"All the test subjects have been killed sir. They became too mentally unstable. One of the head scientists Albert Thompson believed injecting the formula into the spine would lessen the impact of the side effects. As a result you need to open the head and operate on the brain to ensure the formula would attach to the nerve endings on the spine. Even though it would reduce the negative side effects. That would put the subjects through too much excruciating pain." Coulson told Fury
Fury leaned back in his seat and frowned. Coulson stared at the pilot seat and wondered if May could hear their conversation. Ever since May refused field operation missions, May seeked more quiet and less expressive. Coulson couldn't blame her for this change in her personality. He understood why what happened in Bahrain caused this. Coulson shook his head realizing it wasn't smart to worry about May right now.
"This isn't good news Coulson. We're about to make contact with Stark and his life is in danger. Quinjet is due to land in Malibu in an ten minutes. I'm sure Stark is sleeping off a hangover but he's too valuable to not find a way to save him from death or his current illness." Fury countered
"I thought Stark was just a consultant for Shield. His lack of teamwork skills disqualified him from the Avengers Initiative. At least that's what Natasha told you."
"Well Natasha is a model employee at Stark Industries who reports on what she sees. She isn't paid to project the future or consider alternate solutions to a stubborn problem." Fury argued
"Stark isn't just a corporate labor efficiency project. He's a difficult man to deal with. I happen to know from personal experience. As much of a pain in the backside he can be I know he doesn't deserve to go through what the Project T.A.H.I.T.I test subjects endured. The homicidal ideations the test subjects had were disturbing. They kept thinking to themselves have to kill everyone to protect the city. I kept asking what city and they said the city is a place that gives birth to secrets and the unworthy who attempt to enter it and learn those secrets will die." Coulson explained horrified
"They kept saying this over and over and over again. Yes you mentioned that in your report. I understand my friend. I honestly do but things are getting more dangerous in the world. When that happens we need to consider all our options. I just spoke with Master Yoda and he informed me Dooku is up to something. He believes Dooku is behind the assassination attempt on Senator Padme Amidala's life and has assigned Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker to protect her.
Something is happening I can feel it and the bodies will soon start piling up. We need a way to ressurrect a fallen Avenger. There the only hope to stop Dooku or any threat to Shield and the United Republic citizen. I havent given up on Stark. I think with the right push he and the other potential candidates can become the Avengers." Fury explained
"Why are you so obsessed with Dooku though? The Jedi Order obviously are weary of Dooku but that's the only enemy they're concerned about. Stark was almost assassinated by Vanko aka Whiplash and Shield has other enemies. What makes Dooku stand out more than other threats? Does it have to do with his departure from the Order on April 9th, 2000?" Coulson asked
"No. This is solely based on what Yoda told me regarding Senator Amidala. We'll have to keep exploring other ways to provide emergency medical assistance to potential Avengers in critical condition." Fury lied
"Well find a new method to help injured or sick Avengers. I'm confident of that. Thank you for taking my concerns seriously sir." Coulson replied
May landed on a private airstrip reserved for Shield personnel. Coulson's friendly wave towards May was returned with a nod and a sad smile by May.
Coulson thought about all of this when he stared at May in the conference room. He focused on May's sad smile from that day. Coulson wondered if May knew the truth about Project T.A.H.I.T.I all the way back then. Clint and Laura Barton sat in silence while May continued to explain her role in Skye's placement in New York/Lothal when she was 10 years old.
"I agreed to place Skye in New York/Lothal because I trusted the system. I trusted Director Fury's judgment. Fury believes Master Yoda when he says Dooku seeks Skye to be his first in a line of Force Sensitive servants to the Sith. Inquisitors under a new branch of the Separatist military called the Inquisitorious." May finished
"What does this have to do with Director Fury resurrecting me against my will?" Coulson asked
May was taken aback.
"You didn't think I knew about that? When Simmons accessed the control panel to get more information on Fitz's whereabouts she exposed the truth. That Fury refused my recommendation to shutdown Project T.A.H.I.T.I and just like with Skye he erased and rewrote my memories. You knew the whole time and you didn't bother to tell me?
I thought we were friends. So what am I just bait for the Clairvoyant? Is this entire idea of me leading a team to stop a secret operation of Dooku a joke, a farce, a false reality to give me something to do until the Agent Hand exposes herself as the Clairvoyant? So now what? What's Fury have next in store for us? Because this isn't my team!" Coulson yelled in frustration
May screamed back, "No of course not! It's my team! I built this team with Fury's guidance to protect you. To ensure you didn't suffer the same symptoms degradation as the other patients in the T.A.H.I.T.I project. I had Fury convince you to pick certan people for it just to ensure you wouldn't break down physically from your ressurrection.
Simmons monitors your health, Fitz designs weapons for myself and Ward to contain you if you became violent or unstable, if you gained superhuman abilities Anakin and Ahsoka would step in to stop you with the Clones backing them up. Skye wasn't planned but Fury was having Agent Barton run point on a team to find her but then you and Ward got to her first. So don't treat me like a Seperatist. I did this for you, Phil."
"You did this because you were following orders. Not out of friendship. And officially I'm still leading this team and from now on I'm trusting John not you. As far as I'm concerned you're just a pilot." Coulson said walking out of the room
****
"Where were you Ahsoka?" Anakin asked
"I was looking for Skye. I wanted to play a game of uno with her." Ahsoka lied
Anakin folded his arms and eyed Ahsoka suspiciously.
"You can't play a game of uno with just two people? Also Skye is in an extended training session with Ward. Didn't she tell you about that?" Anakin replied
"I know it's just...destroying General Grevious ship the Malevolence and then Master Obi Wan having to come rescue Ward and Fitz. It's a lot for me to deal with. I mean what if Master Obi Wan was to late to save Fitz and Ward?" Ahsoka said half truthfully
"Listen we are called as Jedi to not have attachments but that's hard for us now. We are building bonds with our allies in the midst of a war. And now there's corruption within Shield. It's hard to trust people and so when you do find that person you trust and that person becomes a friend...letting them go isn't easy. It's something I struggle with. I lost my temper thinking about what Sergeant Slick did to harm the other Clones a couple of months ago. I care about Rex as much as I care about you. Even as your teacher I'm still learning and now that chaotic things are happening there's still more for me to learn. So why don't we learn together and you tell me the truth." Anakin offered
Ahsoka distraught opened her mouth, then closed it and then started fumbling over her words.
"I saw a video that was evidence of you and Skye...that Skye was...she was a youngling at the Jedi Temple. She and you were friends and you helped her connect with the Force but Shield took her away. They erased Skye's memories so that she'd live as a regular human and no longer return to the Jedi Temple." Ahsoka replied
Anakin put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.
"I was able to let go of Skye but not on that day. I was furious about losing my closest friend. She understood what it was like to be an older child brought to the Temple. You on the otherhand were brought to the Temple by Plo Koon just before your 4th birthday. It took me a few weeks but I managed to move on. That's why I never told her about that past when we found her. I wanted to respect Master Yoda's wishes about his decision to have Shield remove her from the Temple."
"Did you really use the Force to throw the Director of Shield 20 feet backwards in the air the day Skye was taken away?" Ahsoka asked incredulous
"Yes." Anakin replied embarrassed
"So it's safe to assume Fury will never ever bring that up." Ahsoka speculated trying to hold in laughter
Anakin nodded while laughing.
****
Fitz saw Jemma laughing at a joke the tall black and handsome Agent Triplett said and felt a rush of anger. He wanted to talk to Simmons about the mission he and Ward went on to Sokovia in great detail. Unfortunately Fitz learned that Coulson ordered Simmons to give Agent Triplett a tour of the bus while Captain Rex of Anakin's Clone batallion would show Agent Garrett around the bus. Fitz wondered if he really did love Simmons as more than a friend. He wondered if he was jealous of Triplett.
"Hey Fitz I just learned something incredible! Agent Triplett's Grandfather fought in World War II with Captain America and Count Dooku. Well ok the latter person is a traitor to the United Republic and a war criminal but Captain America is a hero and an Avenger. Triplett was telling me his grandfather attempted to teach Captain America French but it didn't go so well. Steve Rogers thought fondue referred to sex." Simmons said while laughing
"Do you just talk about your war hero grandfather to impress people?" Fitz snapped at Triplett
"No...I actually hate talking about it but Simmons is a huge fan of the history behind the Howling Commandos and their work with Peggy Carter. Peggy Carter is Simmons role model and I look up to my grandfather and what he stood for. I asked Simmons if its because Carter is famous but it's because she truly appreciates the work Peggy Carter did to help innocent people." Triplett answered startled by Fitz aggression
"Leopold are you alright?" Simmons asked worried
Triplett could sense tension in the air especially since Simmons addressed Fitz by his first name.
"No actually. It's nothing. I'm fine Jemma. It's just been a crazy stressful day but I'm good thanks." Fitz said hastily
"If you guys want some space to talk I can go meet up with Rex and Agent Garrett." Triplett said politely
"No! It's fine, really." FitzSimmons said at the same time
"What's it like fighting with Master Plo Koon and his 104th battalion? I hear they call themselves the Wolfpack." Simmons asked
"It's tough. We had a mission in Geonosis. The bug species that lives there. The Genosians picked an annoying place to live in the Sub Saharan Desert. Garrett found evidence that the Genosians are building something. I think whatever that object is what motivated Ian Quinn to try to join up with Dooku in the first place." Triplett replied
Before FitzSimmons could respomd Agent John Garrett arrived with Captain Rex.
"The famous FitzSimmons. I've heard a lot about you two. You guys are like super geniuses. Do you guys think Hand is the Clairvoyant? I'm betting my credits on it being Agent Hand. Shield Officer that always does things by the letter of the law and she's close to Sitwell whose spent lots of time visiting the Jedi...makes perfect sense."
"Sir Agent Hand is a suspect but she could be acting suspicious because she thinks we're the Clairvoyant. We need evidence to get to the bottom of this." Triplett said
"Triplett I swore I ordered you to lighten up a few days ago. If you don't I might think you're the Clairvoyant." Agent Garrett joked
"I'm not used to hearing jokes from a Senior Shield Agent sir." Captain Rex observed
"I'm not sure how the scientist that created you Clones could tell you apart. I mean it's not like you guys wear name tags. How often do you get called the wrong name?" Garrett joked
Fitz chuckled but stopped when Rex frowned.
"Well I find the fact you and the other Clones choose your own names and practice self expression within a brotherhood very sweet. It's wonderful to see you all work together." Simmons complimented
"Thank you ma'am. I think if we maximize our teamwork on this Bus our combined forces will stop this Clairvoyant. Skye should have the file Coulson took from Hand decrypted. Soon we'll discover our next lead on who this person is." Rex said
****
"Raina are you there?" The Clairvoyant asked through Raina's earpiece
"Yes my teacher what insight do you have to share." Raina said
"The tear in space time that the Red Skull created during World War II opened up new possibilities. People with the potential for great gifts. Project Centipede was a test to see if we could recreate those posibilities based on what occurred naturally in the farthest reaches of space in different dimensions. It failed due to Debbie being a normal being human. We must give up on Debbie and seek another way for you to fulfill your potential. Are you willing to follow my instructions exactly?" The Clairvoyant asked
"Of course teacher. I've learned so much about my potential to gain superhuman power thanks to you. What do you want me to do?" Raina asked
She smiled as the Clairvoyant instructed her and she stared at the headquarters for Debbie's base in Italia Naboo. Raina waved at passerby that politely complimented her on her beautiful flower dress.