"Ten? That's all we have?" Your eyes flickered to the time bomb that was indeed counting down from ten. "Shots fired."
Garett shrugged. "Those idiots must've started it when they realized they couldn't win. We've also tried to disable it, but we got nothing."
"We'll look around then. Do what you can. (Your name), Fitz, follow me." Phil waved you over and all three of you made your way down passages, searching for the cure for Skye.
Unfortunately, the halls seemed quite endless. Corridors to the left, doors on the right. Smells of dust and blood wafted up your nose and you scrunched it up in distaste. After walking for a few, you saw Coulson stop and stare through a window. You too paused, taking a peak.
You wished you hadn't.
Inside was a machine with mechanical arms frozen in motion, right above a bed where a person could've laid and been operated on. Your only guess, by the way Phil sweated upon sight, was that he had been. And no matter how crazy you were, no matter how wired you acted, no human should ever have that done.
"Sorry, Phil." You said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He almost shrugged it off, but changed his mind and nodded.
"Let's keep moving."
Fitz wandered ahead, and suddenly pointed to a door stationed at his left. "Well, I think I found it."
The door read: GH. 325
"Nah." You snarked, sighing. "That couldn't possibly be the one." Fitz scowled, but Phil moved forward.
"No. No that's it." He opened the door and walked inside, leaving you standing alone with Fitz.
"So, do we go in, or-"
Fitz cut you off. "I think you should stay out, but I'm going in." He said, closing the door behind him.
You frowned. "Rude."
Following, you opened the door slowly and spotted Coulson and Leo sifting through various potions and serums, finding nothing.
"Need help?" You asked.
"All the help we can get."
Just then you cracked up and picked up a metal pole, swinging it in small circles and pointed it at Leopold. "I see from you collar stud you have an apple tree and a wife with a limp."
Fitz glared at you. "(Your name), now is not the time for-"
"Bit of a limp?" You asked, cutting him off for a second time that day. "Bit of a wife?"
"No."
"Bit of an apple?" You flashed a bit of a grin. "Come on, work with me here."
"If you aren't going to help," Fitz continued, since Phil was ignoring both of you during his search, "then leave."
You sighed spotted a label, strode over to a fridge in the corner and opened it, pulling out a container. "GH.325, Mr. Stoic. Here it is!"
Coulson clapped you on the back, though you noticed the weight he put on the slap was less then that of Garett's. Why that mattered you knew not, but you told yourself to keep it in mind. "I knew your ramblings would matter. Alright, let's grab one and go."
Snatching one, Fitz stuffed in his bag and raced out the door, bumping into Garett.
"Five minutes left, Phil. Got it?"
Phil managed a smile. "We got it. (Your name), actually found it."
Garett gave an unsettling smile again, and he winked. "I knew they could help." Then to Coulson, "Well we should hurry back. I'd like to get it and us out of here in one piece, eh?"
"Eh." You agreed. You stared to walk back, but you saw Phil turn as he recognized something and he waved John forward.
"Uh, I'll be there in a moment. Wait for me." He said, and Garett turned the corner, leaving you to decide whether to go after the team leader or to head back to the main room. Instantly you made up your mind. Phil.
You chased after him, finding another door opened a ways down. Hmm. You pushed that one open further, and watched Phil go through a silver box, move the box, and stare at a third door.
The sign read T.A.H.I.T.I.
Coulson swung the door ajar, walking inside as if in a trance. You too slipped in, but keeping quiet at all costs.
He was staring again, but this time at more copies of GH.325 and a button, where wires where sticking out and were plugged into still more serums with the same title.
You were about to touch his shoulder, tell him you two ought to go back to the main room, when he pressed it and a whoosh emitted.
And what came out made you choke.
***
It's face was horrifying.
It was bloody creepy.
It had a scowl, it was blue, and missing half it's body.
It was alien. Also clearly hostile when alive.
Thank goodness it wasn't alive.
When you choked, Coulson didn't even move, he just continued to be horrified himself. Any words you thought to have said remained lodged in your throat, and the quiet that descended was as still as the lifeless alien body before you.
"What is that?" You asked, biting your lip. You wanted to be able to come to a conclusion like you usually did with your skills but with an alien? Every mastermind has limits. "Why is it-"
Coulson shook his head and turned around. "Say nothing of this. It will be gone when the place blows. But this is what's in the serum. And if you want to be trusted," he glanced at the body and began walking away. "Say nothing."
"But..." You said, hurrying after him as fast as you could go. "What if someone asks? What if...what they make us tell?"
"Don't say a word." Phil replied, and that was the end of the conversation.
Again you ran into Garett who met you two half way back, who was huffing.
"Where've you been? This place is blowing in two minutes! Quite literally I might add!"
"Nowhere." Coulson said stiffly. "Thought we saw a lead to the serum, but it was nothing. Let's get it here before we're dead."
Nodding, Garett lead you back, running into the room. But you noticed Fitz had left, and you tipped your head.
"Oh, hey, where's-"
"Fitz went to the plane ahead of us." Ward answered, prying open the exit doors. "To give it to Skye." End of conversation.
You glanced at Phil, seeing him go ash-white with fear.
The serum.
Blue alien.
Blood.
Could Skye handle it?
Rushing out the doors and out the Guest House, the team raced into the Bus, and May lifted it in the air just as the place blew, shards of rock flying past the windows at a dangerously close radius.
Everyone else was gathered around Skye, who although looked dead after being injected, the monitors declared she was living.
And gradually recovering.
They used it, you thought, scared for her life. Did we do the right thing? What if what was in that thing will just kill her slowly?
Cheers sounded all around; hugs were given. Except you and Phil exchanged looks. Both of you knew.
You couldn't celebrate.
Not yet.
***
Returning to your oh-so- comfy room, twenty minutes later, or, you know, your cell, you laid down upon the cot.
Knocking rang out only feet away from you right as you closed your eyes. You groaned. "Not now."
"Wakey wakey!" Quinn teased, clinking his cuffs together. "How'd the search go? She dead yet?"
You turned to him with haunted eyes, very suddenly reminded of what you'd seen and shook your head. "She's alive." You murmured. "Only the search...." A chuckle bubbled from your throat, as you attempted to cover up what you really wanted to say. "Well. It finished good, obviously. Like I said, she's alive."
Ian squinted. "If I didn't know better I'd say you're troubled about something. Is it about your hat?" His face gestured to the right. "Because it's right there."
Hat.
Hat.
Hat? The freaking hat?
That's the last thing you cared about!
You responded by lazily looking over, finding you cap actually there. "Oh." You said, surprised.
Picking it up and placing it on your head, you took it off quickly and began speaking rapidly. "Oh! OH!" Pacing now, you kept going. "Wait! If they took this, they had a reason! They...they left a clue! They wouldn't have given it back if they needed it for something...maybe information? They've done something to it. Hmm. But what have they done?" You sniffed it, felt the fabric and ran a hand over the symbol on the top.
"Dear me, what've you got, Sherlock in your genes?" Quinn wondered, casting you a wary expression. "I never did like that show."
"Shut up! I'm making deductions, it's very exciting!" You hissed, thinking, pacing. Your fingers snapped in unison, trying to get it right. "Now, what have they done?!" Putting it back over your (hair color) hair, you blinked and then you had it.
"Aha!" You flipped off the light and sucked in a breath, not getting what you'd been thinking of.
There, on your hat, was not a Shield symbol. It was gone. For when the light had been shut off, a new thing appeared.
A new symbol.
A red one that glowed in the dark.
A skull with tentacles.
Hydra.
Ian's laugh echoed in the small space and his smile burned itself into your brain. "This is quite the turn up, isn't it Sherlock?" He sung.
No.
No.
You spun and slammed your palms down on the table in front of Ian, spitting in his face. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" You shouted, without even thinking of the consequences. "You did this! You must've!"
He continued to laugh. "We're going to burn the heart out of you, (your name). Just. You. Wait."
Another slam commanded your attention and you gulped as the sound of a gun cocking filled your ringing ears and blurred vision; your hands shook from the tension.
"I'm ashamed we gave you a second chance." A voice said, one you identified as Coulson's. "Guess it's back to solitude."
Your whole body burned in protest but you didn't care. You gave a roundhouse at the gun, kicking it to the floor before it went off, and froze it there.
"No! Listen to me! I didn't do it!"
Backup appeared and Ward pushed you to the wall, Garett and Triplett arriving on the scene.
"Tell that to your cell walls at the Fridge." Ward growled, and you spotted Triplett was frowning and shaking his head.
Coulson's last words finally put in the full shock. It was over.
Over.
"Take them away."
***
You were beating yourself up the whole time on the way back, and Ian's company didn't help.
He jeered at you, laughed and only shut up when Garett gave him a look.
How?
The team hadn't even asked questions, or wondered how it had gotten there. All you knew was your second chance was over, and fairly quickly.
How?
The hat. Fingerprints. They could've checked at least! But no, Hydra was Hydra. And Hydra meant being sent away, deep in the backs of the Fridge.
But how?!
You roared in frustration, clutching you head in your hands. "Turn the plane around! I didn't do it! Don't you fools understand? I'm not insane this time! It wasn't bloody me!"
Garett grit his teeth, saying nothing.
Trip replied. "That's nice and all, but you understand how serious this is? No, there's no checking. You've done something."
It hit you so hard you smirked. "Oh."
That's exactly right. You had done something. Five years ago you had gotten unwanted attention. Shield.
But who else had seen that?
Hydra? Er, already done.
Avengers? Whoa ho ho you hoped not.
The world? Pfft. Obviously.
Of course. You got their attention, now they wanted yours. Only question was, for what? And then after that, why?
You thought back to the incident at the Guest House, and thought of the alien. Only you and Phil had seen it.
That's probably one of the reasons he was furious; you looked to be a Hydra agent and you had dangerous information.
But had someone else seen known that you'd known something? And if so, then giving the hat back had been a bit last decision.
Who?
Not Triplett. He wouldn't have attacked you. His build wasn't right. His actions were different, movements opposite of your original attacker.
Coulson?
Ward?
Or Garett?
You groaned again. The options were hurting your head. Ughhhh.
"How much longer?" Quinn asked and your boot smacked against his shin.
"Shut up, Ian." After a moment you spoke up. "Garett, how much longer?"
Even though you were considered evil, Garett still smirked at your response to Quinn. "Not much longer, kid. Not much longer."
***
Once you arrived at the Fridge, Ian was placed in his own cell, and Trip and Garett lead you down to yours, and finally when Triplett opened the doors, and told everyone what had happened, Garett marched you in.
He was grinning, yet again. "Well, (your name). It's there and back again, isn't it?" He started.
The voice. His voice. What did it remind you of? Your poor brain was fried, but something was sparking. Something was wrong.
"We all make mistakes, kid. I know, because I've done a few of my own." Garett blinked, and shrugged. "But I feel like that one wasn't your fault."
Really? You thought.
Sounds like trouble to me.
"Good luck getting out sometime," he said. "Pay me a visit huh?" John finished, laying a hand on your shoulder, as if apologetically.
The hand. That was sparking something too. Hand. Shoulder. Trouble.
Trouble, trouble, trouble.
"How do you know I didn't do it? What makes you think that?" You asked, sitting down as Garett began to walk out.
Trouble, trouble, trouble.
He faced you as the doors started to close and he flashed his signature smirk, hands in his pockets.
"Because, kid."
The grin was wider now, teeth were showing. A bit of a laugh. A bit of trouble.
"It was me."
___________
A/N:
SNAP
SNAP
SNAP
SNAP
SNAP
SNAP
Snap.
SO
YeS I'm having a good day.
Oh dear I've said it once I'll say it again.
I'm such a mess and I love to write plot twists amen
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I AM THE WEIRDEST PERSON YOU KNOW I GUARANTEE IT IM SORRY
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Styx