IDs for Rising Tide support activities. Best lies have truth inside. I don't just live off of stolen money. Legit company, even. Aside from the fake ID part. Most of it goes to the tide members in dire straights though." That's my way of saying 'don't obstruct'.

"When you get back, we'll talk about you not telling us your linguistic skills" Coulson interjects.

"Sorry. Forgot."

It was long winded, but mentally I translated Quinn's words on meeting back up with me to 'Sorry about that. Speech ran longer than I thought it would.'

He led me into an office, and I heard - glad that I made sure the compact would work without having to pull it open like seriously Fitz? - over the comms that they had access. Thankfully, I'd also told him to use some scripts I prepped beforehand so it, shouldn't, be detected if he goes slow.

"So what was so important that you had to gate-crash a shareholder meeting? I don't think you're soliciting work."

I twitched my lips a little, and nodded at his understanding. Also, not taking comms off - I'm running it from my implant anyway so technically, can't, and glad then that it was part of the plan to, "I've got many interests. Shield being one." Quinn stiffened, and I sip my drink, cool, as if I'm not bothered. "A few weeks back, I was looking into something else, got on their radar on purpose because I realized it was one of the few times they should be brought in." I wrinkle my nose again and add, lower in volume, "You might have heard about a place that exploded in L.A. two weeks ago, and a scientist got saved by the hooded hero." He nodded slow. "Mining the world for resources is all well and good in my book, Can't have technology without that, you know. But Human Experimentation is like... so wrong."

He nods. Thankfully, he sees my point and maybe where I'm going with it. "They caught you?"

"I let them." All true. "But strange thing, for all my thoughts on you, good and bad," I roll my eyes to make it clear I understand 'living in the gray', "Never thought you'd jump straight up to kidnapping. Seems really damn fishy, actually, And since they can't come here themselves, Offered to be the point man on investigating, first, did you, and if yes, second, why."

"That's awfully forward."

I shrug. I don't want him to be anywhere near pissed off at me. No two to the stomach for this Skye.

"Besides, whoever did do it had help from inside. Which is where it gets... tricky."

He's frowning.

"Did Dr Hall tell you he's the one who leaked the movement order?"

Ah. No. No he didn't is what's on his face.

"Well. He's not a traitor then." I sigh. "... Why would he want to be, here?"

"Skye, we've got entry." Fitz.

Quinn gets up and paces... Not good. "You... You've got more gravitonium than what you used to take him... I'm guessing?"

"Yes."

"... How much more?"

He looks, and gulps. He realizes the problem.

"Coulson, rebooting the fencing in twenty seconds, be ready." May. C'mon. The reboot will definitely trip things.

"Take me to him. Now." Quinn hesitates, And just in time with my words, the whole place shakes for a moment... damn I can sense the Gravitonium now. "Or, let me go to him and have everyone evacuate the place."

He looks up. "What about Shield?"

His bodyguard comes in at that, "Sir, there's been a breach in the system. Two Hostiles just entered the perimeter"

"... They'll get me out of here." I tell him pointedly. "Get everyone to safety, Ian. Before Hall floats it into orbit or sinks the place into the ocean or whatever scifi bullshit he's trying to do."

There.

I find him, before Coulson even.

I look over, as he does at my entry. "Dr Hall, I'm Jacqueline Rippon, I work with FitzSimmons. We need to go, now."

"I'm sorry, Agent Rippon. I'm right where I'm supposed to be."

I can hear what the others are feeling from their noises. May's almost growling - it's low, but my senses pick it up just below the point for normal human hearing. Simmons is practically keening.

I look at the device he's activated. "If you're trying to bury Quinn, he's already gone." I look back. "Just shut it off and we can go."

"We can't let anyone have this, it's too dangerous. That's why I'm here, Agent Rippon." He glares, getting that I'm why Quinn's left already. "I'd have liked to bury him with it."

For god sake. "Yes, and trying to destroy it by using it like this will probably kill you in the process. And destroy a good chunk of Malta too. Last I checked, the Good kind of Shield Agents aren't about either of those. Like Fitz, like Simmons. We can destroy it without destroying innocent lives, or ourselves."

He looks, and huffs. "You're an Agent, Shield, Quinn, they're all the same."

"I'm not an agent. Rising Tide, freedom of information that doesn't get people abused, tortured or killed. Protecting people. That's me. And I know how to destroy that thing." I wave a hand at the window. "But I can't if its switched on. And I don't know much science but FitzSimmons already told me there's a point of no return on you turning it off." Thank. God. They had, in my comms, because they'd wonder otherwise. They're going, nuts and damn. I set it to mute, though they'll still hear.

"Doctor Hall." Coulson dammit I almost had him, I could see it the way he was looking. "Agent Coulson."

Fuck.

And now gravity shifts on us.

Owie. Ceiling is Floor. Ceiling should be Ceiling.

"Dammit Frank I was joking about floating to Orbit!" I was making a damn Age of Ultron reference you nut-job!

I tune the guys out, and feel for my implant that they didn't realize was the real reason for my armor - it hid the fact I had it on.

Gravity keeps shifting, and then I see Morse swearing at the door that's now stuck closed, and the window on the wall is now the floor.

Coulsons got gun in hand.

"I'm doing the right thing. I know that history never celebrates what didn't happen-"

For. No. NOT THAT SCRIPT.

I step up to Hall, but he can see I'm not going to knock him out... Just...

"-You made a hard call."

"Yes."

"Now I make mine."

He shoots. I drop the item, grab Doctor Hall and... FUCK HES HEAVY WHAT THE HELL

pleasework

pleasepleaseOW

FUCK the floor's solid.

... the floor.

"Did... Did that work?" I ask as I stare up at the ceiling that is now gravitationally 'up' as it should be.

"What was that?" Coulson asks, looking at me, Doctor Hall, and the smashed window.

"... The centipede device."

I turn on comms and... Ouch. Bad call. I turn it back off.

I look at Doctor Hall, who's to his feet first and looking at the device in...

I look, and grin.

"That doesn't look like an amorphous blob defying gravity. Does it, Doctor Hall?"

"No, it doesn't." He looks at me. "What did you do?"

I look at it, then back, "Good thing I asked the twins what substances could, uh, might, irreversibly bond with it causing it to not be gravitonium any more. A neutralizing agent, if you will." I look to Coulson, who's staring from his own place, realizing what happened. "Because I absolutely agreed with Doctor Hall here, some things are too dangerous for us, at our level of development, socially, technologically, and all that." I look at the doc, and add, wrinkling my nose again, "I just didn't want my friends to lose one of their favorite professors in the process."

Coulson turns to us, and... "Well..."

I smile. "Hey so this is a win, right? Doctor Hall technically succeeded. We've got him back, and Quinn doesn't have any gravitonium. Win-win-win in my book."

"... Skye."

"I must thank you, Miss Rippon." So glad he found my card in his pocket. Reverse pick-pocketing for the win. "If you were really Shield, I highly doubt you'd have made that effort, or been so open."

"Yeah. You... do understand why he felt the way he did, right? I heard you two had been friends before you went into business... but, well, something about exploitation without thought of the consequences?"

"It's not an opinion I'd not heard before." He settled on after a pause. "Now I know how dangerous Gravitonium can be, and, and even Doctor Hall couldn't..."

I grin to myself. Lie in a truth in a lie that had a truth. "If you want to know the materials used to completely neutralize it..."

"That, would be nice."

Success.

Maybe.

Coulson is staring throughout this. I thought I was going to wait two weeks to give him another shock? Didn't even reach the end of the first weekend, damn.

I finish the phone call, and then look up at, well, everyone.

"You were serious about making him a contact?"

"I'd like that to not make it to record, if you don't mind." I simply answer. I don't point out it makes him less likely to actually shoot me.

I look at Doctor Hall a moment, who is in cuffs. "So what's going to happen now?"

I listen with an urge to smile because...

BIG. CHANGE.

Talbot can't absorb which no longer exists. Hows that for saving the world.

Chapter Text

This is it. The Eye-Spy Gem Heist. Monday, 30th September, 2013.

I...

I saw the reports. Not just the one on the train, but why Coulson, in both real and fiction, asked those questions.

It was chaos.

I knew it was kind of cheating to be already looking at Stockholm for heists. But I wasn't looking just there, and I hadn't been looking only after Malta, I've been keeping an eye out - pardon the pun - since even before getting on the bus.

When I was in that dark place, I had, nothing.

When I got out. I had, nothing, and could barely do anything. I lived on the street.

Even when I was super careful about making it seem like I was sleeping every night but actually only one of three nights, two of three awake doing things, I was still, just...

Those martial arts classes weren't really doing anything for me. I was still just a, a four and a half-foot tall kid and no amount of pumping iron in The Basement and practicing judo throws in a dojo stopped... Until Akela.

She was the only kindness I ever got out of there. And not just because she knew about my trick and didn't tell on me. She had told me hers wouldn't work for that.

That they could turn off the camera showing her what she was seeing but never deactivated fully, always broadcasting what it saw to them, and that when her eyes are closed, it's turned to backscatter, so they'd know, from her eye not being on backscatter during her sleep...

And it was those reports that I was reading when having 'me time' in the SUV - because seriously, just sat in it in the cargo hold is serious comfortable solitude - when he came over, knocked on the window and asked...

"You ever rob a bank?" ... oddly this me could totally answer differently.

"Actually, yeah. Small one, but yes." He startled at that. "Who'd suspect a twelve year old." That's a hint, and he sees it.

"Okay. An armored car?"

I shrug, "An assist on one..." I look at him, frowning. "I know I told you the relevant data points but this still feels kinda insulting that you're asking."

He chuckled, a dark look on his face. "I'll assume that they made you do those things and that you didn't repeat them once free."

I grin. "And chock a win for A.C."

"... A Casino?" He asked, lips twitching.

"Only if you consider being really good at counting cards and observant of the slots' patterns to know how to snipe the win." That totally paid for a stay in Vegas. After I was free. I put my laptop on the seat. "Someone's stealing stuff. You want to see if I could check the exploit?"

He grins. No surprise on his face. Cool. "If you could. They're stealing diamonds, thirty millions worth."

I sit up. "... The Heist in Stockholm part of that?" I quickly throw up the news report, seeing in peripheral that he's now surprised. I'm keeping out an eye for Akela, of course I'm going to be looking into some of the things they'd make her do. Don't make me say it, Coulson.

This is... I'm... Excited. Tomorrow... Tomorrow is Akela's last day as a puppet. I can feel it.

One slight change. I already checked 'socials' before we left the bus.

Briefing the team, because I called it an hour before touch down in Sweden, I waited for them all to trundle in before throwing the details on the screen.

"Skye?" Coulson asked, seeing and hope on his face.

Okay, I may be seventeen (probably? Maybe?) therefore the youngest but... Team Captain Skye is in the room. (... god I wish I'd had the opportunity to say that line way back before the Peruvians tried to hijack the plane.)

"Yesterday, Fifty-five men, all military," I begin, totally stealing the lines. Thank you Harley for copy-pasta'ing them into my vision for this injoke. "Were hired by one of the largest gem brokers in the world." I brought up the insta' pics people posted of them. "They were dressed in identical outfits, given a randomly assigned briefcase, and sent along twenty-five different routes in Stockholm. No one knew which briefcase contained the diamonds, but they were still stolen."

I bring up the police photos' of the crime scene.

"Why the Kabuki Theater?" May asks... me... so cool. Terrible circumstances, but still.

"Well, it seems someone's been targeting diamonds." At this, I bring up that intel, and see the mild surprise on Coulsons face, "An armored car three weeks ago in Milan. The two guards in the front were gassed, and but the four in the back all taken down with disabling hits. Footage from an off-grid CCTV camera a few hundred yards down the road only captured part of it, but was enough to determine it was performed by one person."

I bring up the next, and continue before Coulson can insert, "Last week a safe in Monte Carlo. During bank rush hour, and no one saw a thing, and whilst the Bank's security camera's didn't catch a face, or much of anything, what was notable was that it was only the one deposit box that got raided."

"And now, this?" May asked, knowing I had more from the look on my face. "One person?"

I nod, then look at Coulson. "Current theory out there was that they were inside jobs, hence," I look at May, "The Kabuki Theater." I roll my eyes at her rolling her eyes at me. "But I, and Coulson I think, have a different theory." I continue, bringing up the socials again. "Eyewitnesses gave a basic description, and they all said the same thing. She did it with her eyes closed."

I got the system to start scanning with facial recognition, tagging and marking off each post... And it halted on the one.

"Akela."

... "Jinx." I say as soon as it registers that Coulson said her name too. He gives me a sigh and smile...

Fitz coughed, and we look at him. "Isn't she the, the one you said gave, um, trained you in..."

Morse looks at me considering. "You want to get her out."

I look back at her. "You don't?"

"I... I didn't say that." Backpedal and reword it Morse. Be Bobbi. Be. Bobbi. "I just mean, you think she's still under their control."

"To use a hollywood-spy phrase, She hasn't come in from the cold. I know she is."

"We'll find her, isolate the signal for her eyes, and get her out from their control." Coulson speaks up, determined. At that, he takes charge of the meeting, asking FitzSimmons questions and starts giving orders.

"I'll let HQ know-" May started, but I interrupt.

"Please don't."

Coulson looks at me, and I realize I was... I'm almost panicking, and takes point, I can see he agrees with me anyway.

"I'd like to hold off on that." He glances at me, and I can see it, my accusation is still fresh in his mind. "HQ know we're on the case, but not that we already have a suspect." May looks at me, then back at Coulson and I can see instead of shock, like the episode, there's gears-a-turning. "I'd like to try to get to her, first."

"You think HQ would just issue a kill order."

"I think, that maybe she'd like to get some sleep without having to ask." I almost whisper.

Coulson winces, but nods, and...

It's... We'll get her. Today.

It's been years and finally... finally I can get her out.

"It's been a while, hasn't it." May asks softly, but with a slight touch of the elbow and suddenly I realize that it's just us two in the mission room.

"Only light in the darkness, May." I whisper. "She understood what it was like. And I got out but she didn't."

"I know." Sympathy... and a hug, even a one arm from the side counts. Thanks May. "We land in thirty. Lock everything down." May speaks louder at the end, and leaves me to gather myself.

It's almost time.

We still went to the train station, to see if any evidence was left behind, but... nothing.

It was only ten minutes after returning to the bus that Swedish authorities confirmed the information that let us track her to Zloda.

May wasn't arguing with Coulson. She understood. She knew first, after all.

On the flight over to Belarus... Not a long flight, but...

"How do you think this will go, Skye?"

Huh? I look over, and she's, not doing her normal 'I'm pretending to ignore you' deal. She's staring, almost, and...

I think. I... how to couch this without seeming like I know too much, just, thinking, trying to anticipate, about it normally, "She'll either be told directly, or if not, at least figure out she's been followed. Once she is, she'll get new orders. Probably to 'deal with the threat'."

"Skye?"

Oh. She's not asking sequence of events.

"She probably doesn't know I'm free, but... but regardless of if she, recognizes me... they might, and if they do..."

I'm scared. Excited to get Akela, but scared. "Do you want to stay on the Bus?"

I shake my head. "I need to do this. Not, not in person, but not from the bus either." And to protect if the hit-the-van comes up.

God I hope it doesn't.

With Morse driving, Coulson shotgun, and FitzSimmons and I in the back, it was... boring on the way. I keep having these moments - knowing I'm 'between the scenes'. Sometimes it hits me like a tonne of bricks.

"How exciting. I've dreamed of visiting Zloda since I was a schoolgirl."

And sometimes it's just a slap in the face when it ends. Really, Simmons?

"Zloda, Belarus? A dream come true? Really?" ... yes. I agree, Fitz.

"It's the birthplace of Nobel physicist Zhores Alferov! I mean, technically, he's from Vitebsk, but that's less than an hour from here, and I'm a bit disappointed that you didn't know that."

I share a look with Morse in the rear view mirror that this van has right having. She clearly thinks the same as me and Fitz. No. Bobbi... I can see we're in agreement here. Simmons in fangirl mode is weird.

"Well, no, of course I know who that is, father of heterostructure transistors, thank you very much. We're all well aware of that." Wait wait no we're not even the one who should have remembered this bit before you said it wasn't "I'm just a little bit preoccupied. Our first and only other time in the field wasn't exactly a picnic, was it?"

I sigh, from between/behind the twins, and Coulson ever heard or figured I was feeling awkward, because he turned to us - glancing at me first - and shook his head. "You guys are only here to search for Amador electronically. You won't even need to leave the van."

"Bus to Taxi" May asked, over the radio from the Bus.

"Go for Taxi." Morse spoke.

"Next time, I'll decide what we call ourselves, okay?" Coulson almost whined.

At least we're not the short bus, A.C.

"H.Q. has requested a status update."

"What'd you tell them?"

"That we're tracking a potential suspect — nothing more."

"I owe you one."

"More like three."

I frown, and ask, "Are they aware of our location?"

"... they are." May sounds curious, and I share a pointed look with Coulson.

Fuck it. Directly to Coulson, "Right, forgot to go over the smattering of languages I'm passable. Russians' included." I look at Morse, then back, "I'd like to go." I tap on the veil they keep forgetting that I wear, like, all the time, just-in-case, and I hear the slight sizzle as it shifts. "Morse can stay to protect these two. Most of my programs are already running to sniff out her signal."

He's considering.

"Sir, no." Morse speaks up with a frown, looking between us. "If you run into Amador out there-"

"You and Skye can go." Coulson decides.

He's... that's not... what?

"You're wearing a random face, that wont trigger facial recognition. Even Morse isn't known to Amador herself." He looks between us, almost smiling.

Morse. Is. Pissed.

"She matters to you this much?"

We're walking into the small town from the outskirts. Gives us both time for this talk, and my implant, phone, and more, to work their electronic magic. The systems in the 'short bus', or 'taxi' as Morse named it, may be more powerful, but they're also like a running lighthouse in the middle of the night.

The eye cams, their whole, setup, I know they've got an Electronic Warfare element to them. There's a reason the interception of the transmission stopped working, and that's actually only got little to do with Centipede's connection to Shield.

I have professional, as well as personal, reasons for this.

I'm not just trying to find Akela. I'm trying to find her handler.

... If it had been like with me - someone not at all local, more like in another country, then I'd have been able to detect it already, even if not trace and decrypt until I was closer.

Her handler? He, or She, (or they? Gender and non-binary stuff is still like, a no show here) isn't just in-country, they might be in the town. And on top of that, if they're eye-cammed, they're not being actively watched right now by anyone distant.

And I've got competing signals now, as we got about four blocks into town.

"Picking up signal." I answer Morse, who's annoyed I didn't answer her. "... Three? Competing... slight shifts..." I groan. "Passing to 'Taxi', Fitz you getting this?"

"Just a mo... yep. Got it."

"There's barely electricity in this town. Can't be too hard to find our mystery woman now." Simmons says. Really?...

"Unless she already knows we're here." I speak levelly, and Morse now stares for a second. She... she must be thinking of what I said before getting Coulson to agree to me going with her...

"No, you're not suggesting some sort of precognition or telepathy because-"

Oh, right. I've tried to be a bit childish about powers so far. In the 'not in the show' scenes too, because I've avoided that for the... Hm. "I know, it doesn't exist. And not long ago, I would have dumped ESP in the 'aliens and portals are for crazy people' pile. But that's also not what I'm saying." I sigh, and spot one of our potential destinations. I nod to Morse, who steps up.

Whilst she speaks to the locals, doing what Coulson did I guess, I'm helping Fitz - linking my phone to their system, even with a Skye-trademarked encryption that Stark couldn't break was a nice idea they recently dumped in the avengers chat - whilst keeping an eye out, putting on a happy smile.

Less fake because right now, Simmons is asking Coulson about peeing and... seriously you're still on comms?

"You know we can hear you, right?" I mutter, eyeing a small group of people passing me close... closer... and they're continuing on.

Paranoid. I'm being Paranoid.

So what if three of them were staring? They're boys, barely fifteen I think of course they'll stare at a hot chick

"I've got a lead." Morse interrupts my inner panic at being stared at by unknowns.

"Bar, Cafe or Hotel?"

Twitched. She. Twitched. "Hotel." And she turns and walks away.

... Annoyed with me, got it. "Copy that."

I frown on approach. "One of the signals is weakening. Amador or her Handler is on the move."

"Copy."

"Fitz, you got triangulization set yet?"

"Almost there... Got it. Okay, now to narrow in..." I tune him out, particular as he corrects the word I was trying for, as we get to the hotel, and instead of 'agents', Morse instead poses as someone from Vitebsk.

"Okay, I think I got two locations, one's in Zloda itself and is the strongest signal, one's on the outskirts. The third is moving... huh... they're about a third of a mile off."

Coulson...

"She's coming to us."

... "Don't let her see you, Coulson." I quickly say.

He doesn't answer.

"Coulson?"

I look at Morse, who's now concerned too.

"Morse, Skye, return to the Taxi." May came in. "I can't contact Coulson."

Fuck. I note my connection to the taxi computers are still active, and try to directly connect to one of the webcams from my phone. "Fuck."

"Skye?"

I turn to Morse, show her quick - the van's a mess, and probably on its side from the greenery at one side of the front windscreen visible, with Coulson laid on that side'. I can't see FitzSimmons.

We turn and run.

That... I didn't think that would still happen.

My heart is pounding, all the way to the van. I'm fast when I need to be, but I... I should have been faster. Morse almost out pacing me, even, and as a normie, instead of enhanced, she's even got less of a sweat than I do this time.

...

I should have found something else to neutralize the damn gravitonium.

Coulson and FitzSimmons are unconscious. Coulson's fine, but Fitz is bleeding from a cut to his cheek, and Simmons...

I shouldn't have switched.

May and Coulson are on eye-cam watching duty. Fitz And Simmons are in their bunks, both recovering and reading everything they can on, well, everything they need to prepare for the maybe-upcoming ocular operation.

And I'm hitting the bag. Morse is bracing it.

Thud. Thud. Left, Left, Right, Left, Right, Right.

Thud. Morse barely moving from my hits. I'm not trying to put a hole, just work off energy.

"It's not your fault."

BANG.

I stop, fist resting on the bag, staring at Morse who got punted back a few feet.

Did I...?

"Skye. It's Not. Your. Fault."

"I knew. I knew she was there, Bobbi." Dammit I don't cry why am I crying "I knew they'd be keeping tabs on Shield somehow, that she'd... she'd be given orders." I look at the bag, and hit it once, barely any energy. I'm done.

"It's. Not. Your. Fault." Morse speaks, moving forward and around the bag, and even with my flinch, still puts hands on my shoulders. "Look at me."

I look up, and up, and dammit Morse why are you so dang tall. "I should have had us lie in wait."

"Can you see the future? Can you predict what will happen? No, Skye, you can't, no one can." I... Its not prediction Itsatvshow we're in a tv show "We can only take guesses, sometimes educated ones but they're still a guess at what might, and sometimes we have more than one, and can only act on one."

I look down. I can't...

"They got hurt."

"I know."

OOF

Wha

BobbiHug

BobbihugloveBobbihugs

"But Skye, it could have been worse, but it wasn't."

"They got hurt."

Bobbi pulls back a little, and looks at him, in the eyes from - ow my neck but...

"And she could have killed them. If she wanted them dead, or, rather... had the orders to make them dead..."

They'd be dead.

She doesn't say it.

Because she knows she doesn't need to.

"... they've made us kill before." I whisper.

"... I figured." I look at her, and she adds, "You only said that you were eleven, the first time. Figured it wasn't just the one time before Peru."

And now she's hugging me. Again.

BobbihugloveBobbihugs

"It was the last day we saw each other."

Oh. I didn't think BobbiHugs could be better and already...

"Skye?"

"It... we'd been sent on three missions together. Training, they said. On Two, we... but they were bad. I could tell." I look up a little, trying for eye contact but hold tight, "She had x-ray vision in her eye camera bomb thing, so she couldn't trick them, uh, but mine didn't, so I only pretended a twenty-four-hour body clock."

Her eyebrows went up. My body clock, and insistence on not returning to a normal one, had been a sticking point at times. I think it was only partly Shield Paranoia about A Threat that I represented.

"Eye patch so they'd think I was sleeping two out of three nights, once she had permission to sleep. I'd spend the night hacking, or... learning more on how to hack, without them knowing." I shrug. "The eye's transmission had weird funky rotating frequency stuff I didn't understand then, so I couldn't jam them. Kinda tried, once. Didn't work, like, at all. And I couldn't trust they hadn't also lojacked me GPS-wise, so couldn't even leave my bed for the most part." I sigh, and she squeezes again... and I can feel her trembling - in sympathy, for me, and rage, at what they were doing to me back then. "I checked after both mission, if the people we'd..." I look away, closing my eyes. "Some of them. Just. Only, some."

"Skye." She whispers, pain and squeezing me more.

"Last mission though. There were two witnesses. Twins." I look away, shifting intently so I could look into the lab. And be glad that FitzSimmons weren't here.

Coulson's watching us from the doors. Probably heard every word so far. He'd been paying more attention to me hitting the bag than the screen anyway, and.-

"They were seven."

...

Coulson walks over, and I can see behind him even May is pale. Sound travels too well here. Dammit. Then I can't see her as Coulson adds to the hug.

Dammit. Before the bus I hardly ever cried in front of people. Now I'm...

"How... how did you handle that?"

"I didn't."

I can see them, wondering what that meant.

"Last I saw her... was when she had me admitted under the cover story of a... kidnapping attempt where I got hurt."

I can, feel, them freeze at that.

"They... they said if I tried that again... they'd blow up the orphanage."

I'm practically benching myself out of the rest of the mission, just observing, when May left without telling anyone, when FitzSimmons came up with a set of glasses to mimic the signal, Coulson and Morse left with them and Fitz hijacked the signal with my own equipment...

The overnight time, Even with Amador in the cage...

I just... couldn't.

I couldn't see her.

All this... damn time trying to get to her and free her and I'm...

THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT

And I can't. Stop. Crying.

I can't stop seeing, the faces. All of them.

And Akela's face when she tried to stop me... when I tried to...

Coulson's face when I saw he knew what I was... implying I had tried.

The look on... Bobbi's face.

HA. She's not being Morse now. But... at what cost?

"Skye?"

I look up from the bed. I'm exhausted, it's been... a long ... fuck when did I last sleep? Half-hour power naps don't count... fuck, it was Saturday night i think?... napped on... Monday night after getting the reports of the theft. Fuck on my normal schedule, I'd have slept when we had Akela in the cage but... but I couldn't.

Hell, I think, not accounting for the two naps, I've been up eighty hours.

I probably look it, too.

"Skye, you with me?"

Oh, right. "... Coulson?"

"Just thought you'd like to know." He paused, then nodded with a tilt to the left. "FitzSimmons just finished the operation."

I nod, shakily, but... it's... nice she's free.

"You want to see her?"

"... Bobbi?"

"We ended the transmission as soon as they cut the wire. Bobbi's fine, she's on her way back. Didn't even break cover. Whatever Centipede were after in the Todorov Building..."

"Do we know?"

"What they wanted? No. We've got suspicions, but even if it's the right one, we're not even sure what it was." He's looking over... "You should get some rest."

"cantsleep"

"That's alright. Want me to send Bobbi up when she gets back?"

... I nod, and he leaves, with a long look that I just...

He doesn't understand. Well, some of it he does, but...

They weren't supposed to be hurt. Only shook up, but...

Fitz was wobbly but insistent on walking himself... but Bobbi and I had to carry Simmons back onboard, and Coulson...

I got a win with the 0-8-4 episode differently from the episode. Two with The Asset, or three - yeah, three. But this...

I should have just stuck to the script.

And now I kept out of it, only the difference of Bobbi instead of Ward...

I can't help the single, pained, laugh that Bobbi was probably successful where Ward failed because she could do the seduce thing and that's why she didn't have a problem getting in and out.

It was ten minutes later I realized that Coulson wasn't hunting for Amador's handler... but I didn't care. Not right now.

"Last chance." Bobbi holds out a hand. I see behind her, May also looking. Insistent

I nod... and grab hold of the hand.

I once told Harley that I'd probably have a panic attack... but I was wrong. I had a damn breakdown, and instead of because of the fear of being caught, for entirely different reasons and...

Now? Now I...

Oh yeah. Time to put my Big Girl Panties on and face the music.

I follow the two agents down, to where Amador is, and hear Coulson at the end of his 'before Akela leaves' bit.

He spots us, as he finishes, "We'll figure it out."

Akela spots the guards waiting for her, but it's Coulson, glancing at us, that brings the change in script.

"One last thing. The reason we were prepared so well." He points in our direction with a mere head nod, and Akela turns, as I take the last step.

"I don't..." She doesn't see me, behind Morse and May... who part... "Mary..."

I wince. "Skye, now." But then... well. It broke through. And I guess, from what Coulson was saying, he hadn't told the woman who is shocked at my presence that I was here. "We're both free, Am... Akela."

She's staring, and I can see her... cataloging my scars. And that I look a mess. "You look, exhausted."

"Worried about you." I shrug. "Been looking for you, to free you for-"oof

"...Hey." She whispers into the hug. I hear, I feel, the tears she's... "We're free, now. We're free. We can sleep." ... AkelaHugsAreAwesome

Chapter Text

Lydon is an Asshole, I mean seriously who just takes the word of some Girl in a Flower Dress?.

I'm getting ahead of myself.

The first few days after rescuing Akela were... quiet. After Akela left the bus under guard, I was just so... as Harley put it, 'done in'. I could tell the team were worried about me, but also I was just, so, exhausted. I didn't have nightmares, I didn't even dream those few nights, and yes, I slept every night. I also didn't talk with anyone off the bus. Well, nearly. I at least left Harl and the Avengers a short message, 'I got her out. tired. talk later'; and a 'going dark for a few days, tough mission' to the Tide.

Good thing, because I slept longer than I usually do. Right through the three-am wake-up time I usually have, missed the five-am Tai Chi with May and Bobbi. Even the morning 'lesson time' with Coulson that he had admitted to liking. It was, basically, just after noon when I woke and spent all of those days practically a zombie, half-asleep. Trying to maintain a three-day long body clock and not even getting extra hours on that had a long term effect, whodathunk, and now I've been hit over the head with the reason why I even had that no longer applying... yeah.

Thank god for Bobbi and Jemma, though. They both stuck by me all day, making sure I at least ate and it was awesome getting to see her as Bobbi now, but... damn. And Jemma... no more 'Simmons' except when saying Fitz-Simmons.

Bobbi's the one who even figured it out, that it was like I had a lot of pent up exhaustion to work through. And not just without the reason why I had developed that body clock length, but the mission I'd self-assigned years ago finally coming to fruition and completion... Coulson and May understood. Or at least, Bobbi said they did. May hasn't said anything about the three days of missed Tai-Chi, though Bobbi said it felt weird without me there, and her morning runs aren't nearly as fun.

I think she was trying to get me to be more myself with that one, but... that was on the Thursday with a huge backlog of exhaustion to catch up on.

The weekend, Saturday was a blur - I was a zombie then - but Sunday was clearer a bit. Turns out there was a mission not featured in the show - figures I'd miss something from the haze - and aside from getting to meet Agent Davis; the guy who I only remember being in season four, five and six as Pipers partner and one of the few who went into space for the FitzHunt...

Harley had a fangirling meltdown over that. Not as much as other times, but apparently one of their favorite 'Background Characters', so...

Monday, after a thankfully-normal sleep on the Sunday, and we were going to be headed back to America. We were landed in Germany, so Monday morning when I woke at three, local, I got my run in. Bobbi made sure I didn't try to do more than five miles though, as I hadn't done any running since we got Akela. Tai-Chi, then the rest of the schedule I'd had before.

Coulson was smiling more in his 'teacher-mode' than before. All of the team, were, actually. I think 'rescuing a Shield agent from a form of long-term captivity' plus 'rescued a friend of Skye's from a form of long-term captivity' had them in a cheerful mood once it was clear I was processing properly now.

Tuesday, we switched things up in my lessons - May started to teach me Mandarin, and Bobbi decided I needed to work on my Russian. After, well, after they finally ran through the list of languages I 'know', air-quotes because, just like Coulson says that the Spanish he knows is 'Vacation Spanish', I'd say mine's same.

Andrew had to call off that week's sessions, but had given his ex a list of things they could help me with in the meantime. Should have figured they'd gotten back in touch. (... as Harley put it, is the MayGarner ship getting refurbished? Dammit Harl.)

Thursday was... busy with catching up or otherwise dealing with the many, many, many things I had on my plate. Turned out that my appearance as Jacqueline Rippon in Malta had turned a few heads and now I had honest to god work to do as the CEO-on-paper.

Bobbi laughed at me, then told me that maybe for my college work - because no way in hell is she or Coulson going let me stop my education at a G.E.D.- I should take courses relevant to running a business, as well as a minor in corporate law so I'd know just how many laws I'd be breaking and in what ways.

I think that was the first laughter I'd made since Akela. She'd certainly smiled and hugged me with a 'welcome back' at that. So I called her Morsecode and ran

But Friday, which I'd planned to involve coordinating new initiatives within the Tide and integrating some of the recently of-age members in the host country into Rippon Limited, since I'd had it listed as a French company...

So yeah. Lydon is an Asshole

The call came right when I was outlining to Coulson why, in the last hour, several known Rising Tide associates had gone to ground.

A man in Hong Kong had been kidnapped, after information about him was somehow stolen from a Shield data-stream. And the evidence pointed to the Rising Tide.

No need to be blaise, or act like I didn't know 'something' was coming.

He sold information. He broke the code. And possibly... or definitely if I can't change the outcome... he'll have gotten someone killed. And even the hack on Shields' servers had all the traces to identify him anyway.

"Skye?"

I took a deep breath, pulled out of my thoughts after an exhaustive briefing to Coulson on what isn't publicly known about Lydon. I was right. He was a creep, we just didn't have anything that could have had him arrested, or regarding those who were, on their own perspective, blind to his faults, would actually make them aware. A Bad Seed.

"This, Chan Ho Yin?" I start, looking up, "Agent Kwan said he was a street performer?"

Time to make bigger changes.

Shield could send their own team to collect Lydon. Moment he tries to use his tools, the backdoors I snuck into his programming would instead broadcast his signal to any nearby Shield unit.

Unlike the tv version of me, I haven't yet met the bastard, and I don't care to.

I lost.

I fucking. Lost.

Left. Left. Right. Left. Right. Right. Left. Knee. Left, Foot.

"You can't win them all."

I. don't. care.

Left knee, right fist. Left, Left, Right-

"We were lucky with our first missions, Skye."

... No. We weren't.

"Pet-... Mike, the Peruvians, Dr Hall, Akela."

Right, Right, Left, Hold, "I was watching the lab, and called you in because I couldn't deal with that alone. That wasn't luck." Left, Left, Right, Hold, "I already knew there was corruption in the Policia, so when FitzSimmons said about the dangers on the ramp, I saw Reyes' staring at the 0-8-4. Since you were sticking by the Twins, I decided to stick with May. That wasn't luck." Left, Right, Left, Hold, "I went into Quinns' place knowing Dr Hall was possibly a traitor, but if not, simply a scientists probably trying to prevent Quinn keeping hold of something too dangerous. I had a plan. I had support on the way. And I even had a plan to prevent Quinn from taking the infiltration as a bad thing and guess what? It. Wasn't. Luck." Right, Right, Hold... Right.

Bobbi almost fell on her ass from holding the bag for me at the last punch, and though she reset quickly, she was frowning. Because so far, I had been on point.

If I had been lucky with Mike, I wouldn't have even needed Team Bus. If we had been lucky with the Peruvians, that would be from them not trying to hijack the plane. Lucky with Dr Hall would have been him having set everything to happen without large scale destruction before we entered the premises and was ready to be 'rescued' from 'captivity'.

"... It's not your fault they got hurt."

I close my eyes, and ignore the too-detailed view from inside my eyelids. I can sense the twins almost stiffen at knowing they were being talked about, despite pretending not to be paying attention to me practicing on the bag with Bobbi holding it still.

"And it's not your fault that Centipede had filled his head with-"

I punch. Hard.

"Skye!" I hear from Jemma, but I just open my eyes and look at Bobbi on the floor, the bag swinging freely from the heavy hit I'd blindly given it.

"They had me, for months and I'm still not even sure if it was six months or twelve because I have so fucking many blank spots, but it was a damn long time between being taken and being released onto the streets, and they didn't stop trying to somehow... sway... me to their side, to whatever the hell their cause is because I still have no fucking clue and I've been investigating them for Half a Fucking Decade but I didn't give in, I didn't break... They only had him for, THREE. FUCKING. DAYS!"

"Skye-"

"I WAS A CHILD! A FRIGHTENED CHILD WHO KNEW NOTHING BUT BAD HOMES AND... THEY TRIED TO BREAK ME! THEY TRIED-" I... "THEY TOOK MY SIGHT! PUT A FUCKING BOMB IN MY HEAD AND I DIDNT BREAK!"

I...

"I DIDNT SEE SKY FOR THE BEST PART OF A FUCKING YEAR! THEY FUCKING THREW ME OUT ONTO THE STREETS LEFT TO SURVIVE ON MY OWN WITH NOTHING BUT MY OWN WITS AND A GODDAMN HANDLER WATCHING MY EVERY MOVE WITH THREATS THROWN INTO A FAKE EYE THAT BARELY LET ME SEE O~UT OF!"

"THEY MADE ME STEAL AND LIE AND KILL BUT I. DIDN'T. BREAK." I...

"AND WHAT DOES HE DO WHEN THEY GIVE HIM A PRETTY FACE AND A 'DONT YOU WANT TO BE FAMOUS' SPEECH?! THEY HURT HIM TAKING HIS BLOOD AND REMOVING HIS IMMUNITY TO HIS OWN POWERS AND HE DIDNT. FUCKING. CARE! HE! BROKE!"

I...

I Can't...

"HE! BROKE! HE GAVE IN!"

Punch.

... Fuck. Now my fist is stuck in the damn bag.

"How long do you think?" I ask, quieter. "Did he hold out just before we showed up, or did he cave as soon as they gave a pretty face, despite the abduction? Huh?" I look at Bobbi, who seems to be slowly climbing to her feet, eyes locked not on me, but on the bag. "It's not the loss itself, Bobbi. It's that we lost before we even got there."

Gently, she grabs my wrist in one hand, and slowly pries my fist out from the bag, which really doesn't want to let go, but even with her gentle touch, it slowly gives way.

"... I guess I get that." She shoots me a look and...

It takes my breath away because it's a look I've seen in a mirror.

... Fucking tv show bullshit.

She's not a character on a screen. She's a Real, Goddamn Shield agent, with clearance level seven before even hitting thirty. She's a specialist with her own superhero-like callsign, not that she uses it. And that means she has a history beyond that what I know from screen, from talking to her ex.

And the look on her face... She knows what it's like to be captive. To resist, to not give in, to not surrender. Even when she has to make it look that way.

Our lives suck.

I need to... well maybe... no... what about- no he's a mess too. Hm... Natasha?

I stared at my phone, curled up earlier than usual in my bunk wondering why she'd not replied just yet, when every other reply had been rather quick.

"God dammit." I heard just as I also sensed Coulson coming down the stairs from his office-bunk. "Skye? Any idea why Nat thinks you fought against someone with fire powers?"

Oh. OH she thought I was also being literal about...

That... I look up at Coulson, who's just shaking his head at the bar making a drink.