3. Gun wielding nightmare killers.


Skye was running in a dark, shadow filled forest, something sinister chasing her. Panic filled her as it jumped and landed near her. She tripped and screamed.


The three senior agents on The Bus heard the strangled scream coming from FitzSimmons' lab. All three ran to see Skye squirming on Jemma's examination table, sweat layered on her fear-filled face. Jemma looked worried as she recorded her friend's vitals.

"Sir," Jemma said, grasping Coulson's attention, "her blood pressure is extremely high and she isn't waking up."

Coulson's brow creased as he tried to assist the young biochemist.

"Have you tried asking her? Or yelling. That motivates her in training a lot." Everyone present turned to look at Grant. "What?" He asked.

"Grant you're a genius!" Simmons exclaimed.

"How?"

"When people are unconscious or asleep, they can still hear just as well. You three can encourage her, as superior officers, to regain consciousness safely and calmly with any luck."

"Basically, wake her up by talking or yelling etc." Fitz said seeing the agents' confusion.

May walked over to the prone woman. She bent so her mouth was near Skye's ear and spoke low enough so no one else would hear.

"Skye, you need to listen to me. Wake up."


In Skye's dream, The Beast had her trapped and was about to kill her. She had her eyes squeezed tight and her arms over her face when a shot rang out. The Beast yelped and fell beside her as Skye herself was pulled to her feet. She looked at her savior to see a manikin similar in appearance, just missing a mouth.

"OK. As glad as I am to see you're here, wherever here is, but you look weird." Skye said.

May-doll glared at her and gestured to The Beast.

"Childhood fear. There is more than one fear. Foster homes aren't all good."

May-doll shot her a look.

"There was a note stuck on a tree when I woke up here!"

May-doll rolled her eyes.


In the real world, Skye wasn't struggling as strong anymore and a couple words escaped her lips. "May-doll…note…Beast…" were all anyone could decipher.

May excused herself afterwards to radio into The Hub to see if there were any similarities between Skye and anyone else while Coulson sat down next to her and Ward went to her room to look for a possible note.

"Skye," Coulson started, "listen to my voice. You have to fight it. Whatever it is, fight."


Meanwhile, the scenery had changed around in Skye's dream-world. Skye and May-Doll were now walking around in a house that made Skye feel like she was eight again and not in a fun way.

"You insufferable brat!" Was the warning the two women got. A thirty-two year old man came staggering in, clearly and thoroughly pissed. "Because of you…*hic*…I lost the entire pot."

May-doll gave Skye a look that clearly said they were talking about this later, preferably when not in danger.

The drunk raised his fist and was about to hit Skye when a flying red, white and blue disk hit his hand.

"I didn't miss anything, did I?" Coulson's voice sounded from the doorway near the two females. He was wearing a Captain America costume with a S.H.I.E.L.D emblem on it rather than the Captain's star.

Soon there was a very short battle, after which, the intoxicated man simply passed out.

"Are you...?" Skye started.

"Don't even dare." Captain Coulson interrupted.

"OK. But I just got your present sorted out." Skye said with a smile. "OK, two other things. One, where next? And two, do you have something to write with? May is way too quiet. Even for her."

Captain Coulson smiled and handed her a marker from one of the pouches.


Back to reality, and Skye was almost entirely calm. You could still tell she was having one, but it wasn't as obvious. More muttered words slipped out of her mouth like, "Shield…Cappie…AC…Powder…" Coulson looked happy that The Captain and himself were in the same thought process but snapped out of it at the mention of a powder. He bolted out to Ward, to warn him.

Fitz and Simmons looked at each other before talking aloud to the silent hacker.

"You know Skye," Jemma began, "Fitz tried for Stark industries first when he came over."

"It's true." He confirmed. "They said my knock out gun didn't look like a good idea."


Once again the scenery changed as Skye gave May-doll a mouth.

"There." Skye said, capping the marker. "Not the best but a hopefully functioning mouth nonetheless."

May-doll raised an eyebrow at Captain Coulson, who was behind Skye, who nodded encouragingly.

"Thank you Skye." May-doll said, slightly rusty but cleared her throat. "It was very thoughtful of you."

A loud argument could be heard in the distance and was getting closer. The three people there were confused about the topic.

"I'm telling you Fitz, Mary Poppins is the best Disney movie of all times." A brunet Alice said as she walked up with a mad hatter.

"Well I'm correcting you Jemma, Oliver & Company is better." The Mad Hatter said, fiddling with his long cuffs. "Plus, we're lost."

"Lost?! How can we be lost? You had the map!"

"Me?! You were the one who said you had it!"

"Hey!" Skye said, interrupting their spat. "Shut up!"


Jemma and Leo were having a mild spat about movies when a drowsy, sleep-filled voice interrupted them. "Shut up!" Skye said before turning onto her side. Jemma and Leo looked at each other before exiting the room, looking for Coulson and Ward.

"Ward. Coulson. Are you…" They paused as a pair of Jemma's surgical masks were thrust in front of them.

"Ah, yes. The bloody powder." Jemma said. "Not literally though. That would be very bad." She continued, seeing the peeved looks she was getting from the two Americans near her.

"Skye is near consciousness. Ward, we need you to try and wake her up."

"What? Why am I doing that?" Ward asked, voice slightly muffled from the mask.

"Because you can wake her up at seven a.m. depending on the time zone every morning for your training." Fitz said

Ward kept his mouth shut and pulled his rubber gloves off before heading to the lab.


"Skye you will have two reasons to kill me when you wake up." Grant said, bringing her laptop that was in the lab up to his lap.


In her unconscious state, there was more rustling as a new person came through the dense forest that no one could see through. Captain Coulson, May-doll and Skye positioned themselves between Jemma-Alice and Mad Leo and the noise. After a moment, a pair of metallic arms protruded from the greenery. Captain Coulson and May-doll drew guns from…somewhere…and pointed them at the arms until a familiar, if completely metallic person came into view. Skye ran up and hugged him

"Oh Grant!" Skye said, running up to and hugging the metal agent. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you right now!"

RoboGrant looked at the other four people before talking. He backed away until he was a small bit away. The others formed the remaining four sides of a pentagon.

"I'm sorry Skye. I'm so sorry." Jemma said with tears running down her cheeks, a Colt M1911 in her hands.

May-doll looked stoic while her weapon pointed at the younger woman while Captain Coulson had a pain expression.

While neither Fitz or Ward said anything, Leo had tears falling as well.

"Skye, you can freak out all you want, once you rejoin us in the land of the living." Grant said, his mouth unmoving but a light flashing for each syllable he spoke. "Please wake up Skye. And I'm sorry for this now."

Skye squeezed her eyes shut as shots rang out.


Grant played a clip of various guns being shot. Skye fell off the examination table with a shriek and so suddenly, Ward wasn't able to catch her in time.

"Jemma!" Ward yelled into The Bus, "She's awake!" He put the laptop on a countertop beside him and helped his rookie off the floor and into a sitting position on the examination table.

"Ugh," Skye stated, "never will I ever be this happy to see flesh on you!"

Grant was confused but chalked it up as being half asleep still.

"Skye!" Jemma said walking in and hugging the recently awoken woman. "I just need to check some stuff then you can go. Be grateful you didn't miss Christmas yet." she said trying to lighten the mood while Ward slipped out the door and up to the cockpit.

"She's awake." He said to the pilot who hinted at being relieved.

"I know." She replied. "Do you think she'd like a missed childhood present?"

"Maybe. It would be a nice surprise." He said before leaving May to her solidarity.