"Are we in the right place?" Daisy pulls out her flashlight and shines it right in Fitz's eyes.
"Hey!" Fitz holds up his hand, "Yes, we're in the right place. These were the coordinates." Fitz holds up the tablet to show Daisy.
Coulson shines his flashlight around the room. In the far corner there is a small cage that looks empty. Across from them there is a door with biohazard warnings all over. To their left there's a large, practically prehistoric, computer. "Daisy, you and Fitz work on that. May and I'll head through there" pointing his flashlight at the door, "and see what we can find."
"Are you sure you should be going in there? Those signs have death and destruction written all over them." Coulson rolls his eyes at Daisy. Daisy shrugs her shoulders, but gives Coulson and May a look of caution.
"Sir?" Piper steps forward. "What should I do?"
"Sorry Piper. Yeah, you can look into that cage. Make sure we're alone." Piper nods her head and walks over to the cage. Coulson and May start out the door while Daisy and Fitz find the computer.
"How old do you think this thing is Fitz?" Daisy swipes her finger across the dust encrusted top. "I bet this might actually be older than Coulson."
"Found it!" Fitz flicked a switch on.
"You're no fun, you know that right, Fitz."
"I beat you at finding the on button didn't I? I'm loads of fun."
"Uh, guys…" Piper backed herself away from the cage. "I, uh, don't think we're alone." Piper was hit by something and began flying across the room toward the wall next to Daisy and Fitz. Daisy puts her hands up and slows Piper's trajectory. Piper hits the wall and falls to the ground. Daisy's about to run to her aid when she sees a shadow. The lights slowly began flickering on from the back of the room. Daisy and Fitz slowly make their way to the center of the room. Fitz takes a step forward in an attempt to see how Piper is, Daisy grabs his hand and makes him stop.
The lights hissed and sputtered, then finally turned on. A dingy orange glow illuminated the sickly green walls. As the lights flicked on slowly making their way to the door; Daisy and Fitz see what or who had attacked Piper.
She couldn't have been but 12 years old; a scrawny little girl dressed in a short brown dress, no shoes, and a head full of blonde curls.
Daisy lowers her hands. "Hey sweetie, my name's Daisy we're here to help you. What's your name?"
The little girls big blue eyes stare, unblinking. Then, a crackling noise; "Kill - show no mercy." The little girl runs straight for Fitz. Daisy reacted quickly and quacks her up against the far wall holding her in place. The girl squirms only making Daisy push harder.
The little girl spoke, just above a whisper; "Mom, send back up… please."
Another crackle, "You messed up - you deserve to die."
The little girl looks at Daisy with the look of utter defeat. "Fitz shoot." The girl's eyes grow big and then squeeze shut. The shot reverberates off the walls and the girl slumps over, unconscious. Daisy puts her hands down. "Simmons, we need a medic."
"On my way." Fitz walks over to Piper and helps her up off the ground as she holds her hands to her head. She gives Fitz a weak smile and they walk over to the little girl and Daisy.
XX XX
Phil decides by the layout of the base there was more territory to cover if they went right. May was close behind him, checking behind them every few feet.
"This is a weird op. Whose ideas was this?"
"Wasn't mind. Gonzalez said he needed some good eyes. Said we were the only ones advanced enough."
"So basically a suicide mission." May was angry.
They round a corner and hear the rumble of machinery.
"Either Daisy and Fitz turned the lights on or we found something new." Colson, always one for a joke. May rolls her eyes, but smiles inside.
As he finishes his thoughts the lights slowly start turning on. A speaker cracks, "Kill - show no mercy."
"That sounds promising." Coulson advances deeper into the next corridor. As they advance they pass a room, Coulson turns to look; what he sees takes his breath away. There are six medical tables each having at least two, some three, kids, dead laying on top. Coulson turns to May, "Do you trust me?"
"Of course." May needn't say more.
Coulson covers her eyes and leads them down to the next door. Coulson uncovers her eyes and they both stop when they feel the building sway underneath them. They look at each other. Coulson mouths "Daisy" and May nods.
The speaker cracks again, "You messed up,"
Coulson motions for May to go on the opposite side of the door.
"You deserve to die." At her final words Gerushah turns away and stares down the barrel of two guns. Each gun goes off. She stumbles, the guns go off again. She feels her world darkening - one more shot each. She succumbs to the darkness.
Coulson and May hear another shot, then hears Daisy on comms. After Simmons is contacted, Coulson speaks up, "Mack, send the pod down too."
"On it's way sir."
XX XX
Everyone makes their way back on the zephyr. Fitz has the young girl in his arms, looking more like a rag doll than a child. Simmons is giving orders to the interns and a small bed is brought out, the little girl placed softly on top, and wheeled into medical.
"So were we here for the girl or the mom?" Daisy looks at Coulson quizzically.
"Neither."
The team all stare dumbfoundedly at Coulson.
"We came for this." Coulson holds up a small vile of vibrant yellow fluid.
"Please tell me that won't explode." Daisy watches as Coulson puts the vile in a box and seals it.
"It shouldn't as long as we don't open it." Coulson allows the other agent to take the box.
"That's comforting." Daisy goes back to meet up with Simmons. Fitz was already there. May went up to start the plane ride home. Coulson meets up with Mack.
"What'd you see sir?" Mack looks at his superior officer from across the holo table. "I heard you ask May if she trusted you."
After a very painful, deep breath Coulson looks up to meet Mack's eyes. "It was a room with at least 25 kids, all skinny sunken in faces, dead. I couldn't let her see that. I didn't want to see that. We'll send the clean up crew in tomorrow. You'll warn them?" Coulson drops his gaze.
"Yes sir." Mack walks off toward the pod to check on the prisoner.
Not realizing that Mack had left, "I'm going to go check on our patient." Coulson looks up and realizes that he's alone, well save from some agents he never talks to who are now looking at him questioningly. He shrugs his shoulders and walks off.
XX XX
Simmons has the little girl in a hospital gown and is going over every inch of the fragile child in front of her. Daisy and Fitz are standing against the wall shifting in their nervousness. Simmons turns around and looks at her friend. "She's extremely malnourished, I don't know how she's stayed alive this long. Fitz can you go get two more bags of blood? She needs a major blood transfusion. Daisy can you go find some blankets and socks? She's got a temperature of 102, but she's freezing." After Fitz and Daisy leave the room Simmons looks down at the young girl and strokes her hair, "I don't know if you'll make it through the night little one, but I'll do everything I can. Stay strong."
"She's in good hands, Simmons." Startled Simmons turns around and sees Coulson standing at the door.
"I don't know sir, I think she might need more. I have to take some of her blood for tests, but I'm scared if I take any more she may cease fighting altogether. I don't think I can do this sir, I think you may have to call in someone more qualified." Simmons looks down at the girl and strokes her hair again.
Coulson walks up to her and puts his hand on her shoulder, "You are the most qualified doctor we have. I know this is hard, but you can do it."
Daisy and Fitz walk in together and Simmons begins drawing blood, hooking the girl up for a blood transfusion, and covering her ice cold toes with warm socks and a thick blanket. Daisy pulls up a chair next to the bed and holds the small child's hand. Fitz walks over to Simmons and places his hand on her shoulder squeezes every so gently. Simmons places her hand on Fitz's and they both sink into the couch behind them. Coulson leaves the room, to overcome with grief for this small child he doesn't even know.