A Dead Tree Offers No Shelter
DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN 5.14
SPOILERS AHEAD!
May stormed into the base practically knocking out of the way anyone who crossed her path. Piper followed until the older woman warded her off with a fierce glare. The agent was still on shaky ground with her superior and knew when to make herself scarce. She ducked away down the first hallway.
"What the hell happened?" May demanded slamming the door against the wall in Yoyo's temporary room. Mack struggled to his feet placing himself between the woman in the bed and the incensed agent. "I left you in charge and come back to this!"
She was already infuriated by Phil's stupidity, already on the warpath and willing to take out her fury on the first person who crossed her. Deke had met the Zephyr in the water port, being the only one left to make any kind of greeting. He'd never witnessed livid May and after giving her his version of what happened was struck silent by her furious reaction. He'd heard some language in his day but never anything like she rattled off in the ten seconds it took her to shove him aside and head for the med bay. He pulled himself from the floor and tried to head her off by getting to Jemma to warn her first.
"Where's Coulson?" Mack demanded, ignoring May's bellowing.
She paused for a moment and squeezed the hot tears out of her eyes. They were not tears of regret or fear or even loss, but tears conjured from the anger that boiled inside her. "He's not coming." She barked back as she stepped closer to him. "What happened?" She spat out the words, trembling with the urge to hit something or someone.
Mack cast a glance to the floor and let out a breath. The entire world was in danger of coming to an end and now their team was shattered. The large man never thought he'd lose faith, but he was coming terribly close.
"Fitz," the large man's deep voice was barely above a whisper.
May turned and took a few steps, breathing rapidly then pulled her calm into place and turned back. She looked to Elena, who could do nothing more than look away. Mack started to speak but she silenced him with a glare then marched out of the room.
"Are you going to stop her?" Yoyo begged, but Mack dropped his shoulders and shook his head. Whatever happened now would happen. He was too defeated to even try to make a difference. He fell back into the chair next to her and dropped his head into his hands.
May slammed her hand against the door release to Fitz's cell and kicked the door before it fully opened. She ignored the pain that shot through her thigh. Fitz was on his feet and stood facing her, tears still in his eyes.
"May, I…"
He said no more. She backhanded him across the room then dragged him up before he had a chance to react. Holding him by the collar she used an open hand to slap him two more times, then shook him hard before tossing him backward on the bunk and raising her fist to…
She stared into his eyes but did not see the Doctor staring back, only the terrified boy who developed a night-night gun and emulated an idol-turned-traitor. Instead she wrapped her hands into his shirt lifting him by the shoulders to her face and glared into his eyes before throwing him back against the wall that surround the cell bunk, turned and walked out…locking him in as she went.
Fitz raised a hand to wipe the blood that streamed from his nose.
May stopped a second later, face to face with a distraught Simmons. The young woman stood silently in the corridor. It was apparent she had been crying for hours. May let out a frustrated breath, tossing her head side to side as she spun away from Jemma and then back. She had no intention of apologizing. There'd come a time to talk…now was not that time.
"She needs you, May." Jemma's soft voice cracked as May gave a curt nod and stepped around the young doctor.
Jemma did not turn, did not watch as the older agent walked away. She took a deep breath, stared at the ceiling for a second then released it with a new volley of silent tears and a fluttery sound.
May drew quick breaths as she made her way through the base and down two levels. By the time she reached her destination she had pulled her mask of non emotion into place and gently pushed open the door that was not quite closed. She blinked a few times in the darkness before reaching to turn on a dull light. Across the room a figure curled into a ball on a bare cot. She approached slowly and lowered herself to sit on the edge of the same cot. There was no immediate reaction, no response. May laid her hand on the girl's arm and rubbed softly.
"I'm here," she whispered, giving Daisy permission to release her anguish.
The girl let out a sob and turned quickly, diving into the embrace May offered. She wrapped her arms around her mentor and let every emotion she had stifled release. The large bandage on the left side of her head was no doubt Simmon's handiwork. May held her protégé tightly, slowly rocking back and forth in comfort and shushing her softly.
Here in this place, with this kid who had become hers somewhere in all the hell they'd survived, she let her mask fall away, let the anger fall with it and cried her own tears.
Daisy's sobs were heartbreaking.
Coulson's decision would certainly crush the girl.
May pulled her closer, held her tighter.
Perhaps the world was ending….