A/N: Here's chapter two! As promised, it's a lot longer than the first one. I was really happy with the response the first chapter got. I hope you like this one! Leave me a review, please!
"Fitz, we're going to be late!" Jemma said, standing by the door to the lab with a bag slung over her shoulder.
"I'm coming." He said, putting an ICER in his bag. He cast one last look over the lab, checking to make sure they had everything they needed. Then he walked out with Jemma, moving to a jog after the doors closed behind them. They were a bit late.
"Good." Coulson said once he saw them. "Everyone's here. Let's go."
They got into two vehicles and drove down the ramp from the Bus. Fitz and Simmons rode in the vehicle driven by May, with Bobbi in the passenger seat next to her. Coulson drove the other vehicle, with Hunter next to him and Skye in the backseat. Mack had decided to stay at the base; he didn't want to run into any trouble if they did, and Coulson thought it would be a good idea for someone to stay there. Trip was on a side mission, and wasn't due back until the next day. They were going to see a possible lead Coulson had heard about, something that might give them a clue as to HYDRA's leadership.
"This is going to be quick." Said Coulson's voice over the coms. "We get out and search the area, and then we leave as quickly as possible. Play it safe."
Fitz and Simmons had been instructed to send the D.W.A.R.F. drones to scan everything, and Coulson thought they might spot something the others didn't.
"You guys see technical tricks we might miss." He had said earlier. "I want you with us."
They arrived at the site after ten minutes of driving. Immediately Fitz sent out the drones, and then he looked at Jemma. "How do you want to do this?" he asked.
"Let's stay together. There are enough pairs of eyes here for us to do that."
So they stayed paired together, walking and inspecting the old building and surrounding courtyard. It appeared to be deserted.
"Maybe they used this place to meet once?" Fitz wondered aloud.
"Maybe it's an old base." Jemma said.
Just then Fitz noticed something glinting in the light and bent down to inspect it closer. "I don't think it's that old, Jemma." He said as he picked it up. He showed her the piece of smooth, un-corroded metal and stood up. "This hasn't been here long."
"Let's tell Coulson." She said.
Then they heard a shot fire.
"Get down!" they heard Coulson yell. Fitz pulled Jemma to the ground with him and looked around wildly, searching for the assailant.
He saw May a few feet away from them, gun locked and loaded in steady hands. Bobbi and Hunter were behind them, standing back to back with their weapons drawn. Coulson stood close to the building, crouched against the side. Skye wasn't in sight.
Fitz brought his bag in front of him and pulled out the ICER. "Here." He said, sliding it over to Jemma.
"What about you?" she asked.
He smiled. "I guess you'll just have to cover me."
"Cover you? What do you- Fitz!" she cried.
He had stood up and was now looking around them, trying to spot Skye. Jemma grabbed his leg and pulled him down a second later, and he was extremely glad she did; a bullet had just passed dangerously close to him. Immediately May shot into action. Evidently she had been waiting for another shot to pinpoint the shooter's location, and she motioned for someone else to follow her as she jogged to the other side of the building. Hunter sprinted over to her and Bobbi ran behind the larger of the vehicles, edging carefully around it and waiting for a signal to act.
Coulson stayed where he was, to see if there were any more assailants coming from the other direction.
Fitz wasn't looking at May, but he heard a few consecutive shots and a shout of pain, quickly silenced. "Where's Skye?" he asked Jemma.
Her eyes widened and she twisted her head around, searching. "I don't know." She whispered once she turned to face him again.
Their eyes met and an understanding passed between them.
"I'll cover you." She said. "On three."
"One." He breathed.
"Two." She whispered.
"Three!" they said together. They sprang up and sprinted to where Coulson was by the corner of the building.
"Why did you two move?" he asked them.
"We need to find Skye." Jemma said.
Coulson's face grew more serious. "She's not in the car?"
"You left her in the car?" Fitz said. He sighed in relief. "I was worried when I didn't see her."
Coulson was looking at the car though. "Go make sure she's alright." He said. "I don't know how many people there are, but I need to stay here in case we're surrounded. This is oddly quiet for an ambush."
Fitz hesitated.
"I won't let anything happen to you." Coulson said. "I've got your back, and Bobbi is close to the cars. Besides, you'll be safer in there. You too, Simmons." He added. "Now go!"
Yet again they sprinted across the courtyard, and seconds later arrived next to the car Coulson had driven, crouched over. "Skye!" Fitz said. "Skye!"
Her head appeared in the window. "I'm fine." She said. "Is everyone else okay?"
Fitz looked around. "They're fine for now, but Coulson wants the three of us to stay in here."
"I should be out there." Skye said as she opened the door for them. "I can help."
"They know that, Skye." Jemma said, stepping in. "They just want you to stay sa- agh!"
A number of things happened at once. Three men appeared from behind the vehicle (a blind spot to Coulson). One of them grabbed Jemma and threw her to the ground. Another went to take care of Fitz, shoving him against the car roughly. The third one went for Skye.
"NO!" Jemma cried once she got her breath back. She adjusted her grip on the ICER and fired it at one of the men, who fell like a sack of potatoes- onto her.
Coulson's head whipped around at her cry, and when he saw the attackers he raised his gun towards them. He aimed for a second before firing, hitting the man that had been bashing Fitz into the car in the shoulder and sending him reeling back, shouting in pain.
Coulson looked around him wildly, as if expecting the silence that had taken hold before to suddenly explode into a warzone din. Fitz's thoughts were racing. He had thought Bobbi was covering the other side of the car… how had the men gotten past her?
Coulson glanced at them briefly, seemed to think they were fine for the moment, and then started running towards the car. Fitz guessed to check on Bobbi and get a better position, but he couldn't be completely sure.
Then he saw the third man step out of the car backwards. He seemed to be carrying something, and when he turned around Fitz saw what it was – Skye, limp in his arms with her eyes closed, a bloody gash on her forehead.
Simmons struggled out from under the unconscious man that had thrown her down and stood up, pointing the ICER at the man holding Skye. "Don't move." She said. Her voice was steady but her hand shook slightly. Fitz desperately wished he had packed a second ICER. The man was looking at Jemma and smiling. Fitz knew he wouldn't be intimidated by Jemma. So he shouted "shoot him now!" and lunged forward, fist flying.
His fast calculations had depended on Jemma's acting immediately and the man being too startled to react. Jemma's part of the plan went perfectly; she fired the recharged ICER at the man right when Fitz said to. The second part of the plan was what didn't go so well. The man used Skye as a shield, letting her take the shot and then dropping her, rushing forward towards Jemma.
"I only need one of you." He said. "I guess it'll be you now."
Jemma's eyes widened. The ICER needed a minute to recharge. Fitz had been running straight at the man, but the man's forward movement left Fitz's fist striking empty air instead of the man's mouth. Fitz had to stumble to avoid stepping on Skye.
From the other side of the car he could hear Coulson fighting someone else, raising his voice to will Bobbi to get up, and, surprisingly distantly, May and Hunter shouting and fighting even more men.
How many were there? Fitz wondered quickly.
But he didn't have time to wonder for long. The man was at Simmons side, gun out. She tried to punch him but he blocked her fist and twisted, making her cry out in pain.
"Let her go!" Fitz cried, racing forward again.
The man moved the gun back in his fist and started swinging it forward, toward her temple, when Fitz wrapped his arms around his neck. The butt of the gun struck Jemma on the head and she crumpled to the ground, but Fitz's momentum sent the attacker down as well.
Jemma was still conscious, but barely. Fitz could tell she was thoroughly stunned. Everyone else was fighting or knocked out. It was up to him to protect Skye and Jemma.
He reached for the ICER that had dropped from Jemma's grip, thinking that it must have recharged in the eternity since it had been fired…
And felt the man's fist smash against his face, bright stars popping before his eyes as he stumbled back.
"Damn shrimp." The man said, standing up again. "Stay out of this." He walked up to Fitz and kicked him in the stomach, sending a gasping Fitz back into the car, where he slid to the ground, now seeing black.
It took a minute for him to see clearly again. Shots were still being fired all around him, and the man was apparently deciding which of the girls to take. He was just starting to walk with Skye once more in his arms when Fitz stood, bracing himself against the car.
"You can't take her." He said. And he ran forward again, knowing very well how badly his attack could go, but also knowing it was all he could do. He tackled the man from behind, making him stumble and loosen his grip on Skye.
"Fitz." Jemma said weakly.
He didn't dare look away. He saw the man set Skye down again and turn to face him. "You're gonna be really sorry you got up, kid."
"Move." Jemma said.
Again he didn't look back.
"Move!" she said again, louder this time. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder and saw her standing extremely shakily, pointing the ICER in his direction – and understood. He jumped to his right and Jemma fired the ICER again. The only problem? The man had already moved, staying with Fitz and swinging a fist at him. The fist connected with Fitz's head and he sank to his knees, unable to stand anymore. He could barely stay on his knees. The back of his head, the front of his head, every part of him ached. He heard Jemma fall behind him, and saw the man standing in front of him walk over to talk to another person; a woman.
"Should we take all of them?" he asked her.
"He wants Skye." The woman responded. "That's the one that'll hurt Coulson the most."
There was another shot, much closer this time. "Grab her and get out of here!" the woman cried, ducking for cover. "They're beating us!"
Fitz used his last surge of energy to crawl over to Skye, pushing her as far away from him as he could. Then he saw Coulson come from around the car, gun ready. "They want Skye." He said quickly, quietly. "Hide her."
Coulson hesitated for a second, obviously thinking of just fighting, then nodded and picked her up, running back to the building and hiding just inside the open doorway.
Then the man turned and walked back to Fitz, whose vision was going in and out.
"Where is she?" he asked in a deathly growl.
"Who?" Fitz asked.
The man really did growl at him this time. "I'll take the other one then."
Panic shot through Fitz and cleared his foggy head, if only for a moment. "NO!" he cried, lunging and grabbing the man's leg.
The man kicked him aside and then paused. "You are a fighter, aren't you." He said. He seemed to make a split second decision. He sent a shot straight into the air and waited. Fifteen seconds later a van came speeding into sight, stopping alongside them and opening a side door. "We're taking him." The man said as another man jumped out.
"I thought he wanted one of the girls." The other man said.
"Just grab him!" the man snapped. "He'll work just as well as either of them; he's got spirit. Besides," Fitz heard him say to himself, "we don't have time to take both of them."
"We might if you helped." The other man said under his breath as he grabbed Fitz's arms.
Fitz felt himself being dragged towards the car, saw the strong arms that lifted him and threw him inside. He saw the man get in after him and settle his feet near Fitz's face. Fitz looked out the open door at the empty S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicle, and Jemma lying on the ground a few feet away, limp. He saw Coulson start running towards the vehicle he was in, and then everything vanished from sight as the door slammed shut with a whoosh of air. They were moving, speeding away from his team…
"Are you sure the boss won't be mad?" he heard.
The man he had fought with answered. "He'll get over it." He said. "Maybe this guy isn't like a daughter to Coulson, but he still cares about him. Did you see him running after us? He was pissed."
Quiet for a second.
"Nah, we made the right choice with this one. Doc'll be pleased."
If they talked more, Fitz didn't know. After that he couldn't fight it anymore.
He lost consciousness.