Trip is dead and it is all her fault. Why did she have to stop Raina? Well she knew why; to stop Hydra unleashing the obelisk, but her attempts were futile the obelisk was unleashed. And Trip was dead because of it. Earth is on the brink of destruction and only Skye has the key to stopping it, but the key comes with a price. A very large one. Is she willing to pay it?

Chapter 1

Skye sat on the bed, phone in hand, and not paying attention to anything on it. Her mind a million miles away stuck with thoughts of Trip. He was dead because of her and ever since the obelisk was destroyed she felt like she was drowning, her chest constricted just at the thought of it. Everyone looked at her differently. As if they were waiting for her to explode- even if that is exactly what she wanted to do.

Simmons had been in several times to run different tests and the ever present stains on her cheeks showed her emotions clearly and Skye didn't blame her, it was her fault, she understood why no one came in to see her; even Coulson avoided her. She knew they were outside of the room she was placed in for observation. She tried not to make herself upset afraid of the consequences. She was dangerous and expecting Coulson to come in and lock her up. Yet a part of her that knew he wouldn't, he was like a father to her, is like a father to her. She lay down hoping to get some sleep, some reprise from the pain that smothered her.

She awoke face to face with a blonde, fair skinned, girl with blue eyes which watched her steadily. Skye sat up awkwardly, glanced at the door which still appeared to be locked, then back at the girl. "Who are you?" Skye asked her voice raspy from lack of use.

"Ryder is my name and who are you Child of the Earth?" The girl Ryder asked.

"Skye, how did you get in here?" She wondered aloud, confused at the girl's calm manner,

"You called me, that is how I am here." Ryder said as if it was obvious now she looked at Skye quizzically. "How long since you were reborn?"

"Reborn?"

"Ahh so you are a new born, very well it is my duty to teach you… unless your parents are here if so you had no right to call me here, I am somewhat trespassing." The girl surmised, anger creeping in her tone, she then looked behind her as if someone would enter.

"I don't have parents here…how old are you?"

"15, how old you are does not matter." She commented, glancing at Skye who had clenched her fists. "You need to let lose. There is too much pressure building up inside of you as you keep refusing it, let it flow through you, it is an extension of who you are so no need to fear it. Take a deep breath and relax." Ryder instructed and surprisingly as Skye obliged the pain inside of her disappeared.

The door opened and Coulson walked in with May on his heels they completely ignored the girl as if they did not even see her, this surprised her so she now instead focused on Coulson and just like that, the girl was gone. Coulson had the look in his eye that she did not like it was the look that shows he is about to do something that he may regret.

"Hey how are you?" Coulson inquired awkwardly,

"Been worse, how's everyone else?" Skye replied trying to change the topic.

"Grieving, but they're professional. We have a mission, I wanted to see if you might be up to it." He answered, looking at May who, as always, was unreadable. Skye looked at her hands then back at Coulson, gave him a slight nod with false confidence that was only betrayed by her eyes.

May then led Skye back to her original room, "We leave in 20." Was all she said before leaving Skye standing alone in her own doorway. She sighed loudly and went to work preparing herself for the upcoming mission. She had a quick shower then got dressed into her jeans, plain singlet and SHIELD sweatshirt as she turned around to do her hair and saw the girl standing there, eyeing her in her cool manner.

"I see you are going out. Lesson 1; when you are out in the public eye, around innocent civilians, remember not to get angry as the earth is an extension of you. It will come to your aid and that is not good, especially since you have not learnt to control it, remember to let it flow through you. Try not to hold it in or it will hurt you. Breathing helps you to keep your cool, maintain control."

"It also keeps you alive." Skye's voice whispered back traitorously in her mind.

"Only for your little friends here. Besides, it's over rated."

Her expression darkened. "Is that a threat?" Skye growled,

Ryder raised a bemused smile, "Call that a growl, Jesus you know nothing. Besides your friends are of no interest to me."

"Shut up!" Skye shouted only to turn and discover Simmons had appeared in her door way. She spun back to where Ryder was, but no longer stood, "Jemma, hey um what's up?" Skye asked the brit with a critical eye. She could tell that she was concerned for her friend.

"May sent me to see if you are ok,"

"I am fine." She replied, grabbing a hair tie before walking past Jemma. "Let's go." Skye concluded while tying her damp hair in a ponytail, leading the way through the hallways using her Shield ID to open the doors to the hanger room. Her only greetings were the nervous glances from Bobbie, Hunter and Mac, she noticed Fitz glance at Simmons who was looking at him and Coulson aside from the rest.

Ignoring the others she moved over to May and turned to face Coulson as did everyone else waiting for him to debrief. "There is some trouble in Arizona; strange beings that are rumored to keep appearing then disappearing. You guys will go there to see if there is any proof to this or if it just allegations." Coulson instructed.

Immediately after Bobbie, Hunter, Skye and May boarded the Quine jet and took off from the Playground heading for Arizona.

40 minutes later they arrived on a secluded runway. Taking a 4-wheel drive they headed into the town that was closest to them. Hunter and Bobbie had been dropped off when they first entered the town and had made their way to the diner on foot while May and Skye drove scouting the rest of the town. Now as they entered the diner, they spotted Bobbie and Hunter in a booth talking seemingly unaware of their appearance, but both May and Skye knew better. And they weren't the only ones that noticed their entry- several guys had looked up and looked away uninterested, however one guy kept staring at them.

May seated herself as Skye ordered tea for her mentor and a Coke for herself at the counter, casually bringing up the local disappearances and the reaction she got was rewarding the waitress was jumpy, but the man sitting at the counter was more fourth coming once she'd moved on to another patron.

"Dangerous times these are, asking questions ain't a smart thing to do. Don't mind her though, most people here are afraid. There are demons here they would prefer to stay secret, well...that is only theory, but them there is all the proof you need." He said indicating the window where two people were looking in at her. She turned and headed for the door. May was two steps behind her when she froze.

"Don't go out there." Ryder warned, blocking the door with a very serious expression.

"Skye?" May queried, wondering why she had stopped.

She looked back at the older woman before turning back to the door which was now clear. Muttered to herself internally and had no choice but head out the door. They were too late, whoever it was that had watched them from the window were gone.

"Shit," Skye cursed tailing May around the corner to no avail, there was no sign of them. May scowled at Skye with a look of disappointment in her eyes, her reply was a nervous smile. They pivoted around to see both Bobbie and Hunter standing behind them. Skye looked over her shoulder to one of the buildings across the room and squinted there was someone on the roof.

"Get Down!" Ryder yelled at Skye who echoed it to the others. They all dove to the ground seconds before something ricochet off the wall behind them.

"Run," Ryder simply commanded, but being the federal Agent May and god be it, Ward had trained her to be, both she and May had their guns out and took cover behind a truck. Both scanned the roof tops without success. They could not see anyone.

Again Ryder was there, "Run. Skye, please? You are not ready to face the outcasts." She tried again "Please Skye, get everyone back on the plane, I will teach you how to fight the outcasts.But for now you are nowhere near ready, your weapons will be useless. Please, just leave before they decide to confront you." Ryder begged.

Which seemed to surprisingly out of character to Skye as she glanced over to May, "We should get out of here."

May who nodded her consent and signalled to Bobbie and Hunter that they were falling back. They reached the car without further confrontation, it wasn't until Skye's outstretched hand grabbed the handle there was a clank and sparks flashed above her fingers which she recoiled against.

"Hurry. Get in the car now before he reloads." Ryder instructed from behind, Skye willingly complied with Bobbie following suit as Hunter leapt in up-front, with May in the driver's seat. Several other things sent sparks flying off the car.

May pressed a command into the iPad then she frowned, "There is nothing out there.."

A man appeared in front of the car. His skin was tanned and mostly covered in a trench coat, but the thing that stuck out was he had no nose, well, what he did have was snake like and his iris' slanted vertically. He glided forward, seeming to silently hiss as he did so and then he disappeared.