The Shield is Born

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Spoilers: Turn, Turn, Turn (1x17), Providence (1x18) and The Only Light in the Darkness Promo (1x19)

Skye was about to knock on Ward's door to talk to him only to pause at the sound of his voice talking to someone. Leaning her head against the door, she listened to the words spoken by the man who was her former SO. What she heard had her covering her mouth in shock.

"No sir, I can't get the information. She refuses to give it to me. Understood sir, I await your arrival."

Backing up with a hand over her mouth, Skye moved quickly down the hall and slipped into supply closet. "No, oh God no." Leaning her head back against the nearest shelf, she allowed herself to cry as she slid to the floor.

Her entire world had been shattered in that moment, as if SHIELD being destroyed hadn't been enough. Her SO, the man she had allowed herself to fall for was the enemy. What more was that he was going to lead HYDRA straight to where their last sanctuary laid. The team didn't know and she'd fallen for his act of actually caring for them, he was going to serve them up on a silver platter without a care in the world.

It took a while but she gathered herself and wiped her face, steeling herself to do what had to be done. Her entire life she had been protected by SHIELD because of her status as an 0-8-4 and her family had just been nearly destroyed by the enemy. Coulson and the team wouldn't understand her drive but if HYDRA wanted a war, they'd get one.

Standing, she left the supply closet and moved to the room she knew held weapons, she pulled several handguns and other weapons down along with clips before throwing them in a bad. If she was going to have to fight, she'd be ready no matter her location. Telling the team wouldn't matter because Ward would be detained but it wouldn't give them time to leave, they'd have to fight and fight they would down to the last person.

Retreating to her bed, she grabbed her laptop and started writing a program specifically so HYDRA knew what they were up against. It would be released and they'd know what they'd be facing: an 0-8-4 who didn't know what she was capable of.

After what seemed like hours, Skye uploaded the program and collected her things before heading out. She'd already put the door on a ten minute timer so they wouldn't know she'd left. She'd find Fury because she believed Coulson that was alive, she'd regroup Hill and the Avengers and hopefully find her family alive in the end. She knew that HYDRA wanted her and her alone, if she left before they arrived there was a huge possibility that they would survive.

Once outside in the snow, she looked at the door and knew there would be no going back after this. She was taking on HYDRA by herself and while she was untrained like the team, at least she had the ability to blend in and keep moving. Her life had been protected by SHIELD so she'd become the shield she swore to be and protect all those HYDRA would harm.

In the control room, Coulson and May stood going over tactics with Ward when a beep on the computer made them turn. They watched as words rolled across the screen in surprise.

PAY ATTENTION HYDRA…

The words disappeared and an image of Skye appeared, not an image they quickly realized but a video. All three stood watching in shock as their youngest agent laid herself out to HYDRA like a sheep to slaughter.

"HYDRA, I don't think we've been formally introduced but if we have met, well then you know who I am. The real truth is that you don't know what I am, I'm a certified 0-8-4 or object of unknown origin. Now here's the kicker, I don't know what I'm capable of but since SHIELD records are public now, perhaps you should watch this." The image flipped to a video of a village and in the main center was a woman holding an infant, seconds later everyone around her dropped as did the woman as the camera fizzled out. Skye's video returned and she nodded, "that was me as an infant, imagine what I'm capable of now. You wanted a war with SHIELD, well you're about ready to take on The Shield. I will fight you as surely as my blood flows, as surely as I live and with my every thought. Welcome to the War!

The video shut down and Coulson spoke quickly, "where is Skye?"

"Sir!" They turned to see Fitzsimmons running in, "we just saw the video and I went to check on Skye. I can't find her, I've looked everywhere." Simmons started speaking rapidly as if afraid.

Koenig walked in and stared at Coulson, "cameras just picked up the door closing and that young computer specialist of yours leaving ten minutes ago. Also, I checked the weapons locker and at least a dozen are missing. You said you could trust these people but instead one of them betrays you!"

"No, Skye didn't betray us…" Coulson looked at the people around him. "She's taking on HYDRA by herself, she made herself a target and now they'll go after her in masses. It'll make them easier to track."

Ward finally spoke up, "she'll get herself killed."

"Yeah maybe," Coulson looked at him. "But we'll be there to help her try to avoid it, she's fighting for her very existence and her past is tied to SHIELD. It's all she knows now and since it's fallen, it means she's nothing now."

"But an 0-8-4 sir," Fitz shook his head. "That's impossible."

"It's possible, you watched the video yourself." Coulson sighed, "it's what we found and verified, Skye is an 0-8-4 but she's also part of this team, this family and we're going to help her."

Ward looked around and realized that the people before him, they were counting on him to protect Skye. He wanted that, he'd been planning to drug and secret her out of the base when Garrett arrived so that the others remained alive. Now the man would kill everyone because Skye wasn't there. There was little else that could be done but tell the truth, no matter how dangerous it got.

"If you want to protect Skye, you're going to have to move locations." They all turned to him and he pulled his gun out, laying it on the table along with his encrypted cell phone. "I surrender, if it means keeping her safe."

"Surrender?" May looked at him confused and he sighed, starring Coulson in the eyes.

"Garrett recruited me into HYDRA and until the other day I was willing to do anything for him. He's coming for this base, coming for her and when he doesn't find her he'll kill you all. If you're dead you can't protect her."

Everyone in the room froze and Coulson could only say one thing. "May, Trip…detain him."

Ward looked at him as his hands were restrained behind his back, "just keep her alive and I'll tell you whatever you want."

"So you're suddenly loyal to us again?" Coulson asked and Ward shook his head, defeat in his eyes.

"I'm loyal to her, to Skye...to The Shield." He was pulled out of the room and in that moment Ward didn't care about his own survival, he only cared about his doe-eyed former rookie who made him forget all loyalty with a kiss. In that moment, loyalty to her was all that mattered.

A/N: I know it's probably AU but that promo just made me star writing. Remember how driven Skye was to get Coulson back after he was kidnapped, she's one again driven to protect her family.