A/N: Hello readers! Finally got around to publishing the start of my second story, which is another branch off from 2x10. This chapter mainly focuses on Skye and Ward during the final scenes of What They Become, and I've added some bits, based on my Skyeward shipping.

I hope you all enjoy this story as much as Up, so reviews would be amazing! Also, I may not be able to regularly update because I start uni soon.

I have to thank my Beta-reader for this story: LisaMichelle25. Her review of this chapter was fantastic and highly appreciated. :)

DISCLAIMER: I only own the storyline.

"Well, well. We're here today, in part, because of the three of you." Hydra leader Dr. Daniel Whitehall began as he walked into the old foyer. "You brought Raina as you promised," he looked at Agent Grant Ward who inclined his head in acknowledgement. "And I had my initial doubts about you, young lady. But you are slowly earning my trust." He pointed at the woman in question and she merely smiled politely.

He lastly spoke to Dr. Calvin Zabo. "And your knowledge of the Diviner has led us to this historic moment. For that, I offer my gratitude." The man didn't respond other than to grip the knife he was holding a little tighter.

"I have just one question. How does she fit in?" Whitehall moved away from the three people he had addressed and gestured towards Agent Skye, who was ushered in by Hydra guards.

"I needed insurance that S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't blow us out of the sky." Ward replied. He glanced at Skye, but her face was the mask she had spent months perfecting.

"You also ordered the S.H.I.E.L.D. plane shouldn't be shot down. I had to counter that order myself."

Ward half-shrugged, construed as indifference but intended as You really think they're gone?

Skye looked horrified as this was the first she'd heard of it. What? Ward…let them go? And he was ordered otherwise? Not that it matters now, though. They're probably dead.

Whitehall continued, drawing Skye's attention. "I have a theory, as to why she's here." Agent 33 moved forwards, holding a silver case. Unclasping the latch, she opened it to reveal the Diviner in a dark cushioning and turned to face Skye. "I'd like you to pick it up."

Skye only glanced at the alien artefact before flicking her eyes back up to the Hydra leader. "You first." Cool under pressure. Ward's words from earlier sounded like a mantra in her mind. In response, the Hydra guard to her right loaded and aimed his gun at her neck. Skye looked at him like she wasn't impressed. Or surprised. Glancing at her father, he gave a reassuring nod and re-gripped his knife.

Skye mentally prepared herself for what could happen, staring coldly at Whitehall before stepping forward confidently to grasp the Diviner. Immediately, the alien symbols appeared on the surface, glowing orange. Whitehall's reaction was one of satisfaction and excitement whereas Skye was astounded and Ward's eyes widened in awe before both he and Skye refocused. Skye stepped back and pushed the Diviner into the Hydra guard to her left while Ward gave an obvious show of his allegiances by shooting another. Dr. Zabo also reacted by stabbing a third.

The rest of the Hydra retinue jumped to attention and all three offenders were surrounded by guns. Skye was still holding the Diviner, but was quickly relieved of it by Raina. Ward's stance was battle-ready and kept all Hydra agents in front of him in his sight. Dr. Zabo's appearance was feral but guarded.

Whitehall seemed unalarmed by the events, and strode forward to look Skye in the eyes. She kept glaring icily at him, but his next words were not what she expected.

"I hope you're as special as your mother."

Skye tried to control her shock that he recognised the relation, and Whitehall smirked. Ward and Dr. Zabo held bated breaths. Whitehall moved away from Skye and Raina strode forward to take the Diviner from the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent's hands. Skye let go with a cold stare while Ward was disarmed.

Whitehall seemed to be on a roll. "I'll confess. I didn't recognise you when you first barged into my office." He pointed at Dr. Zabo, taking a couple of steps towards him.

"If my daughter wasn't here, I would tear you and your men to pieces." Skye's father said softly and menacingly. Agent 33 shifted and re-gripped her gun in response to the threat.

"Well then I'll add that to the number of reasons that I'm glad she's here." Whitehall replied with a smile. He was in control of the situation, and he made sure the three knew it. Skye had kept her May mask on, hiding any sign of emotion. Whitehall continued, looking to the man he next decided to speak to. "You are the piece of the puzzle I can't decipher." He began.

Ward's expression must have seemed slightly amusing to Whitehall, but the Hydra leader wasn't happy with his actions.

"Why are you really here?"

"Is it really that hard to see?" Raina interjected before Ward could do much more than face Whitehall properly and open his mouth. She flicked her eyes over to where Skye was standing. "Its love." She said gently.

Skye looked at Ward now, thoughts and feelings swirling through her mind, but nothing showed on the surface. Ward gazed intently back at her, his expression conveying the confirmation of Raina's words.

The con artist continued. "Agent Ward believes, if he helps Skye fulfil her destiny, she'll see him for who he really is." The smile on her face revealed her hope for the potential couple.

"Oh." Whitehall's voice was soft, but his face was mocking. "It's a pity you won't get to fulfil that destiny. Or that after all these years, you won't get your vengeance for what I did to your wife." His head cocked to the side as he contemplated the man before him, enjoying the pain he was causing.

The Hydra agent behind Dr. Zabo hit him on the back of the head with his weapon, causing the doctor to fall to the floor, unconscious. Skye face showed intense worry over her father's wellbeing as she looked over at Ward. Whitehall ignored her distress as he looked at Ward with distaste.

"Secure him." He commanded and Hydra agents surrounded the specialist. Ward didn't try anything because he knew that one wrong move could get Skye shot. "Remain alert around Agent Ward." Whitehall ordered. "He's a trained killer, one of the best." Ward's expression conveyed the message that Whitehall had no idea what he was getting himself into.

The leader carried on speaking as Skye was pulled away, struggling, her gaze locked on Whitehall and Ward. "I have a feeling that in time, I can make you comply."

Ward's mouth pulled up into a dark smile, amusement flickering in his eyes. Yeah, good luck with that.

Ward and Skye found themselves tied to chairs on opposite ends of an industrial kitchen bench, Dr. Zabo left lying on the floor in front of his daughter.

"The woman you look like. Agent May? I knew her." Ward said to Agent 33, who was the only guard in the room. "How'd you end up with her face?"

Yeah, you knew her alright. Skye thought, but stayed silent, watching the conversation.

"Serving Dr. Whitehall." The robotic-tinted voice of the brainwashed agent replied coolly.

Ward reacted with an expression of confusion and sympathy. "That's…gotta be an interesting story. Doesn't it bother you?"

"I didn't have a purpose before. I was lost. Now, I'm happy to comply." She seemed to be equally proud and grateful of the opportunities thrust on her.

Ward looked like he was sorry for her. "So you're loyal to Hydra."

"I'm loyal to Dr. Whitehall." She replied instantly, contempt replacing the pride.

"There was a guy I used to be loyal to." Ward's face seemed to be a myriad of emotions. He now looked regretful. "He went completely insane." You'll lose Whitehall, 33. What are you going to do then?

Agent 33 was in no mood to continue bantering. Raising her gun to point at his face, she said, "Not another word."

Ward raised his eyebrows. "Happy to comply." He said dryly and looked over at Skye. You starting to understand me now?

Skye didn't maintain eye contact with him because at that moment, Dr. Zabo started coughing and pulling himself up.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked as soon as he saw Skye. She shook her head.

"Ooh, good! You're awake!" Whitehall said as he strode into the room.

Dr. Zabo turned, fully upright now. "I've waited years for this." He lunged for Whitehall only to stop in his tracks when the Hydra leader remotely activated a device that had been planted on Dr. Zabo's neck. The younger man was paralysed and collapsed.

Skye's worry broke through her cool demeanour once more but she couldn't do anything to help. Ward strained against his bindings and Agent 33 kept her focus on him.

Whitehall now approached Skye. "Do you know what your mother's special gift was?"

Skye glared icily up at him. "No."

The man feigned surprise. "She didn't age. At least not like the rest of us." He crouched down now, as if speaking to a child. "I wonder, if that's your gift as well."

Dr. Zabo's rage was immense, but he couldn't do anything to stop the cruel man from tormenting his daughter.

"Or if you're special in another way." Whitehall tapped Skye's knee. "Discovery requires experimentation." Almost outwardly amused by Skye's controlled lack of response, he turned to the doctor beside him. "I killed your wife. And, before I kill you, I want you to watch what I do to your daughter."

He was unable to continue gloating as a loud crash and several gunshots broke the quiet of the world beyond the kitchen.

"Stay here." He ordered one of the guards and strode out, Agent 33 in tow.

Is it S.H.I.E.L.D.? They're alive?! Ward, I have so much to thank you for right now. Skye thoughts raced through her head. God, I hope it's May and Coulson.

The deadly bangs continued to be heard as Ward checked on Dr. Zabo, who was slowly regaining control of his extremities. Glancing out the door, he grabbed the guard's attention. "Hey."

The guard looked at him.

"Here that?" he nodded towards the battle. "They're coming for us. I saw how many guys you have on your side." He shook his head slightly. "You're sorely outnumbered, my friend."

Skye had clued onto what he was doing and checked how her father was holding up. Forcefully, he reached up to take off the source of his agony.

"Tell you what." Ward continued. "Let me go now, I'll tell them to take it easy on you." He wasn't expecting the guard to fall for that, specifically. But the masked man wasn't paying attention to the other prisoners in the room. "Maybe cut off an ear. Pop an eye."

"Shut up." The guard demanded.

Ward sucked in a breath. "Just trying to be helpful. I'm a lot nicer than he's gonna be." He nodded to Dr. Zabo, who had removed the paralyser on his neck and now stuck it on the guard's. The man was already going down, but Dr. Zabo reached his arm around his neck, grabbed hold of the side of his face and pulled, snapping his neck.

Skye gave a disgusted flinch at the sound of the spine breaking, similar to Ward's as his eyes followed the dead man's descent to the floor. He looked back up at the doctor. Was that strictly necessary?

"You're welcome."

Dr. Zabo, breathing heavily, said nothing.

"Now let's get out of here."

"Yeah, me too!" Skye put in. "Come on!"

"It's safer here." Her father raised a hand to keep her calm. "And I'm about to do something to something to Whitehall. I don't want you to see me like that."

"I don't mind." Ward got the doctor's attention once more. "Seeing. Hello. Happy to help."

Yeah, right. You'd just let Daisy go. "No. I get to do this myself."

"What? Hey!" Skye easily expressed her annoyance at the stubbornness of the men around her as her father left the room.

Ward looked at Skye.

"Well come on, Robot. Are you just gonna sit there or what?"

Tipping the chair he was tied on over to the guard's corpse was the easy part. Ward now had to dislocate his thumb like he had when escaping from federal custody. Ow. Again. He reached over, swiped the knife strapped to the guard's leg and sawed off the bindings around his ankles. Getting up, it only took him a few steps to reach Skye, who was patiently waiting.

Gunshots went off again in succession as he knelt down next to her. "I'm sorry your little family reunion didn't go as planned." He said as he cut her bindings loose. "Least I can do is get you out of here." He walked away as Skye stood up. "Sit down while I check the door."

Skye hesitated, but moved forward anyway. You're gonna get yourself killed if anyone else comes across you, Ward.

As Ward made sure the coast was clear, Skye grabbed the gun from the body and aimed at Ward. The man looked back only to find himself being shot in the side four times.

I'm sorry, Ward. The most I'll ever do is wound you. Skye couldn't voice these thoughts though. He'd only try to follow her, injured as he was, into certain death. So instead she said, "Never turn your back on the enemy. You taught me that." and marched past, determined to find Raina and her father before they set off the Diviner. He was still breathing, so I didn't hit a lung. Thank God he padded his jacket, I don't want him to die.

God, Skye! Why?! Ward thought through the agonising pain. Gasping for breath, he was grateful that all four bullets missed his lungs, but they were lodged in his ribs.

Gun held aloft before her, Skye quickly and silently made her way through the theatre building. Rounding a corner, she pointed the gun at a whimpering form.

"Agent 33."

The woman stifled her sniffles as she turned around suddenly, gun aimed straight for Skye's heart.

Skye looked at the body behind her. Whitehall. She's free now, she can help Ward! "How did he die?"

"Coulson killed him!" the loss was evident in her voice, but Skye wondered if that came from not knowing what to do now that she had no one to take orders from.

"Agent 33, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Ward's probably bleeding out in the room back there. I had to shoot him to stop him from following me and getting himself killed by Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D. What I need you to do is go and help him. You need to save his life, and he'll help you in return. He knows what it's like to lose someone to whom you're loyal. But you can't tell him why I did those things. He'll be too angry to listen and won't believe me when I say it. Do you understand?!"

Agent 33 was put a little off kilter by the desperation and regret in the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent's voice. She nodded and Skye, relieved that Ward wasn't going to die, moved towards the sound of punches landing heavily.

"You love him, don't you?"

Skye glanced back. "I don't know." She said, but her voice didn't carry as much conviction as before.

Rounding the corridor, she followed the sounds, getting louder and louder until she finally walked out onto the stage and saw her father fist fighting with Coulson. Or rather, beating his face bloody.

"Stop it!"

Either her father didn't hear over the roaring rage in his ears or chose to keep hitting Coulson's face.

"Stop it or I'll shoot!"

He kept going.

"DAD!"

He finally looked up, horrified to see that his daughter had seen him so violent. "He took something from me." he panted, despairing.

Skye dropped down to the floor. "No. He saved you from killing more people, now get up and get away from him!"

Slowly, Dr. Zabo rose from kneeling over Coulson and backed off a little. "You have to finish what we started–" he began to say, but Skye cut him off.

"No, I don't. I'm not going down there. I'm not gonna change or transform or whatever the hell you think is gonna happen!"

"Why can't you see it's a good thing?"

"Maybe it's all the dead bodies laying around, or the fact that Hydra wants it! I'm gonna make sure the Obelisk never gets down into that city. And you're gonna leave."

Her father's stricken expression cut right to Skye's core, but she pushed that aside. He needs to leave.

"This is your one chance to walk away. Or I will kill you."

"Okay." He said so softly he almost whispered it. He wasn't going to force his daughter into making that painful choice. "I'll go. But I'll be waiting for you. After you change, no one else will understand. They'll be afraid. Change is terrifying."

Skye's face held a stony expression, but she was listening.

"But I'm your father, and I love you. I will always love you, Daisy."

Skye swallowed at hearing her birth name, and she was grateful for finally being told what it was. But she didn't know what to do with the information at that time. Dr. Zabo turned and left the room, shoulders hunched in defeat and sadness.

Breathing shakily inwards, Skye whirled around and rushed to Coulson's side.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, starting to cry as Coulson grunted and tried to comfort her. "I couldn't kill him. I couldn't kill him and I wanted to and I couldn't."

Coulson placed his hand on her cheek and she placed hers over it. She was still crying.

"I'm so sorry…I'm gonna make it right." Her resolve started solidifying. "I'm gonna find the Obelisk."

"No." Coulson managed to say.

"I'm gonna stop the drill, I'm gonna make it right!"

"No, Skye. Skye, no, don't go down there!" Coulson called out after her, still struggling to even get to his knees.

Ward lay half propped up against the open door when Agent 33 found him. He was breathing, but slowly and painfully, his mouth open to limit how much his ribs moved with his lungs.

As Skye had requested, Agent 33 moved to him quickly, but she knew the reputation of this particular specialist, and she kept her gun aimed at him until she was sure he wasn't a threat.

She rolled Ward over and he seemed to finally notice that she was there. His right side was drenched with blood. Agent 33 checked the side of his jacket and pulled out a piece of board that acted as bulletproof padding. She chucked it to the side and focused on Ward.

"Are you here to finish me off?" Ward said, his voice rife with pain and resignation. Agent 33 still had her gun pointing at his chest.

"Whitehall's dead." She replied, her robotic voice holding more emotion than the dying man in front of her. "Coulson killed him."

As upset as she is, she's not calling him 'Dr.' Whitehall anymore. Ward instantly noticed, nudging her gun to the side. "So you're free." He said softly.

Agent 33 shook her head. "I don't know what to do." Her tone showed deeply how lost she was.

Ward's mind already started speeding up. Hearing yet more gunshots, he made up his mind. "Help me up." He said, half a suggestion, and half an order. "I can get us out of here." I'll show Coulson second chances are worth giving. "And we'll figure it all out."

Agent 33 took only seconds to agree, sliding her right arm under his and pulling him upright.

Gun and torch held aloft before her, Skye checked the basement and lowered her weapon when she realised there was no one else down there. Looking to her left, she went to the Diviner's case but found it empty. Panic spread across Skye's face as she looked around for the drill and found the hole in the ground.

"Oh god, Raina." She breathlessly groaned as she realised the woman had gone through with attempting to fulfil her destiny.

Setting the cable to move, she grabbed hold a green glow stick and dropped down to the tunnels below, following the footsteps of Raina.

Finally, rounding a corner, Skye came across a familiar form.

"Mack?" she lowered her arms, and breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared the hell out of me! What are you doing down here?"

He did nothing.

"Mack!"

Mack finally turned around, but his eyes were entirely black. Startled, Skye took an instinctive step back.

Waving her glow stick in front of his face elicited no response. "Okay." She breathed out. "Okay. Come on, come on, we gotta get outta here." She tried pulling him along with her, but he didn't budge. "Mack." She shoved him. "MACK!" she pushed him more forcefully, but nothing worked. Trying to calm herself down, she re-thought her strategy. "I'm gonna come back. Okay?" Panting, she moved forwards.

Around the next corner, what seemed to be sunlight streamed from above, broken only by the walls of the temple standing tall in a small circumference. A blue glow stick lay on the floor, most likely from Raina.

Skye cautiously walked towards the temple site, moved behind the nearest wall and then revealed her presence to Raina, who was not surprised that Skye had followed her. Skye dropped the glow stick on the ground and kept her gun trained on the Thai woman.

"I knew you'd come." Raina said in her soft, melodious voice.

Skye's answering gaze was hard. "Somebody has to stop you."

"Your whole life," Raina continued, not rising to the bait, as they started circling each other around the pedestal in the middle of the room. "Our whole lives have been leading to this moment."

"Sorry. I don't buy into the whole 'this is your destiny' thing. We're taking the Obelisk, and we're leaving! There are too many lives at stake."

"You've got it all wrong. Whitehall, everyone, has got it all wrong." The Thai woman lifted the Diviner a little higher in front of her. "This doesn't destroy. It gives life. New life." Her excitement broke through into her smile. "We finally get to find out what we become!"

The Diviner, at that moment, started glowing with orange symbols again. Both women looked at it surprise, but the differences in their expressions was that Skye was wary and Raina was delighted.

"Make it stop!" Skye demanded.

Raina gave a little laugh. "I can't."

The Diviner rose into the air of its own accord and settled upright onto the pedestal.

"Neither of us can now."

Immediately, the walls around them started moving in, sealing the two women off from the outside world. Skye reacted more, not sure if she should stay to stop anything or leave before something happened to her.

"If you want to leave, now's your chance." Raina warned.

Skye said nothing, turning in a last ditch effort to stop the process.

"I gotta admit, I'm just the tiniest bit nervous."

Both women now focused on the Diviner as the walls now prevented any chance of a safe escape. But as the last wall segment closed, Agent Antoine 'Trip' Triplett managed to get in, holding a flaming torch.

"Trip!" Skye cried out. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to get you!" he huffed out, sweat drenching his shirt. His wound had reopened on his arm, a large red bloodspot marking the white bandage.

All the temple's occupants were now transfixed by the Diviner on the pedestal. Like petals on a man-made flower in the morning sun, the metallic panels folded out and down, revealing blue crystals inside. The shards reached out to the sunlight, blossoming as Raina's joy seemed to radiate from her.

"How do we stop it?" Trip asked, analysing every possible way.

Skye was shaking her head. "I don't think we can."

The crystals stopped growing and now resembled a spiky plant.

"What's supposed to happen?" Trip asked.

"Something beautiful." Raina breathed, then the crystals released a blast of mist that knocked all three of them back. They moved forward again, not sure what to expect. It certainly wasn't a coating, covering their entire bodies like a cocoon.

Skye dropped her gun as the cocoon rapidly covered her. Raina took it all in silence. Trip was left untouched.

"Oh god." Skye stammered out. "No. No…TRIP!" her terrified scream was the last thing she said as the cocoon swallowed her whole.

Trip looked to the crystals, determined to free his friend by destroying the source. Executing a roundhouse kick, he smashed the shards to pieces. A sudden, even more violent blast knocked him off his feet and the Diviner's case was empty. Looking up, he saw his effort had been in vain, as both women were now as immobile as statues.

"No. NO!" Trip's last words were filled with pain and loss. Then he finally took notice of the two crystal shards, imbedded into his body like daggers. His panic receded as he understood that he could not escape this way of dying.

The stony effect moved through his body faster than the cocoons. Trip's last act was to look at Skye as the crystals did their work.

Bit by bit, the cocoons started to break off. Raina's revealed clawed hands, spikes on her face and amber, feline eyes while Skye appeared no different. However, with a surge of her newfound ability, her appearance was shown to be deceiving. Her cocoon was pushed away in a tidal wave-like move, and this caused the walls around them to shake and break apart. Raina remained in the shadows, but cowered at the destructive power her new counterpart had now gained.

Devastated at the death of a close friend, Skye's newfound powers were let loose, and the remains of Trip's body crumbled to dust.

A/N: So what did you guys think? A different perspective?

I'd love to have reviews, and follows would be splendid :)