Ten hours later, trees blocking out the sky above her, Skye gaped. Frozen in place, she listened to every word of the transmission, then played the recording back three times to make sure she was right. Every word held the same. She checked the frequency. S.H.I.E.L.D.-only, covered under several lines of encryption and a voice synthesizer. Everything about it screamed authentic.
It only took her a half-second to dial them.
"Hello?" At the sound of the British scientist, Skye rushed straight to the point, words half-blended together and slurred slightly with urgency.
"I found the cure, Simmons, but you-"
"WHAT?!"
"Jesus, Jems, what-"
"Skye said she found the cure to the bloodlust! Fitz, we can go back to S.H.I.E.L.D., we can-"
"Simmons, wait-"
"D'ya think Coulson'll let us back after-"
"-and my equipment, and my microscope, and-"
"-and I c'n get back to m' lab-"
"-our lab, Fitz, and-"
"Fitzsimmons, so help me or I will eat you both!" A pause in the jabber. Sighing on the other side, the hacker raised and hand to her forehead. "Guys, it's not a good cure. Or a pleasant one." More quiet. Get to the point, the silence screamed at her.
"You can only be cured if you drink the lifeblood of someone affected by the same serum. And the only two..." her voice trailed off, the lingering notes of the word cut by a choking noise. The silence grew heavy. "Guys?" Her voice was rough, tinged by the edges of tears.
*Click* Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
"Fuck," she snapped at the dial tone.