It's just a feeling. It could be the cold getting to her brain.
It's probably the cold.
She stops.
What do you want me to tell him?
He didn't beg her to stay. Didn't argue with her. Didn't get mad.
He didn't get mad.
She'd been resolute in her plan to leave and so hurt by Phil that she hadn't really given much thought to her conversation with Ward. And when she did, she'd thought that his acceptance meant he finally understood her.
Didn't argue. Didn't get mad. Didn't ask her to stay. Didn't say much of anything, really.
It shouldn't sit wrong with her, but it does.
She knows Ward. She knows Ward. Something had been wrong.
She replays him walking in, hands flying guiltily from behind his back to be crossed defensively in front of his chest.
From behind his back. Where he keeps his gun.
She takes a deep breath; it sounds like a pained gasp in the white stillness surrounding her.
Ward is currently alone with Skye. Well, Eric is there, but she doesn't trust Eric to be able to stop Ward if it's necessary.
Best case scenario: she finds them making out like two lovestruck teenagers.
Worst case scenario? She doesn't want to think about it. She quickens her pace.
The base is quiet. She lets herself in and pulls an icer out of her bag. She fades into the shadows, doing a perfunctory sweep of the premises. She doesn't see anyone, not even Eric, and her unease is growing.
She stops outside a closet door. She's not sure why. She thinks she heard a sound from behind it. She pulls open the door and takes several steps in. There's a wet gasp and panicked scuffling. She looks down. Skye is on her hands and knees, scuttling back from the door. She's been crying.
"Skye? What's wrong?"
Skye launches herself at May with a sob. She's gasping and her words are running into each other so quickly that May can only catch a few words here and there. She hears "Ward" and "dead" and "Hydra" and "Eric" and "killed you."
She smooths the girl's hair out of her face and gently pulls her back from her."Skye, I need you to calm down. Wha-"
She doesn't get to finish her sentence because blood splashes past her and lands on her boot. Skye shivers and as May turns to look, the other woman lifts a trembling hand to point upward.
May's stomach twists in fear and revulsion.
"He's Hydra, May," Skye whispers. "Ward's Hydra."
The words liar and murderer and tricked us lie between them unspoken.
The wheels in May's head start spinning. She has to get Skye out of here, get her safe. She got in by herself without difficulty, getting out with two of them will be trickier.
Skye brushes at her eyes and takes a deep breath. "You stay here-"
"What?"
"You stay here and I'm going to go out and find him."
"Absolutely not-"
"I know you don't trust me, May, but-"
May puts her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I do, Skye, I do. It's Ward who's become the unknown variable. I-" trusted him loved him slept with him Finishing that sentence is not productive. "He's going to take the Bus, Skye. We won't be able to get to you."
Skye takes a deep breath. "He won't hurt me. I know he won't-"
May interrupts again, "You don't know that." They don't know anything when it comes to Ward. Not anymore.
"I know he won't, May. He won't. He couldn't."
He may try, but he won't.
May shakes his head. She needs to get it through Skye's head that Ward is a threat. She points her finger up at Eric's body. "Look."
Skye shakes her head.
May reaches for her hand. "Skye, look. Ward did this."
Skye shoots a quick glance up at the body and then looks back down. She shakes her head and takes a deep breath. "That's what he's going to do to you, May. And I can't—won't—let him. If I don't stop him-"
"It's not up to you to stop him-"
"Not what I meant. You weren't there, May, when he kissed me. Kisses like that don't lie."
His did.
"He needs me, he wants me. If he had wanted to kill me, I'd be dead by now. Please, May, let me do this. You can get the rest of the team and you will find me. I believe in you guys."
Her faith is strong. May's isn't.
But they're losing valuable time and if Ward finds them in here, all bets are off.
May nods. Skye takes a deep breath, nods, and heads for the door.
"Skye?"
"Yes?"
"Be careful, ok?"
Skye nods again. May steps out of the line of sight. Skye quietly steps outside, stopping to carefully place something on the top of the door. May smiles. Ward's good. Skye's better.
May stands in the shadows, holding her gun tightly, and waits.
May opens the door and steps out into the hallway silently. Ward can't fight her if he doesn't see her coming. Ward has his back to her, intent on Skye, who is feeding him a story about being scared about opening up. Ward wishes that was the least of his problems, May thinks bitterly.
Skye sees her. Her face doesn't change expression at all and May thinks she's never been more proud. Skye reaches forward, pulling Ward closer, kissing him, distracting him. For reasons she doesn't have the liberty of dissecting, the sight makes May's heart hurt. She stalks silently forward. Holds her icer up. Waits for Skye to break the kiss and step back with a smile. Pulls the trigger and fires it into the back of Ward's head. Ward crumples soundlessly to the ground. Skye stands back and lets him fall.
"What do we do now?" she asks flatly.
"I don't know," May replies and she knows Skye knows what she means.
-end-