Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

AN1: Thank you to everyone who is supporting me. It would mean so much to me if you left a review/comment, please. Please. It shows me that people are actually reading this and that I'm not just writing this for myself.


A few minutes after Melinda left him amazed Steve heads into the Quinjet where everyone else is.

"It's about time, we were just about to send out a search party." Tony says when he sees Steve.

"Sorry. Is everyone ready to go?" Steve asks and everyone either nods or says,

"Yes Captain."

"Okay Barton, you want to get us in the air?" Steve asks.

"I could." Clint says, "But I think Mel should." Clint says then looks to Melinda, "You'll love it Mel, this Quinjet files a lot better than the old ones."

"Sure, I can fly." Melinda says heading to the cockpit.

"She's a pilot too?" Sam asks.

"Yep, she taught me." Clint says as everyone in the back of the Quinjet head to the various places to sit so that they can sit down.


It has been about two hours since the group left Avengers Facility and because he wants to know how far out they are Steve heads to the cockpit to talk to Melinda.

"Agent May, how far away are we?" Steve asks curious.

"About ten minutes, Captain." Melinda informs Steve.

"Okay, I'll get everyone ready. Bring us down quietly when we get there." Steve tells Melinda.

"I'll do it cloaked." Melinda says.

"That'll work." Steve says with a nod before he heads back to the back part of the plane.


"Call it, Captain." Tony says as Melinda walks from the cockpit into the main part of the Quinjet ten minutes later.

"Okay, Tony, Sam, and Rhodey you've got the perimeter and aerial make sure nothing gets out." Steve instructs, "Wanda, Clint, you have the back. Natasha you have the left, Agent May, you have the right, I'll take the front and Pietro you go wherever you're needed, got it?" Steve ask.

"Got it." Everyone says.

"Move out." Steve instructs and everyone does just that.


Five minutes later, Melinda, Steve, Clint, Wanda, Natasha and Pietro are making their way through the building, the facility, while Tony, Steve and Rhodey cover them from outside and above.

As Melinda makes her way through the building she has to use her 'if I need a gun I'll take one' manta within a few seconds and once she knocks out several of the enemies and takes their guns she continues to make her way through the building.

"Agent May." Pietro says as he runs over to her, quickly raising his hands so that May doesn't shot him.

"What's going on, Pietro?" Melinda asks lowering her gun.

"Natasha sent me, she said your help is needed up front. Steve is surrounded and she has to go help Clint and Wanda who are also surrounded." Pietro explains, leaving off that Tony, Rhodey and Sam are also dealing with their own enemy forces.

"Okay." Melinda says, stepping up her spread.

"Let me carry you, it will be quicker." Pietro tells Melinda as he wants to get to his sister.

"Okay." Melinda says and she lets Pietro pick her up and run.

As Pietro runs Melinda is sure that it is the strangest thing she has ever experienced, something which says a lot considering everything she has been through.

"Get me to Captain Rogers then run to your sister." Melinda says.

"We're…there." Pietro says as he stops running and as soon and he does Melinda jumps down out of his arms and fires at the soldiers Steve is fighting against. Her shots disable the two people Steve is fighting against but more quickly take their place and Melinda finds herself being attacked from behind so she has for herself instead of being able to provide assistance to Steve.

For the next few minutes Melinda fights two or three appointees at once hand to hand, having holstered the guns she was holding within the first few seconds as they were just getting in the way. As she fights Melinda is sure that the people she is fighting have had to have landed a blow or to but Melinda doesn't notice, she just focuses on fighting realising that this, may actually be a great way to spend a vacation.

"AGENT MAY DUCK." Steve suddenly calls and before she can think Melinda ducks while kicking the last of the people she is fighting in the centre of his chest, once she does that Melinda quickly pulls her gun to fire straight at the last enemy, who is about to attack Steve.

"Thanks, Agent May." Steve says when he realises what Melinda just did.

"Right back at you, Captain." Melinda says, "Pietro said that Nat, Clint and Wanda were under attack to." Melinda explains.

"Let's go." Steve says and he and Melinda go running towards the back of the building, Steve grabbing his shield as he does.

Together Melinda and Steve run, in complete silence, to the back of the facility where they find Natasha, Clint, Pietro and Wanda still in the middle of a fight, it being clear that a lot of the enemies from the font came to the back when they realised who they were fighting. Using the element of surprise Melinda fires the rest of her rounds into the enemies before both she, like Steve already has done, joins the hand to hand fighting.

For the next few minutes, Melinda, Steve, Clint, Natasha, Pietro and Wanda work together to take down the rest of the enemies that we are fighting.

"Is everyone okay?" Steve asks curious once they stop fighting and everyone gives nods as even though everyone is slightly hurt no one is seriously hurt.

"So if this was a S.H.I.E.L.D mission I would call General Talbot, who do you call?" Melinda asks looking around at all the unconscious, dead, or wounded people.

"We have our own contacts in the Government. We call Maria and she'll get them here." Natasha explains as the door open and everyone prepares to fight but it's just Tony, Sam and Rhodey.

"Huh, looks like you had your own party in here too." Tony says when he see all the bodies.

"This wasn't a party, Tony." Clint says, "My vote is that we head back to the facility and have a real party."

"I second that." Sam says.

"Fist we've got to finish the mission then make sure we're all okay, then party." Steve says, "Understood?"

"Yes, Captain."


A bit over three hours later Melinda, Steve, Natasha, Clint, Tony, Sam, Rhodey, Pietro, Wanda and Maria are all sitting in the living area of the facility with beer and pizza.

"So Mel, how does an Avengers mission compare to what you've been doing with S.H.I.E.L.D lately?" Clint asks curious.

"Lately I've been mainly fighting against Inhuman's so it was a nice change of pace." Melinda admits as it felt good to have a really good actual fight, where she wasn't fighting against multiple copies of the same person.

"Inhumans?" Steve asks confused.

"You didn't explain?" Melinda asks Maria.

"I've been waiting for Phil to send more info, I didn't see the point in explaining when I didn't know everything." Maria admits.

"Considering how things were when I left I'm not surprised that that he hasn't been able to send everything over." Melinda admits.

"Who are Inhumans?" Tony asks, having a feeling that he isn't going to like this.

"According to Lady Sif who is a friend of Thor's, centuries ago an alien race known as the Kree came to earth and modified the DNA of some humans in hopes of creating an race of warriors to fight their war." Melinda explains, every single other person in the room looking interested, "The Kree's project was shut down but the modifications remained in the DNA and was passed on. The modifications were and will continue to be doormat unless an individual with the modified DNA is exposed to what is known as Terrigen Crystals where they will undergo a process called Terrigenesis."

"What happens if someone without the modified DNA is exposed to the Terrigen crystals?" Tony asks curious.

"That's where things get complicated." Melinda admits, "There was a group of hidden Inhumans who made their own crystals by melting down the objects that hold the crystals which are known as divines. If a person who doesn't have Inhuman DNA touches a diviner they turn to stone so these new crystals have pieces of diviners in them and will turn anyone without inhuman DNA to stone, whether they touch them or inhale the crystals." Melinda explains, "All known crystals are believed to have been destroyed last week, when the agent on my team used her abilities to push the crate holding the crystals into the ocean, but we don't know how many Inhuman who have undergone Terrigenesis are out there."

"What is Terrigenesis?" Steve asks.

"It's a process which has been described as centuries of genetic advancement resulting in superhuman abilities." Melinda explains, knowing that as Skye explained everything to Phil and she read the reports.

"What powers have you seen?' Clint asks, wanting some idea of what they may be facing.

"Lack of physical aging, life-force absorption, teleportation, force-field generation, premonitions, replication, superhuman strength, superhuman durability, electromagnetism manipulation, sensory manipulation." Melinda says, her voice stuttering as she thinks of Katya, an action that isn't unnoticed by all the spies and soldiers in the room, or Wanda who realises exactly why, "And the agent of my team developed vibration manipulation, she can cause earthquakes and manipulate everything's natural vibration." Melinda reveals, "The abilities are strong as these are abilities that people always had inside that were just doormat." Melinda explains.

"You've been fighting people with those kinds of abilities?" Rhodey asks, being surprised by that.

"We almost went to War with them, but it was avoided; and the group of Inhumans that we knew about, that were being manipulated into fighting by their leader has been disbanded." Melinda explains, "From what we know it seems that the majorities of the Inhumans aren't threats." Melinda admits, remembering what Lincoln said and did.

"That makes things complicated." Tony says.

"Yeah." Melinda says taking a drink.

"What is S.H.I.E.L.D doing with the inhuman that they know about?" Steve asks, wondering whether he is going to like it.

"Undertaking assessments on them, including a psychological examination and letting them go back to their lives, completely un monitored. If they don't cause anyone harm then they'll never hear from S.H.I.E.L.D again." Melinda explains as that was the agreement that Skye, Phil and Lincoln came to.

"Huh." Steve says, not sure what he thinks about that, not yet anyway, he'll have to talk to Melinda and Phil more before he approves.


About half an hour later Melinda is over sitting by herself by the window as by explaining about the Inhuman's she started to think about Katya again, and what she did.

"Agent May." A voice says and Melinda looks up.

"Captain."

"May I join you?" Steve asks and Melinda gives a nod so Steve sits down next to her, "Thank you Agent May, for your help today." Steve says as he sits down.

"You don't have to thank me Captain, I'm an Agent it's what I do." Melinda says.

"Well still, thanks, I don't know what you are going to do now, or when you're going back to S.H.I.E.L.D, but I would like you to know that I would gladly have you on my team any time." Steve informs Melinda.

"Thank you Captain, that means a lot." Melinda says then takes a drink, "Honestly, I don't know when I'm going back to S.H.I.E.L.D." Melinda says, leaving off the 'or if' that she is thinking.

"Why not?" Steve asks, "If you don't mind me asking." Steve adds, wanting to sound more polite and making it clear that it is Melinda's choice.

"Like I said last night things are complicated." Melinda says, "I left on vacation to take time to figure things out." Melinda explains,

"What things?" Steve asks.

"Whether I can accept Phil lied to me for months. Since he came back Phil and I have been going around in the same circle, one of us lies to protect each other, the other one of us gets hurt, and we go back about ten steps." Melinda explains, "I don't know if I can keep going around in that circle with my best friend." Melinda admits.

"I'm sorry." Steve says, not sure what else to say, "Well you're welcome to stay here as long as you need, Agent May."

"I'll remember that, Captain." Melinda says and the two of them drift into silence.


Across the room Natasha is only half listening to the conversion that Sam and Clint are having, something which may not be the greatest idea considering what they are talking about, as she is watching Melinda and Steve.

"What has gotten you so interested?" Tony asks as he sits down next to Natasha.

"Nothing." Natasha lies and Tony turns and looks at Melinda and Steve.

"I see." Tony realises, "Is something going on between them?" Tony asks, looking interested.

"I'm not entirely sure." Natasha admits.

"Could there be?"

"Yeah, I think there could be." Natasha says as she knows that even though they may seem very different on the surface, which they are in a lot of ways, Melinda and Steve actually have a lot of similarities too.

"I see." Tony repeats, "If you're planning on playing match maker, let me know, because this is something I could defiantly get behind."

"You're really desperate for something to do, aren't you?" Natasha asks amused.

"I really am." Tony confirms to Natasha's amusement.

"ATTENTION EVERYONE!" Clint yells, "GATHER ROUND EVEYRONE." He requests and everyone who has spread throughout the room head back over.

"What's going on?" Steve asks as he and Melinda walk over.

"A little challenge." Sam explains.

"I don't like the sound of that." Maria admits as she has experienced enough of Clint's challenges to know what they can be like.

"Trust me you'll love it." Clint assuring Maria giving a grin that she, Natasha and Melinda all know means trouble.

"What's the challenge?" Rhodey asks curious.

"Everyone, except for you because we need a judge and alcohol has no effect on you." Sam says to Steve, "Will scull a beer as fast as we can, blindfolded, before throwing a dart."

"That sounds insane." Pietro comments.

"But awesome." Tony says and several other people around the room look very interested at that.

"If you're going to do this then we're going to do it the right way." Steve says, "Which means one at a time and everyone who isn't going will stand back so that no one accidently ends up with a dart in them." Steve says, knowing better than trying to talk everyone out of it because there is no way he will succeed, "And we're going to do it in the gym so that nothing gets broken."

"So this is how earth's mightiest heroes spend their spare time?" Melinda asks a note of disbelieve to her voice.

"Come on Mel, you know that doing things like this is the best way to de-stress." Clint says, "You're in, right?" Clint asks and Melinda thinks about it for a few seconds.

"Yeah, I'm in." Melinda admits and Clint grins.

"Nat?'

"Yeah." Natasha says knowing that if Clint and Melinda are in then she kind of has to try too.

"Tony, Rhodey?" Sam asks curious.

"Of course I'm in." Tony say sand Rhodey looks more hesitant, "Come on Rhodes, It will be fun."

"Fine." Rhodey says, knowing that Tony won't give up until he agrees.

"Maria, Pietro, Wanda?" Clint ask and he receives three nods in response, "To the gym." Clint says and after they all grab beers they all leave the living are.


For the next ten or so minutes, after Steve set up the dart board, everyone, one at a time sculls a bear while wearing a blindfold before they each throw a dart at the dartboards. To everyone's relief no one comes close to accidently hitting anyone else.

"So, Captain, what's the verdict?" Clint ask curious once everyone has had their turn. .

"Well, I timed the sculling of the beer and then I looked at who got closer to the centre with the dart." Steve explains, "So, the person who sculled the beer the fastest is Tony."

"Nothing surprising there." Rhodey says as he grins at his best friend.

"And the dart?" Sam asks.

"Clint." Melinda and Natasha say together before Steve can answer.

"Correct." Steve confirms.

"Is anyone surprised by that?" Pietro asks curious.

"Nope."

"So, back to the living room?" Maria ask and that's just what everyone does.


It has been several hours since everyone returned to the living room for more drinking and talking. The group drunk and talked for several hours before they all went their separate ways and headed to bed.

Because Natasha ran the race back to her rooms she got to shower first so when Melinda walks out of the bathroom after her own shower she finds Natasha sitting on the bed still up

"What's going on?" Melinda asks, seeing and recognizing the look on Natasha's face.

"Nothing." Natasha says as Melinda walks over.

"You're forgetting that I know you, Nat. I know that look." Melinda reminds her friend.

"Okay. Yeah, there is something." Natasha admits, "You were a lot like your old self tonight, it was nice to see." Natasha says with a grin.

"That person is long gone." Melinda says as she sits down on the bed, "You know that better than anyone."

"I do." Natasha confirms, "But I also know that you've still got parts of that person inside of you and its okay to let them show through."

"I don't know if I can." Melinda admits as she climbs under the blanket.

"You can Mel, I know you can." Natasha assures Melinda, "You've just got to try, if you want to."

"I'll think about it." Melinda says, realising that with everything that is going on that that is the best she can do as like she said to Natasha most of the person she was before Bahrain is long gone.

"Good. You should Mel." Natasha says as she turns of the light, "Night."

"Night." Melinda says and both she and Natasha lay down next to each other both thinking about everything that has happened and before too long, quicker than usual as they both feel safe because they can sense the other next to them, they are both fast asleep.