Anonymous prompt on Tumblr: skimmons+ masked super hero au

Jemma's frustration peaked when she walked by another newspaper stand whose front was covered in a poster calling for Quake's arrest. She wondered how the public could possibly hate her just because she was different. Yes, her most recent appearance had rattled a grocery store nearby and damaged some property, but she saved an entire bus full of school children when it was involved in an accident that left it partially hanging over the edge of a bridge.

Her powers didn't seem to be just limited to causing earthquakes. As scientists, she and her best friend, Fitz, had a few theories. They guessed that she was able to tap into the vibrations of any molecule and control them. If that was the case, there was so much she would be able to do. The vibration of molecules and the way they rub against each other is what creates heat, so theoretically, Quake would be able to heat and cool things as well by changing the speed of the molecules. She could even reach absolute zero, a temperature unachievable by the best of scientists, because so far humans cannot stop a molecule from moving completely.

Jemma wished she could get another face-to-face with the anonymous superhero and explain her theory. And to thank her, of course, for the time Quake saved her life.

Like every mugging ever, her attacker appeared out of nowhere when she was leaving the lab to walk home to her apartment late one night. He grabbed her, pulled her into a dark alley, and yanked away her purse. A shiver ran down Jemma's spine when she saw the look in the man's eyes, the look that told her everything she needed to know, and that he was there to do more than just steal the cash she had on her. But then Quake was there. She seemed to have dropped down from the roof of the building on the other side of the alley, she wasn't sure. If she hadn't been so panicked she would have taken in more of the details.

One moment, she was being groped by a criminal, the next, she was watching Quake defeat him in hand-to-hand combat. It wasn't often that she used her powers, only when she needed to.

Whenever Jemma felt a low rumbling beneath her feet, whether she was at the lab, her apartment, or the coffee shop down the street, she knew Quake was out in the city somewhere, saving someone. She usually saw it in the paper and on the news the next day. She couldn't believe the nerve of the people who called Quake a criminal and petitioned for her arrest for destruction of property. Not to mention the fact that SHIELD, the company she worked for, wanted to put her on a list of dangerous, powered people.

She had looked at Quake for a moment, in shock, while her attacker lay in a mud puddle on the ground. Quake stood up straight and Jemma truly took in the sight of her. She'd seen pictures in the paper, but this was something else. Her tight black suit with occasional yellow stripes hugged her body, showing off the muscles lining her arms and stomach. The piece of clothing that kept her identity hidden was almost comical. The superhero, in her very flattering suit, opted for a simple ski mask. The mouth was sewn shut, like she never intended to say anything.

Jemma could see her eyes, though. Beautiful, intriguing brown orbs stared at her. The mysterious girl blinked twice, clearing from her eyes the water that was now falling from the sky in light curtains. Quake bent over, lifted Jemma's ruined purse from the ground, and offered it to her. When Jemma grabbed it, her fingers brushed against the other girl's, and she could feel the vibrations through her gloves so intensely that she jerked away.

As quickly as she had appeared, Quake disappeared down the alley into the darkness like a puff of smoke, leaving Jemma unsure of whether she had actually been there or not. Her only proof was the body on the ground, which she quickly called the authorities to deal with.

It was as if Jemma's thinking about Quake somehow summoned her, because the top floor of the building she worked in suddenly exploded so violently that it left her ears ringing from the ground below and she had to cover her head to protect herself from flying debris.

Hydra. Jemma recognized the logo on a man's jacket even through the quickly panicking crowd of New York City. There was a com in his ear and an empty backpack hung on his shoulders, as if something had previously been inside. He planted the bomb.

As if the explosion served as some sort of homing beacon for Quake, the girl soon sped past Jemma after the Hydra agent. The ground started shaking beneath her feet and she struggled to keep her eyes on Quake. It was a stupid, reckless decision, but Jemma tried to run after her. It was her duty to SHIELD, of course. She called her superior officer and let him know what was going on before continuing her chase.

A massive streetlamp fell into the street up ahead, an obstacle made by Quake to slow down the Hydra agent. When Jemma got closer, she pushed herself to the front of the crowd and watched Quake battle with the agent. Jemma's heart jumped when he got in a good hit, throwing his fist into Quake's stomach and causing her to double over. She recovered quickly, however, and kicked the man's legs from beneath him. Before the process could continue any further, SHIELD agents finally located them.

Jemma tried to shout at them to wait, but her coworkers were on a warpath and quickly started firing icer shots.

"Wait! Stop!" Jemma tried shouting. A look of surprise crossed Quake's face when a punch she'd thrown at her foe hit dead air because he'd fallen to the ground.

"Run!" Jemma didn't know why, but she shouted these instructions to the girl her organization was supposed to be containing. Quake made eye contact with her for just a second too long. The superhero slowly started raising her hands above her head in surrender, but Jemma saw a trigger-happy SHIELD agent raise his icer.

"No!" Jemma jumped in front of the barrel. She would rather have herself become unconscious for a few hours than have the city's hero in containment. The last thing she remembered was the blue flash accompanied by a temporary burst of pain in her chest. So that was what it felt like to be hit by one the bullets she and Fitz created.

Jemma woke to the sound of some metal clanking. Her pulse was pounding in her temples and the ceiling, which seemed to be high above her, was grey and blurry. Because her vision wasn't working, she focused on using her other senses. The bed she was lying in was not her own and not one in the medical bay, and the room held a familiar, yet new smell. If she had to compare it to anything, it would be the combination of coffee and something sweet.

When her vision finally focused, she turned her head to the side. She was definitely in some kind of warehouse, the metal clanking echoed throughout the huge room. A squealing sound made Jemma cringe and face the source of the ear-splitting noise. She recognized the suit from behind, black and yellow, but the hair was new. The wool ski mask was draped over a foldable chair between her and… Quake. Chocolate colored curtains of hair fell over the girl's shoulder blades and back and Jemma sat up, intrigued.

Springs creaked beneath her and Quake's trained ears picked up the noise immediately. Her head turned over her shoulder and Jemma saw her face for the first time. She looked like a child. Well, not like a child, but her face was round and her nose small, giving her the impression of youth. What really caught Jemma's attention were her lips, which slowly turned upwards. Jemma's entire body tensed as Quake approached her. She knelt beside the bed and handed Jemma a steaming cup of tea that she had just been boiling water for. That explained the screeching from the kettle on a very temporary-looking stove.

"I'm glad you're awake. I couldn't find any kind of wound, I didn't know what they'd shot you with." Quake said. Jemma was surprised by how much she enjoyed the sound of the other girl's voice.

"Quake." Was the first thing Jemma muttered. Her fingers wrapped around the warm mug gratefully, she was still feeling a chill. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was getting shot with an icer on the side of the street. Had Quake taken her?

"Please. Call me Skye." The previously masked hero sat on the edge of the cot Jemma was lying on. Jemma was wondering how she'd gotten lucky enough to be sitting in the home of the city's most infamous person.

"I'm Jemma Simmons." Jemma offered her name.

"I know." Skye admitted, looking down at her lap.

"What?" Jemma questioned.

"I followed you home that night, made sure you were alright. I may have also worked a little computer magic and found out quite a bit about you." Skye told her. Jemma was shocked. Not only had this stranger saved her, but she added the extra effort of finding out who she was and making sure she was alright.

"You hacked into SHIELD?!" Jemma exclaimed when she realized the reality of what Skye had just said. She was after all sitting in the home of not only a super hero, but someone on SHIELD's wanted list. Skye tilted her head to the side a bit and laughed.

"No, just facebook." Skye said. Jemma blushed and the room- warehouse- fell silent for a few long moments that were filled by carefully watching Skye and observing the movements she made. The longer they talked, the more she could feel her cot trembling and the tea making little waves in her mug.

"I must say, your pictures are very… flattering." Skye says, looking carefully at Jemma.

"The only pictures are of me in a lab coat and a pair of goggles that are ridiculously large in proportion to my face." Jemma rambles, aware that Skye is trying to flirt with her, but not quite sure how to reciprocate it.

"Exactly." Skye smirks. "You don't even know how beautiful you are." She says.

"I bet you say that to all the damsels in distress." Jemma jokes. She wants to flirt back, she really does, but she doesn't know how. Fitz once tried to teach her, and he couldn't look her in the eye with a straight face for a week after. However, Skye seemed to think her comment was amusing.

"Only the ones I kidnap and bring home." Skye plays along. Jemma reaches for her hand, quickly jerking away when she feels the way Skye's skin constantly rumbles. Skye nods, as if giving Jemma permission, and Jemma carefully wraps her fingers around Skye's arm, placing the cup of tea on the side table. She can feel the seismic waves rippling up and down her arm and through the rest of her body, and it makes the hairs on the back of her neck rise in a good way.

"Thank you. For saving me that night." Jemma says.

"Thank you for taking a bullet for me." Skye says. She looked very surprised that anyone would take that kind of action to protect her. The way Skye was staring at her in adoration made Jemma wonder. It wouldn't hurt to not tell Skye that she knew the bullets weren't lethal, right?

"I guess we're even, then." Jemma smiled.

"Not quite." Skye countered, grabbing Jemma's other hand with her own free one. The tingling sensations in Jemma's spine grew until it consumed her body, and all she wanted to do was touch more of Skye's. Skye granted her wish, leaning in until their lips barely touched. Jemma kissed her back, pulling her hands up to rest on the sides of Skye's neck. The room around her really started shaking; several of Skye's belongings fell off of varying tables, and Jemma's mug of tea shattered on the ground.