FITZ, SIMMONS AND HAYLEY were working on the lab.
Hayley was providing whatever help they needed, grateful that they didn't push her away when she was there. Knowing this was serious they didn't push her
Hayley couldn't help muse to herself for a second. 'If this wasn't a life or death situation they'll be over my ass to not touch their things'
Hayley was on a computer, typing. She was opening up a new file, gathering information about centipede while Fitz and Simmons were working. She had felt she was getting their in their way and that's why she stepped back. Only butting to cheer them up and not give up
Fitz was looking at a large computer screen "Come on. Give me more paralysis. Less rigor mortis. Oh, come on!" He walked towards his computer hurriedly. Hayley looked up "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no"
Fitz sat on his computer
Simmons was working over her vials, also stressed out. Her hands shaking as she tried to focus
"Guys, come on" Hayley spoke softly, looking between them over the screen of her computer "Just pretend this an exam alright? You're both are taking an exam"
"And exam, yeah" Fitz agreed, slightly relaxing "Okay"
Simmons readied a vial with blue liquid "Yeah"
"I don't want an F" Fitz told them "F equals a massacre"
Hayley chuckled slightly watching Simmons putting the vial into a machine, seemingly more relaxed.
Hayley looked back at the computer about to continue typing when a security breach protocol appeared on the computer "Whoa!" She exclaimed startling both Fitz and Simmons.
Simmons walked closer, seeing the same on both computers, Hayley's and Fitz's "Oh, no. What is this nonsense? Why are you making nonsense?"
Hayley frowned typing trying to get out of the protocol breach but it wasn't working. She looked up when Ward and Coulson walked in
"This isn't me" Fitz told them and looked up at Hayley, questionably. She shook her head
"Its noise. Someone's hacking our secure channel" Hayley said frowning
"It's longitude and latitude" Coulson informed them "Mike took Skye. She's telling us where"
Coulson and Ward walked away towards the cars. Hayley jumped from the stool she was sitting on and grabbed her jacket.
"Keep going, guys. I know you can do it" Hayley told them, flashing them thumbs up and a reassuring smile as she went to an SVU, climbing inside as Ward and Coulson were there already and they drove out of the bus.
Fitz and Simmons exchanging a look, continuing to work
~8~
Ward, Coulson and Hayley arrived to a train station where Mike had taken Skye and his son Ace, the coordinates she had sent them.
The three agents got out of the car, walking towards Skye's blue van
"Look at this place" Ward began, looking around them "You're gonna risk thousands of lives over some nobody"
Hayley frowned at him, not saying anything
"Nobody's nobody, Ward" Coulson told him calmly, "Fitz-Simmons will come through"
Hayley nodded in agreement, raising up a megaphone and starting speaking through it "Mr. Peterson, good morning. We're not a threat. We're here to help. But you're in danger, and we need to take you in"
While waiting a response from Mike, Hayley lowered the megaphone before Mike kicked the van door of the van towards them.
In a reflex, Ward brought Hayley and Coulson down for cover so the door didn't hit them
The van door soared over them down the sidewalk, making people scream running away so they wouldn't get hit. The door, mysteriously slowed down a bit before falling to the ground without harming anyone
Hayley looked back at where Mike picked up Ace, lowering her arms as he pulled Skye out of the van by her arm, pulling them into the station.
Ward grabbed his rifle, standing and running after them
~8~
Hayley had stayed outside, making sure there was no harmed civilians when screams and groans caught her attention, turning to face the station.
Hayley walked towards a Police Officer, seeing her escorting away a familiar young boy
"Hey, I'll take care of the kid" Hayley looked at the police officer, politely. The police officer eyed Hayley suspiciously. Refraining herself from rolling her eyes, Hayley pulled up her badge "I'm Agent Hayley Collins from S.H.I.E.L.D. My boss is inside helping this boy's father. I can make sure his son is okay as well"
The police officer looked at Hayley's badge before nodding and letting go the young boy's hand, before walking away
Hayley knelt in front of him, smiling gently "Hello. My name is Hayley. What is yours?"
The young boy smiled, "Ace"
Hayley smiled at Ace, "Cool name. What about we go over there and sit down? Shall we?" She asked standing up, holding her hand towards him.
Ace hesitated slightly but grabbed Hayley's hand, looking up at her
"Where's my daddy? He's a good man, Miss" Ace asked her, looking up innocently.
Hayley didn't answer, sighing sympathetically "We're going to help your daddy, Ace. Okay?" She said softly.
Ace nodded slowly, believing her
Hayley and Ace walked towards the SVU, where she helped Ace up on the backseat giving her IPhone so he could play while waiting.
Ace smiled gratefully, starting to play a game.
Hayley turned her back on him, leaning against the passenger door, putting her earpiece so she could be informed about what was happening.
"We may have a third party" Hayley heard May say over her comm. She frowned straightening up, looking around trying to find something suspicious "He's gonna head down to the tracks"
Hayley bit on her lip, hearing all the commotion through her earpiece while keeping an eye on Ace.
"Think that means anything?" Mike suddenly said, making her listen intently after all the commotion ended "I know you got men everywhere waiting to put me down. I know how this plays out"
"I don't" Coulson said "I know you got poison in your system. I know it's burning you up. Mike, the last guy who wore that exploded"
"I'm not like that other guy. I'm... It matters who I am... inside, if I'm a good person, if I'm strong"
"I have a clear shot. Do you copy?" Ward said over the comms, on another connection.
"I know you're strong. Your boy knows it" Coulson said. Hayley bit her lip, glancing at Ace, who was playing with her IPhone, oblivious to what was happening to his dad, "He needs you to let us help"
"You took him!" Mike exclaimed desperately, Hayley flinched slightly at the his voice breaking and took a deep breath, grateful none of her team was watching her
Hayley turned to face Ace mustering up a small smile, before telling him that she'll be right back, starting to back away towards the station not before telling a police officer to watch over Ace, all while Mike continued talking.
"You took my wife, my job, my house. You think this is killing me?! All over, there's people being pushed down, being robbed. One of them tries to stand up, you got to make an example out of him"
Hayley walked inside the station, walking closer to May and Skye who were keeping their distance from Coulson and Mike.
Mike was almost on the verge of tears
"You bring this building down on us, will that help them?" Coulson asked calmly
"That's a lie!" Mike exclaimed "All you do is lie!" He said, destroying a table nearby, turning to face them "You said if we worked hard, if we did right, we'd have a place. You said it was enough to be a man. But there's better than man. There's gods. And the rest of us... What are we? They're giants. We're what they step on"
Coulson stepped closer until he was face to face with Mike "I know. I've seen giants. Up close. And that privilege cost me... nearly everything. But the good ones, the real deal? They're not heroes because of what they have that we don't. It's what they do with it. You're right, Mike. It matters who you are"
Mike was calmed down, for what Hayley could interpret he still was desperate but more than all, depressed. There were tears on his eyes "I could, you know? Be a hero"
"I'm counting on it." Coulson told him
There was a silence before a gunshot hit on Mike's forehead, making him fall to the floor
Hayley instantly turned around, looking up following the bullet's trajectory while Simmons ran past them towards Mike, kneeling next to him
Hayley found Ward and Fitz standing together over in a balcony, holding up one of scientists guns, while Fitz held onto a rifle
The brunette looked down to see blue veins spreading through Mike's skin that calmed down the glowing orange beneath his skin.
Simmons smiled breathlessly in relief, looking towards them
It worked. Mike was okay now.
Hayley and Skye both sighed in relief.
May gestured for EMT's to bring in a gurney. They did as told
Fitz looked down at everyone, giving them thumbs up, winking.
Hayley looked up towards Fitz flashing him thumbs up, turning to look down at Simmons, smiling at her proudly flashing her thumbs up as well, remembering them she had always believed they could do it as she had told them before on the bus
Simmons couldn't believe she and Fitz could make their technology to work, smiling in shock at herself
Hayley smiled at everyone before backing away and towards where she had left Ace, knowing she wouldn't be giving him bad news.
~8~
Once Hayley made it outside, Ace was already looking for her, seeming to have gotten bored
Hayley smiled at the police officer gratefully, before walking past her towards Ace.
The police officer walked away
"Your dad is fine" Hayley told Ace, making a relieved smile spread on the boy's face "But right now he needs to go to the hospital because he isn't feeling that well and told us he doesn't want to worry you" she told him leaning slightly against the opened door.
Ace looked up at her, worriedly "You're not going to arrest him, right?" Ace asked biting his lip
Hayley smiled a small smile, shaking her head "Of course not, buddy. He was just feeling sick. We were helping him and now, doctors are gonna do that for him too"
Ace sighed in relief "Thank you for helping my dad" he said wrapping his arms around Hayley's middle, hugging her.
She breathed a chuckle, wrapping her arms around his shoulders before pulling away and kneeling in front of him, looking at him seriously
"Now. Your dad told us he wants you to be safe while he's not home with you. So we're going to take you with your aunt. It's that alright?" Ace nodded, "Alright. I can not take you myself with her but a couple of friends of mine will, they're really nice"
Ace gnawed on his lip, before meeting her gaze softly, "Will I see you again?"
Hayley didn't answer, smiling slightly looking over her shoulder seeing Skye and Coulson walking to them
"Those are my friends. They'll make sure you get to your aunt sound and safe"
Ace sighed, looking up at Coulson and Skye before giving a small polite smile.
~8~
While Coulson and Skye took Ace over his aunt, the rest of the Agents were celebrating their first accomplished mission.
Fitz was eating
Simmons and Hayley were drinking, while the latter was also writing on a laptop.
A laptop beeped making them all confused as Ward checked it out.
Ward looked up over his shoulder to the others, nodding at the laptop.
The other agents walked closer. Hayley raising her eyebrows at what they got.
"Interesting" she murmured giving a sip of her drink as Ward called Coulson
"Go" Coulson answered
"Sir, we've got an 0-8-4" Ward told him, the phone on speaker as he checked over the information on his laptop
"Is that confirmed?" Coulson asked
"They want us to go in and confirm it" Ward informed him, sighing
Hayley stayed silent, feeling distracted forcing herself to clink her beer with Simmons' and forcing a cheerful smile